Question about freshwater pearls
- Thread starter miss emma
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knotty panda
Pearl Knotting & Wire Expert
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About 6 months ago with my last Fire Mountain order, my free gift was a strand of pearls and a flyer of how to dye them. I didn't have time to even look at it. With this thread, I looked on Fire Mountain's site, and sure enough there are instructions. Here's the link. http://www.firemountaingems.com/encyclobeadia/beading_resources.asp?docid=7B6B&sact=search
They also recommend using an artist's sealant to coat the pearls after dying to add luster and prevent bleeding. I don't know that I would do that with good pearls (can't breathe and all), but if I'm going to dye the pearls anyway, they can't be that good! Give this a try and let us know how it works.
They also recommend using an artist's sealant to coat the pearls after dying to add luster and prevent bleeding. I don't know that I would do that with good pearls (can't breathe and all), but if I'm going to dye the pearls anyway, they can't be that good! Give this a try and let us know how it works.
Oh thanks knotty panda, i will have a good look at the site later on! i don't know if i have the patience to dye my own, but it would be interesting to seal them and see how they go...or maybe that takes away some of their 'charm'... or maybe its best to leave it to fate... aaaahhhH!
jshepherd, i had a feeling that may be the case.... i have asked the supplier, but who knows if i will get the truth?? (when i initially asked a few questions, she said that they had been colour fastened, so that's one plus, but if they are not real FWPs then it dosen't really matter, does it?!
jshepherd, i had a feeling that may be the case.... i have asked the supplier, but who knows if i will get the truth?? (when i initially asked a few questions, she said that they had been colour fastened, so that's one plus, but if they are not real FWPs then it dosen't really matter, does it?!
in regards to my question above of "Freshwater pearls / Mother of Pearl", I have just received this response from the supplier...
"the freshwater pearls are all real. The mother of pearl applies to some of the other shapes and colours I sell which are made from the shell of the pearl, or if you will, it's casing.
I haven't had any experience with any of these changing colour for the 3 years I have been trading."
what do you make of that?!
"the freshwater pearls are all real. The mother of pearl applies to some of the other shapes and colours I sell which are made from the shell of the pearl, or if you will, it's casing.
I haven't had any experience with any of these changing colour for the 3 years I have been trading."
what do you make of that?!
Nerida
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I think you need to do the tooth test - can you also send us a couple of pics of the pearls you are working with? closeups will help us help you work out if your pearl are real or not..
And Wendy - I agree- when ordering your pearls, you may be able to determine where they come from and what's been done to them, but I was imaging that missemma had walked into a bead supplier and bought pearls that were already there for perhaps some time... I think it would be hard then to ever trace what's happened with them.
And Wendy - I agree- when ordering your pearls, you may be able to determine where they come from and what's been done to them, but I was imaging that missemma had walked into a bead supplier and bought pearls that were already there for perhaps some time... I think it would be hard then to ever trace what's happened with them.
J
jerin
Guest
miss emma,
if shell pearls are used, it can say either MOP or shell pearls. In both cases it is not what I consider CFW-pearls even though MOP is real too...
if shell pearls are used, it can say either MOP or shell pearls. In both cases it is not what I consider CFW-pearls even though MOP is real too...
S
Satine De La Courcel
Guest
No, they MOP are the shell that is made into the "pearl bead". not a "true freshwater pearl" since it was completely man made from the shell and not cultured/natural inside the mollusk,
IMO the label is misleading. they should say MOP or shell pearls as Jerin said.
cheers
Ash
Cathybear
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Looks to me like that page has freshwater pearls, dyed and undyed with the mother of pearl at the bottom of the page
http://www.jtcbeads.com/display.asp?entityid=2348
Impossiblre to see the quality of the dying from the photos. I've had not-so-good (you could see patchy colour on the pearl surface) and spectacular (if you didn't know cfwp's didn't come in gold you'd swear it was natural). If you can't tell now you will learn with experience. As to testing for colour fastness make yourself a bracelet on strong synthetic thread.. sleep in it shower in it, leave it on 24/7 and see what happens (better pick some you like). I'm testing synthetic thread at the moment (Superlon) and have had the current bracelet on for a couple of weeks.
Cathy
http://www.jtcbeads.com/display.asp?entityid=2348
Impossiblre to see the quality of the dying from the photos. I've had not-so-good (you could see patchy colour on the pearl surface) and spectacular (if you didn't know cfwp's didn't come in gold you'd swear it was natural). If you can't tell now you will learn with experience. As to testing for colour fastness make yourself a bracelet on strong synthetic thread.. sleep in it shower in it, leave it on 24/7 and see what happens (better pick some you like). I'm testing synthetic thread at the moment (Superlon) and have had the current bracelet on for a couple of weeks.
Cathy
I will do that... Thanks Cathy, that's really great advice
Yeah i see what u mean on the website-- only the items at the bottom are MOP, the coloured ones are FWPs... Sometimes it takes another set of eyes!
Thanks so much everyone for your time and advice, you are all so lovely!x
Yeah i see what u mean on the website-- only the items at the bottom are MOP, the coloured ones are FWPs... Sometimes it takes another set of eyes!
Thanks so much everyone for your time and advice, you are all so lovely!x
Caitlin
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I agree about the black/peacock pearls. I bought a kilo or so of them about 3 years ago. I hang all my hanks in the cooler breeze in mostly indirect light. Not one has faded or even given off color.
I got some chartreuse pearls before I hooked up here at the P-G. I made them into an eyeglass holder and wore them until my youngest (with cutting edge style in SF) saw them last year and requested I make them into a choker for her. They never faded a bit, and still haven't.
I think the red ones are color fast too-is that the color you tested?
I also collect shades of dyed purple pearls and lavender dyed pearls, in many shades. So far just fine for all of them, still hanging on the wall 'til I get to them. I always included the word "dyed" when talking to anyone about them.
I'll never get over the Lapis beads I bought once along the frontage road part of the gem store. I washed them and color just filled the bowl. When I took them out, they were slimy and sticky and never quit giving up that blue stuff. I hated them enough to throw them away. Never had anything like that experience with pearls.
I got some chartreuse pearls before I hooked up here at the P-G. I made them into an eyeglass holder and wore them until my youngest (with cutting edge style in SF) saw them last year and requested I make them into a choker for her. They never faded a bit, and still haven't.
I think the red ones are color fast too-is that the color you tested?
I also collect shades of dyed purple pearls and lavender dyed pearls, in many shades. So far just fine for all of them, still hanging on the wall 'til I get to them. I always included the word "dyed" when talking to anyone about them.
I'll never get over the Lapis beads I bought once along the frontage road part of the gem store. I washed them and color just filled the bowl. When I took them out, they were slimy and sticky and never quit giving up that blue stuff. I hated them enough to throw them away. Never had anything like that experience with pearls.
M.Hampston
Member
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Let me see if I understand this. Freshwater pearls can be a lot of differnet colors. But many freshwater pearls are dyed. So how does one tell which pearls are dyed and which pearls are not? Is there some sort of certificate that would accompany pearls that are not dyed?
pearlescence
purveyor of pearls UK/EU
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Untreated freshwater pearls range in colour from lavender to purple, peach (probably the most common natural colour), gold, white, with varying shades and intensities. Generally white pearls have been bleached and may have been dyed a smidge to develop a rose or silver overglow.
A natural colour pearl may well have varying shades of colour over its surface.
Generally the stronger the colour, the greater the likelihood of a treatment.
Here in Europe we don't do appraisals or certificates as standard as in America but there are pretty strict consumer laws about how goods are described.
It is harder to get untreated natural colour pearls than it is to get treated (same as with undrilled!)
I've fallen totally in love with the subtle colours in the ones I have in
A natural colour pearl may well have varying shades of colour over its surface.
Generally the stronger the colour, the greater the likelihood of a treatment.
Here in Europe we don't do appraisals or certificates as standard as in America but there are pretty strict consumer laws about how goods are described.
It is harder to get untreated natural colour pearls than it is to get treated (same as with undrilled!)
I've fallen totally in love with the subtle colours in the ones I have in
J
jerin
Guest
Hi M Hampston,
as Wendy told you, the stronger the colour the bigger the risk that the pearls are dyed. If You can see the pearls in a loose state you can check at the drill holes for spill of colour (good to have a 10 x magnifier), otherwise check the text ...natural coloured should tell that the pearls are not dyed but depending on from which seller you buy, you can trust this or not.... se earlier threads under the Freshwater section for help and guidance.
as Wendy told you, the stronger the colour the bigger the risk that the pearls are dyed. If You can see the pearls in a loose state you can check at the drill holes for spill of colour (good to have a 10 x magnifier), otherwise check the text ...natural coloured should tell that the pearls are not dyed but depending on from which seller you buy, you can trust this or not.... se earlier threads under the Freshwater section for help and guidance.
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