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It's an akoya pearl which judging by the surrounding structure is definitely attached to the shell naturally. It's a cultured pearl and the shell has been cleaned up at the edges. Ornamental value only.

In the 90s, 400/oz was still a lot of money. Clasps have different parts which need to be fit for assembly. A run of gold findings commissioned by Mikimoto seem much more likely than a one-off to merely copy a Miki clasp. Being good quality gold, the post may been to thin/soft and bent or...

I completely agree, Pattye. It doesn't make much sense why anyone would replicate a gold Miki clasp in the first place. The price of gold being what it is, there would be no added value. Even if it were created to add value to other pearls, a silver clasp could have been used to that end instead.

Why use expensive compounds and elaborate materials when a simple shell grind would suffice? Any object has a thermal co-efficiency value. Donor objects must be near or identical to that of the recipient. Any drilling, especially into nuclei harder than the surface will expand and crack the...

Excellent questions. External signs. Sometimes, but not as a rule. From livestock, I tend to target large, over-mature shells with shell anomalies. From deadstock (demised by whatever reason) they'll sometimes gape. External to internal bore-type parasites are visible from the outside, but...

It's a coin pearl. So named for the coin shaped/size of the nucleus made from another shell used in the production process.

Here are images of the shells from where the soft tissues in the previous images resided. The pericardium parallels the dorsal line along the interior of the right valve. Medial to the organ (likely highest blood pressure point) a blister pearl occurs adjacent to the hinge. Otherwise healthy...

Individually. At least up to the genetics part. If that's where I end up, I'll be content with providing the materials.

Scarcely a few microns in size, new pearls born to the world.

I've been back in the field collecting specimens. I set out this year to revisit a theory on the incidence of pearl formation related to heart disease. In almost every specimen found to contain pearls, a great percentage were found within <50% of the radius from the center of the anatomy. This...

They're the same, but the angle is deceptive. I agree it seems like foreign matter or at least not part of the nuclear material of the piece. A pendant or bracelet may have been fashioned with this then broke free to become lost on a beach. Or at least that rationale seems more realistic than...

This is an interesting situation. Firstly, finding a natural pearl outside of it's parent shell is a near impossibility, no less one in lustrous condition. That said, I'll never say never. To correctly identify pearl origin and debunk fakes, I use traditional data and experience to weigh the...

Blister is a broad term for a class of pearls. Namely pearls attached to shells resembling that of skin or paint blisters. There are several types of blisters, many unique in onset to other blisters. Some form by parasites drilling through shells, others by pearls irrupted from their sacs...

Conjunctions. Whether pearl to pearl or pearl to shell.

Thank you Linda, so very kind. Yes, I was also surprised when our paths crossed and it's wonderful to see this pairing of first loves. As you've seen, Hill 60 is an amazing site. It's the forerunner of all the rhodonite claims on the island and renown for it's lapidary quality. The mine is...

I agree with Douglas. I also agree with your naivety, which is a good thing to recognize. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed to admit anything, instead channel your energy into learning. It's not an industry for dabbling. It's an all-in venture that requires intensive technical expertise and...

Yes. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs) bind to cell nuclei, thus attacking one's own cells. This an entirely different process from the "bridging" effect of epithelial perforations and also unlike parasitic infections. Both of which are generally localized and almost always septic. Lesions with...

It's true. The gem labs are narrow in scope. Like archaeology, much of the scientific or monetary value is lost once the object is removed from it's situation. Other than me, I don't know anyone who undertakes peri or postmortem analysis of natural pearls. I'm able to describe with reasonable...

Nacre is not exclusive to aragonite. The "ous" of nacreous means aragonite in part only. Even to the purist, nacreous "structure" is not exclusive to aragonite. In fact in most cases it's greater than 50% prismatic calcite. Understanding, of course that lathes (calcitic prisms) are integral to...

Logged in using the info, got the "Join" button. Waiting for the host to start the meeting... 1:30 and still waiting. Oh well, off to bed.