Cyril Roger Brossard
Well-known member
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- Aug 30, 2012
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An article by David Federman
It seemed a good idea at the time. To find out why so many of Tahiti?s and, to a far lesser extent, Australia?s, Indonesia?s, and China?s cultured pearls grow with single or parallel grooves in them, just ask a pearl farmer. So we had Pamela Butler of Ocean Gem Pearl Corp. in San Francisco, who is a frequent traveler to Tahiti, inquire on our behalf with a grower there. His reply: ?If we knew what makes these rings occur, we would correct the problem.?
This answer left us right back where we began. But at least we knew that no one knows for sure what causes this common anomaly.
Now the question doesn?t bother us as much as it did. Maybe that?s because we have accepted what is called the ?circle pearl? as a fact of life, one worth celebrating rather than bemoaning.
Understandably, farmers who lose money on this subspecies of baroque pearl dream of finding ways to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the large number of them.
While we aren?t suggesting that growers throw precaution to the winds, may we offer a small piece of advice: Before wishing the world rid of circle pearls, pay some attention to how the market feels about them.
Circle pearls are red-hot and growing hotter. In fact, C. Link International, a Tokyo-based firm that specializes in Chinese freshwater pearls, says Japan has gone ga-ga for these exotic pearls in buxom sizes.
And you?ll never guess the reason why.
The simple secret of their success, says Michael Randall of Gem Reflections in San Anselmo, California, is this: ?Circle pearls are the world?s most for-sure pearl. Customers see the ridges in them and they don?t have to wonder if they?re man-made pearl-escent plastic. They can see at a glance these pearls grew inside an oyster.?
Randall ought to know. He?s a colored stone dealer who recently added Chinese freshwater pearls to his inventory and already owes at least 20 percent of his sales to them. His biggest seller: strands of freshwater circle pearls. ?The fact that they?re obviously natural is very comforting,? he says.
Equally comforting is the price. Circle pearls are hip bargains.
DISCOVERING THE DIFFERENCE
According to Jean-Paul Lintilhac, author of Black Pearls of Tahiti, grooves in pearls always form perpendicular to their longer axis. Hence theories about their cause generally involve uneven nacre accumulation as the pearl moves about on its axis during growing time. If this is the reason for their furrows, prevention would seem a matter of spin control. Simply minimize movement of a pearl as it forms and nacre will pile up evenly.
However, this is easier said than done. So rather than wage what might be a losing war with nature, why not fight a winnable battle in the domain of aesthetics? Start a discovery campaign for circle pearls to stimulate demand and raise their value rather than trying to grow less of them.
Circle pearls have a look all their own. Unlike other baroque pearls, they are usually fully or semi-symmetrical with oval, oblong, and drop shapes. And because their ridged surfaces intensify iridescence (in black pearls especially), ?circle pearls often resemble gleaming Christmas ornaments,? says Butler. With big farmer backlogs to choose from, dealers can offer strands that are well-matched for color, luster, and complexion. Occasionally, pearls are so carefully matched that each has the same number and relative location of ridges. Such strands are expensive.
If you don?t mind spotting (which is easier to hide with black pearls), strands of promotional Tahitian circle pearls are available for under $1,000. But strands of mild-complexion black circle pearls will easily run twice as much, if not more. Prices climb even higher for necklaces of South Sea white circles and higher still for extremely scarce goldens. For those who want affordable strands of circle pearls who don't want to pay South Sea pearl prices for them, consider newcomer Chinese freshwater goods. Necklaces of highly lustrous all-nacre Chinese freshwater circle pearls are now being imported and prices will be in the hundreds, not thousands.
It seemed a good idea at the time. To find out why so many of Tahiti?s and, to a far lesser extent, Australia?s, Indonesia?s, and China?s cultured pearls grow with single or parallel grooves in them, just ask a pearl farmer. So we had Pamela Butler of Ocean Gem Pearl Corp. in San Francisco, who is a frequent traveler to Tahiti, inquire on our behalf with a grower there. His reply: ?If we knew what makes these rings occur, we would correct the problem.?
This answer left us right back where we began. But at least we knew that no one knows for sure what causes this common anomaly.
Now the question doesn?t bother us as much as it did. Maybe that?s because we have accepted what is called the ?circle pearl? as a fact of life, one worth celebrating rather than bemoaning.
Understandably, farmers who lose money on this subspecies of baroque pearl dream of finding ways to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the large number of them.
While we aren?t suggesting that growers throw precaution to the winds, may we offer a small piece of advice: Before wishing the world rid of circle pearls, pay some attention to how the market feels about them.
Circle pearls are red-hot and growing hotter. In fact, C. Link International, a Tokyo-based firm that specializes in Chinese freshwater pearls, says Japan has gone ga-ga for these exotic pearls in buxom sizes.
And you?ll never guess the reason why.
The simple secret of their success, says Michael Randall of Gem Reflections in San Anselmo, California, is this: ?Circle pearls are the world?s most for-sure pearl. Customers see the ridges in them and they don?t have to wonder if they?re man-made pearl-escent plastic. They can see at a glance these pearls grew inside an oyster.?
Randall ought to know. He?s a colored stone dealer who recently added Chinese freshwater pearls to his inventory and already owes at least 20 percent of his sales to them. His biggest seller: strands of freshwater circle pearls. ?The fact that they?re obviously natural is very comforting,? he says.
Equally comforting is the price. Circle pearls are hip bargains.
DISCOVERING THE DIFFERENCE
According to Jean-Paul Lintilhac, author of Black Pearls of Tahiti, grooves in pearls always form perpendicular to their longer axis. Hence theories about their cause generally involve uneven nacre accumulation as the pearl moves about on its axis during growing time. If this is the reason for their furrows, prevention would seem a matter of spin control. Simply minimize movement of a pearl as it forms and nacre will pile up evenly.
However, this is easier said than done. So rather than wage what might be a losing war with nature, why not fight a winnable battle in the domain of aesthetics? Start a discovery campaign for circle pearls to stimulate demand and raise their value rather than trying to grow less of them.
Circle pearls have a look all their own. Unlike other baroque pearls, they are usually fully or semi-symmetrical with oval, oblong, and drop shapes. And because their ridged surfaces intensify iridescence (in black pearls especially), ?circle pearls often resemble gleaming Christmas ornaments,? says Butler. With big farmer backlogs to choose from, dealers can offer strands that are well-matched for color, luster, and complexion. Occasionally, pearls are so carefully matched that each has the same number and relative location of ridges. Such strands are expensive.
If you don?t mind spotting (which is easier to hide with black pearls), strands of promotional Tahitian circle pearls are available for under $1,000. But strands of mild-complexion black circle pearls will easily run twice as much, if not more. Prices climb even higher for necklaces of South Sea white circles and higher still for extremely scarce goldens. For those who want affordable strands of circle pearls who don't want to pay South Sea pearl prices for them, consider newcomer Chinese freshwater goods. Necklaces of highly lustrous all-nacre Chinese freshwater circle pearls are now being imported and prices will be in the hundreds, not thousands.
