Edison pearl's nacre thickness.

[ericw]

Hi everybody!
Just for information.
Because I had problem to carve it, I have sawed a edison pearl. Result : 0.7mm thick nacre for a 18mm diameter pearl... Luckily, it can be found better, but it's not written on the pearl. In fact, I wonder if the first layers have more chance to give upgrade look to pearls than to let them to grow... Expert's opinions, please?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I think that pearl must not be an actual, brand-name Edison (Grace Pearl), but another bead-nucleated FW pearl.

More on Grace/Edisons: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/b...nter-the-mass-market.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

[ericw]

A well known seller, whose name begin by a "K", has sold it to me as a Edison pearl....

 

[ericw]

Thank you for sharing this article, Pearl Dreams...Four years to give that thickness?! Maybe mussels want a pay increase.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

People have been using the word "Edison" generically to refer to in-body bead nucleated FWP. That can't be good for Grace Pearl since their Edisons are high end, high quality.

Here is a thread about the matter you may like to read:

Name the Pearl!

Dear Pearl Enthusiast, The CPAA is embarking on a mission and seeks yourhelp! THE GOAL: unify the pearl producers? of bead nucleated fresh water cultured pearls; unanimous agreement to officially designate one name for this new category. WHY? Our belief is one name will allow for a deeper...

www.pearl-guide.com

Aside:
"Aspirin" was once a brand name of Bayer's for acetylsalicylic acid, when it was first sold. But people soon began using the name generically and now most people don't even know it was ever a brand name.
Here in the USA, people use the brand name "Band-Aid" instead of "adhesive bandage", Kleenex" instead of facial tissue, "Jello" instead of flavored gelatin etc.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I've been hunting around on P-G for a photo of a brand-name Edison cut in half. I thought I saw a photo posted by Jeremy some time back. If I find it, I'll post the link.

 

[ericw]

Yes, I understand your brands exemples. But acetylsalicylic acid is the same for any suppliers, wich don't sell flour drops in place of the real compound, not the case of "Edison pearls", obviously, that I have still carved, and found so much thick!
I have read these interesting posts about name's contest. But what about real quality factor to speak of the growing time, as true Edison pearls farmers are doing?
In addition, I think that so a bigger bead must become from a tridacna clams, not the best...

 

[BWeaves]

Aside:
"Aspirin" was once a brand name of Bayer's for acetylsalicylic acid, when it was first sold. But people soon began using the name generically and now most people don't even know it was ever a brand name.
Here in the USA, people use the brand name "Band-Aid" instead of "adhesive bandage", Kleenex" instead of facial tissue, "Jello" instead of flavored gelatin etc.

Zipper instead of sliding closure mechanism. Xerox instead of copy. Google instead of look stuff up on the internet.

A nurse removed an adhesive bandage from my husband's back and said, "Wow, that Band-aid came off nicely." And Greg said, "It's not a Band-aid, it's a Curad." I refuse to have Band-aids in the house. I'm allergic to their glue. Curad brand is great.

But back to pearls. I'm afraid Edison is becoming a generic term. Or people are just throwing it around like when they call any freshwater a Tahitian or SS pearl.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Pearls aren't routinely x-rayed for nacre thickness-- even Tahitians don't have to meet a minimum nacre thickness any more. So there's no way for vendors to know how thick the nacre is on the pearls they buy, or sell. (Akoya pearls certified as hanadama are the exception.)

I can see how that impacts you as a carver, though.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

BWeaves--

Velcro is another example, the brand name coming from velour (the loop side of the velcro) and crochet (the hook side.)

Vaseline, too.
Chap Stick.
Crock Pot.

 

[Pareltje]

Yes, Edison has become a generic name for nucleated pearls. Just like kasumi has become an easy way to call ripple pearls. I think, if you buy from Etsy or Ebay the chance is big that you will get just nucleated pearls, not the real Edisons.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm not even sure the major vendors here are buying the pearls they sell as Edisons solely from Grace. I assume not.

 

[pearlescence]

Grace sells its own brand Edison pearls to other wholesalers. Some will differentiate between Edison and Ming, which is a much less cumbersome name for bead nucleated freshwater pearls. There is usually nothing wrong with Ming pearls. As with Edisons there are all sorts of qualities. I have seen some truly terrible quality pearls at Grace still called Edison and for which they wanted silly money (pearls with missing nacre where you can see the bead for eg).
I tend to call all my bead nucleated pearls.... errrr..... bead nucleated pearls. I don't think pearls bought from Grace are inherently or automatically superior. They are nearly always more expensive though. I didn't buy anything from them last month

 

[Abi]

How about Google, instead of searching online ?- update- whoops I totally missed Bweaves already saying that.

In regards to that name that pearl forum, I was wondering whatever had become of that...
I was going to suggest Mina Pearls (Edison's 2nd Wife ) or Zhūzi Pearl (Bead in mandarin ).

In regards to pearls nacre, months ago, I had the pleasure of seeing a bead nucleated FWP that was also cut in half.
Bead Nucleated/Edison/Mina/Zhūzi pearl:


I thought it was pretty cool to look at.

 

[ericw]

Yes Abi, these are true pearls! You know, I buy many kinds of different pearls, as I am inspired by their shapes or colours, and I can tell you that the best one, about thickness and quality of nacre, are not at all the most expensive.
Luckily, I know where to find certain pearls that sellers have many difficulties to sell, because these pearls don't have the right look, at first glance, but, in fact, these are treasures of beautiful nacre. It's sad for these suppliers, and to see how other one sell, very expensive, just an hazardous appearence, a brand.
Yes, Pearl Dream, to carve pearls is a strange art, beginning by to find what is hidden.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Beautiful thick nacre, Abi! Thanks for posting a photo.

Eric, I have read that Tahitian pearls from Rikitea have particularly thick nacre. But they also tend to be smaller pearls.
See photos and discussion here:

Something for Nacre Nerds ...

... like myself to appreciate. This Tahitian pearl from Rikitea is more than 50% nacre. The minimum standard for export is 0.8 mm, but nearly every pearl we slice has between 2-4 mm. They are growing these outside the lagoons and getting incredible deposition, but still growing them for the...

www.pearl-guide.com

 

[Katbran]

Thanks for posting that photo Abi ! Edison has become associated with high end bead nucleated pearls..so lots of people just call BNP's Edisons as it makes them appear to be special. They do have beautiful pearls..but there are , as Wendy pointed out, lots of beautiful BNP's out there that cost a lot less. Looking at them at the show I found the strands to be very pricey for what they were. I did buy some loose ones but not all that many. .. but when you see the colour you need sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and bring out your wallet.

 

[ericw]

Thank you for the thread, Pearl Dream.
Very thick nacre, sure, even more than I am searching, and a good information I didn't find anywhere else.
I'll look for to know what biggest sizes can be found, and where. An usual problem with tahitian pearls is their shapes : round, and expensive, or ringed drop, difficult to be used for carving. But it is a nacre easy to work, less hard than most other. I think it's because it contains more conchyolin, that give its dark colour. About size, I have carved 8mm diam. tahitian pearls, but it's a limit : a lot of work, very difficult, for a too much small final pattern, I prefer to carve one up than 11mm.
Anyway, the most homogeneous nacre will be always keshi pearl's nacre.
A pleasure to carve them:

 

[KAC]

that's very cool - love the difference in texture and overtones

 

[ericw]

Thank you, for the pearl also! Homogeneous nacre allow this special colour effect, as if colours of reliefs and hollow parts doing cumulative actions, and so much as carving is deep, up to a limit, when light can't touch the bottom of carving. It's why I am desolate about so thin nacre around many pearls.