Is there a black SSP?

[knotty panda]

Are black SSP made naturally? I know there are white Tahitians, but are there black SSP? If there are, are they dyed black as are akoya and freshies? Why would someone dye a SSP anyway? Thanks!

 

[pattye]

Hi Knotty,

That there are light pearls naturally found in Tahitians, and dark pearls in SS occasionally was brought up in the GIA pearl grading class a few weeks ago. The instructor said they each are simply sold as the other item. So if a white pearl occurs now and then it is sold at SS, and a dark SS is sold as a Tahitian, and just mixed in with a lot of the other type. Nothing was mentioned about dying, so I'm guessing it isn't done.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[knotty panda]

Thanks, Pattye. Now that makes sense to me. I think what I saw was a dyed something or other they were trying to pass off as SS. Most creepy.

 

[silverseajewelry]

This is a good thread.

I have seen reputable people advertise their pearls as "south sea tahitian pearl"....as though they were somewhat interchangable terms.

Its interesting that a GIA instructor indicated this to be true in at least some cases.

For me, though, Tahitian is Tahitian and SSP is SSP. If it comes from Pinctada Margaritafera, it's Tahitian.

 

[Ashley]

I definitely agree- I would have a hard time selling a creamy Tahitian as a South Sea pearl- sounds almost... unethical.

I would think that you would sell the creamy Tahitian, or the naturally dark South Sea pearls as Exotics- why settle for less money when those pearls are obviously natural fancies??

 

[pattye]

I think the actual type of mollusk the "renegade" pearl comes from is usually lost in transit to the consumer, unless one is purchasing from someone purchasing directly from the farm, as we know a few dealers do, otherwise my impression is that lots are bought at auction. Both SS and Tahitians have high value per pearl if they are of good quality, and unless the color is unusual probably would not be sold as an Exotic.

Perhaps Josh could advise roughly how many light colored pearls he has compared to dark in per/100?? or per/1000. And how they are handled.

I love learning new things about pearls every day!!!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Ashley]

Weeellllll- I can only assume that dark SSP being rare and unusual a whole strand of them would go for a premium. And for the connoisseur jeweler AND consumer, the provenance would be vital to the purchase.

Pearls of that nature (I like the renegade title haha), they would be sorted out immediately and held while a strand was created. That will take a couple years to do- even graduated!

I remember seeing a strand from Paspaley somewhere... I shall search diligently for a photo to post.

 

[jshepherd]

This is a good thread.

I have seen reputable people advertise their pearls as "south sea tahitian pearl"....as though they were somewhat interchangable terms.

They are interchangeable. Many in the industry refer to pearls produced by Pinctada margaritifera as "black South Sea pearls." Pearls can only be called Tahitian pearls if cultured in French Polynesia. If they are cultured in the Cook Islands they are referred to as Cook Island pearls. But those produced in other places are most often referred to as black South Sea pearls.

I just checked Strack as well and she refers to all P. marg. pearls as South Sea pearls.

I guess it would be important to point at that calling a dark South Sea pearl (Pinctada maxima) a Tahitian pearl would not be right. Unless, of course, that pearl were grown in French Polynesia.

 

[Valeria101]

...a dark South Sea pearl (Pinctada Maxima) ...

Is there such a thing? Darker beyond the discounted murky greenish, grayish ones, that is.

 

[richipat]

Black South Sea

Black South Sea

How strange this message shouldbe right at th top. I checked in this am to see if there was such a thing as a black South Sea. My sister in law just recieved one for her 25 wedding anniversary. She sent a picture. It is very pretty.

Picture from a cell phone, but you can get the idea.

 

[pattye]

That's pretty amazing from a cell phone! Look at that reflection! Thanks!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Mervione]

Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but if I got things right then you can call a south sea pearl that?s dark tahitian pearl if it?s grown in French Polynesia? That just seems wrong to me somehow, in my opinion it?d feel better if they called all pearls that comes from the P.margaritifera tahitian pearls, since they come from the same specie.

 

[Ashley]

That would certainly make things alot easier!

 

[Mervione]

Indeed. Some things about pearls are quite confusing... Such as orient. Lots of people seem to confuse it with overtones, and for most people it have different meanings. At least I read that in another thread. For some it?s the iridescence the pearl have, but for others it?s "the play of colours on the pearl?s surface" (quoting but can?t remember from where I quoted it.). It would make more sense if people used whole sentences to say what they mean instead of just orient I think, or else people wont get what they mean. Well, at least I wont.

 

[Mervione]

Personally I used to think that orient was that oil effect you sometimes see on pearls. Like they?ve been dipped in oil. These days I go for the iridescence, which is kinda oilish too, right?

 

[Ashley]

I think the qualifier for Orient is movement. The oil slick effect appears when light is refracted back at the viewer from not only the surface of the pearl, but also from inside the crystalline material as well. As you view the pearl under different light sources, Orient will shimmer and react to different wavelengths of light, creating the illusion that the color "slides" or "plays" over the surface. The word iridescence means exactly the same thing- that color and hue will change or shift proportionately to the angle from which it is viewed depending upon the light source.

Overtone is somewhat stationary... For example, on a Tahitian pearl, you can have "patches" of intense Green Overtone on one area of the pearl, and Rose or Yellow hues concentrated in another area. Light's influence upon the surface of the pearl also effects the way that the viewer perceives these colors and can impart the illusion of movement, but for the most part I think overtone is a set color.

 

[lisamla]

Richipat - I love your S-I-L recent gift. It looked familiar (so did the box) so I checked and its a Miki, but what's interesting to me is the style is Morning Dew - Tahitian, but the description says Black South Sea. I looked at some other Miki pieces and some are listed just as Tahitian, some just as Black South Sea, and still other mention Tahitian and Black South Sea. I guess I am surprised to see this from Mikimoto. Although, there is so much discussion of Miki as "just a name" that maybe I'm not surprised. Anyway, I love the design, I have it with an Akoya and the matching earrings. Its really beautiful.