Japanese Kasumi vs. Chinese "Look-a-likes"

[Cees]

Dear Pattye, yes, near the drill hole and these strands were in the hands of the fresh water pearl suppliers still.

 

[Bodecia]

Hi Adeline,

Your earrings are beautiful. The work you have done and of course the pearls. I love the purple ones but all are very beautiful and I believe high quality. I truly envy you having the chance to buy various strands. Stunning and I think worthy of high karat gold as well as silver.

I used a Antique Enamelled Silver Clasp on my Chinese Kasumi look-a-like necklace trying for beauty as well as something different and big enough to hold with total safety these marvelous large pearls. I had intended to save a few dollars on having a silver clasp too but that really didn't work out as antique clasps are expensive too.

Show us more of your work with these pearls.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[Bodecia]

Wendy & All,

If we agree that the kasumi-ish pearls are a remarkable resemblance to the real kasumi, then can I now throw these pearls into the mix. I didn't know what I had until I got them back here and happened to put a strand down next to a strand of white south seas then had to look twice to tell them apart...
http://www.pearlescence.co.uk/produc...oducts_id/3184

Those are beautiful pearls. It is a bit hard to see them properly though with the shine from the lights. I am just finding time to catch up on this thread. I bought some very similar not long ago and was amazed at their beauty when they arrived. Ended up ordering more as the others didn't last long. I am hoping the next lot are as good, especially at 12mm and over. Yum.

Wendy compare them to yours and tell me what you think as in are they similar. But I love the wrinkly look although I didn't realise before that they are similar to Kasumis. The more I look at these the more I want to order more. I am totally hopeless. A pearl addict for sure.

Just realise that your pearls don't have the wrinkles. duhhh.

I am glad that Freshwater Pearls are coming into their own. They can be so very beautiful and when nucleated with only mantle and tissue something very special indead. The Chinese will only improve and we will see better and better pearls of all sizes from them.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[Bodecia]

Sarah,

Elizabeth Strack is on the case, so I am very hopeful that she will make some clarifications soon, as to it's exact origins. Until then all I personally have to go on, is that the farmers at Lake Kasumi called it a "mutation" of their shell rather than a different hybrid all together, but they have only seen photos and not the actual animal. I may not be the best person to answer this question.. this is just what I know so far.

Could it be that a different Chinese mussel has been bred with the Japanese Hybrid, which would explain the farmers calling it a mutation. I suppose we will all have to wait until Elizabeth Strack comes up with more information for us all.

You are always the one to ask about Japanese Kasumi though. The Kasumi expert on the Forum.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[Bodecia]

Cees,

I carried a few strands of the Kasumi type strands which I bought in HKG in August, but reactions from the shops and consumers was very mixed. The fear is that although they look nice it would be difficult to find a market niece in the middle price range and that they would be sold cheap very soon, like the soufle pearls which went down 50 percent between June and August in HKG. Saw many strands with chips of Nacre coming off from around the drill holes.

I think it would be more likely with Kasumi or Kasumi type pearls that the holes have been drilled where there is a blemish rather than chipping around the drill hole. I think this would be more likely with the Soufle pearls too although I have only one strand so don't have many to go by. Different matter if it is an obviously fresh chip to nacre but blemishes are naturally drilled and seems far more likely to me.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[Bodecia]

Jodie,

Can someone post a photo of souffle pearls for me please? I've heard the term before but still not certain which type they are. Does it refer to the shape or the nucleating process? Are those the ones that have "mud" inside? (and is it actually mud, or is that a term?)

Okay, here is a photo for you. The larger ones are the Souffle obviously. It is not a great photo but the best I have of them.

Have a look at the PearlParadise site. I think Jeremy has some Souffle pearls. Sarah might also. Not sure.

Personally I think they might be a collectors pearl and the weight would help with earrings for ladies who do not like heavy earrings but I sort of find them abominations. That is a weird thing for a pearl lover to say but it is the way I feel about the mud or gas bubble that they are nucleated from. Sort of obscene. But the ones I have don't have any chips at drill holes. Maybe I was lucky.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[mausketeer]

Thanks Dawn! Hmmm, they're not like the ones I was thinking of...... (hadn't searched the threads yet - lazy, lazy girl I am!) Odd shapes! Of course, I hear "mud" and I think SOFT but they must dry it out into a hard ball first (I'm assuming).

Well my Chinese freshwaters came today. WOW. Huge! H-U-G-E (smallest is 14mm! SMALLEST! Largest is 18mm. And yeah, that is the width, not the length.....). And the colours are AMAZING. Cats keep trying to play with them when I am trying to take photos and it's pouring out so could only take a few......

And of course they aren't showing up in my email yet..... argh......

- Jodie -

Oh, and

 

[Adeline Leigh]

Please, do show, Jodie. I love these massive wrinklies, textured skins and smoothies. How the Chinese get them going bigger and bigger each and every harvest is really beyond me.

Just a thought: What's the LARGEST freshwater pearl in your collection? Just curious... mine seems to be a 23 mm flameball.

Bodecia: Thanks! Am posting a couple more pics, did a massive all-nighter and wired 2 new flameball pearl pairs.

 

[KarinK]

Of course, I hear "mud" and I think SOFT but they must dry it out into a hard ball first (I'm assuming).

Hi Jodie,

From what I have heard, the mud does not dry out but rather ferments during the time the pearls are growing. So remember to always buy these pearls drilled and let other drain the mud for you!

- Karin

 

[Bodecia]

Hi All,

Another photo of a .................. okay which type is this one? Japanese or Chinese?



Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[Jeweljunke]

Dawn, they are beautiful no matter where they come from. Love them. Have any of you seen these on ebay, or done an ebay search for 'Furrow' in the jewelry category? If allowed, here is a link to one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-golden-AA-11-13mm-furrow-nuclear-freshwater-pearls-5420-/400253162239?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d30f292ff

It seems they are starting to come up with alot of different names for these pearls.

 

[Kelly]

I guess Chinese

 

[pearlescence]

Dawn, it is a bit of a giveaway when you label the photo 'chinese'
love the way the ebay pearls are called nuclear - do they go bang or generate electricity? Where does Furrow come from - not heard that one before

 

[Caitlin]

Lei pearls is mainstream, so that should say we are just on the cutting edge of the Furrowed Pearls flood!

Several years ago Pattye sent me some largish wrinkled, pure, pure white pearls from Pop and Charlotte. They were not nuked. The story was they were found on the bottom of some pond. Pattye named them "the Funky " pearls and the pieces I did with those are some of my favorites. The Luster was topnotch and loads of orient!!! I love the wrinkles. They must have been bleached, the white was so strong, but the luster is some of the best, imo. I look forward to seeing more of these!

 

[Bodecia]

Dawn, they are beautiful no matter where they come from. Love them. Have any of you seen these on ebay, or done an ebay search for 'Furrow' in the jewelry category?

Jeweljunke, thanks I think they are beautiful. Waiting on a couple more (one the way) so I can thread them up with a decent length before listing them. Actually I would like to keep them but I feel that way about a lot of pearls I sell. As for the Furrow, I am thinking it is another word for Wrinkles. Excellent site.

Kelly, correct Chinese

Dawn, it is a bit of a giveaway when you label the photo 'chinese'

Wendy, well that is a dead give-away When I named the photo I didn't intend to get anyone to guess!!

love the way the ebay pearls are called nuclear - do they go bang or generate electricity? Where does Furrow come from - not heard that one before

As for Nuclear - who knows. Furrows as I said could be the wrinkles but nuclear - maybe they think it is a classy word, make us want them instead of shuddering a little.

Caitlin,

Several years ago Pattye sent me some largish wrinkled, pure, pure white pearls from Pop and Charlotte. They were not nuked. The story was they were found on the bottom of some pond. Pattye named them "the Funky " pearls and the pieces I did with those are some of my favorites.

How about posting some photos of them. We do need to see them now!! Do they look anything like the white wrinklies I posted on page 6?? I love those.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[Caitlin]

Ok. I think I have one. What with all my computer shifting- I don't know where things are anymore.



The luster still makes me drool. 11mm.

 

[pattye]

I think "nuclear" means nucleated~or short for bead nucleated~

 

[Bodecia]

My huge white wrinkly pearls arrived today. Wow are they big up to 15mm in the centre. Got to love these monsters. Figure I have enough for one normal length necklace, a Station Pearl necklace (or Tin Cup) and some earrings.

I wonder if it is a marketing ploy to sell strands that aren't long enough to make a necklace in many cases. Want to make a neckace, have to buy two strands or add other pearls or beads or a very long clasp.

Haven't taken any photos yet. Will do later. The more I look at them the more I love them.

Caitlin,

Great looking pearls. But the photo is too small to see them properly. Have you a photo of what you made with them? We do need to see that too!!

Pattye,

I think "nuclear" means nucleated~or short for bead nucleated~

Of course it does!!! Talk about feeling dumb. Smarty pants pattye

Dawn - Bodecia
http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Designer-Collections
Natural pearl collector and all round pearl lover

 

[pearlescence]

I was being rather frivolous with my nuclear comments, though, on reflection the shame is on me for commenting on this, since I could not even begin to say nuclear or even 'how are you today' in mandarin or cantonese.
I knew, of course, what was meant. It was a cheap shot.

 

[Caitlin]

Nerida
If you aren't posting those on another thread, I just wanted to tell you how easy it is to upload photos. In your writing box above are four picture icons, l-r = 1. add a link, 2.add a photo, 3. a video, 4. a quote. Just click on the picture of the tree and follow the instructions.