Natural Pearls, Basra?
Excellent - so are you based in Dubai or where about's in KSA?
The dealer in Bur Dubai is called Xiam jewellers. Really nice and knowledge guy.
Would appreciate if you could let us know how you get on.
Thanks Lisa, Caitlin, Karin, Pattye, Donzi and others for your comments and enthusiasm. It has been a learning process, although I wish I had started this thread prior to acquiring these necklaces.
In any case, here is what we have decided to do, since we will be in Dubai at the end of October. First I will take these to Xiam Jewelers and see Mr. Jhaveri (thanks Donzi for your suggestion), peruse through his inventory as well ask for his opinion and advise on our pearl necklace(s). We have also decided to have the pearls tested by GIA. As I understand it, there is a GIA branch (perhaps near the Dubai airport), and although the Dubai branch does not test for pearls or gems, diamonds, they will take the clients' orders and send them to the GIA (HQ in CA or in NY), get them tested, get a report and send the report and the pearls back to us in Saudi Arabia. Since GIA charges (minimum) same for testing upto 3 pearls, we will get our 3 pearls tested. The process will likely take betwen 30 to 40 days, hence I expect to report to this forum, towards the end of the year, given the Xmas and the new-year holidays.
Here is what we would like to get in the lab-test-report (you all are welcome to add any suggestions), and not sure if GIA or other labs would consider some or all of these!!: 1) natural or cultured, 2) origin: Basra/gulf/Chinese/Borneo etc, 3) vintage of the pearls, i.e. age (can the lab really tell its age, as we can tell the age of a tree from the trunk and the circles formed for each year of its existence?), 4) quality of the pearls in terms of lustre, nacre, size and shape etc, and finally and if if at all possible, 5) current estimated value of each pearl or the necklace in $ (I kind of doubt this since a lab may not want to put their reputation/credibility at stake in giving any hypothetical estimates - could boomrang on them!).
What do you guys think - do I have a long-enough grocery list of Qs? Oh yeah, I know nothing about "pinctada radiata" - what is it? Is there any Q to be asked of the GIA regarding this?
We are north-americans living in Saudi - way different life and exciting in some aspects - but those stories sometime in future - now I must be focused to get to the bottom of my pearls, so to say!
Cheers