Personalised Pearls

[bouda]

Hi everyone!

I had an idea for a special anniversary gift, but I am trying to find out if it is possible. The idea is to make someone a personalised cultured pearl.

Do you guys have any ideas about how I can do this?

For example, is it possible to place a very simple engraving on a nucleus, then have it implanted and harvested?

Of if there is any other way of influencing the process of pearl culturing to make it feel more personal?

I think pearls make incredible gifts but I would love it if I could also attach a personal bit of significance to it.

Much thanks for any thoughts!

 

[pattye]

Welcome, bouda,

Pearl nucleus with shapes other than round have been implanted in pearls, especially freshwater from China. Some that I've seen are star, moon, flower, large facets. You may already know that growing a pearl takes years, not months.

BUT there would be no way to tell if the pearl would be beautiful until it is harvested or what color it would be. So that would be risky. In French Polynesia Tahitian pearls are carved on the outside, and perhaps a single word or two could be worked into their design, which could be interesting and personal.

Looking forward to more comments about your idea!

 

[nnguye20]

In my country there is a farm that specializes in culturing pearls with engraving nucleus, which results in pearls with beautiful patterns. But that is all the way in Vietnam and it is a time-consuming and very expensive process. I think it would be easier for you to find a pearl carver and have them carve on the pearl for you.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

There is also the matter of tracking exactly which oyster has your personalized nucleus. Personally, I would very much doubt it would be commercially viable.

For a more personalized gift, I would choose an unique baroque pearl and design a piece around it, incorporating ideas and symbols that are special to your relationship.

 

[Pearling Technologies]

Carving a nucleus to result in a customised pearl isn’t easy. Not impossible but not easy. Cultured pearl farms aren’t exactly factories where you can simply punch out a widget when required on demand. We’ve custom made mabe nuclei inserts previously but naturally with these types of projects, cost is a factor. I’d suggest carving a pearl post harvest or even slicing a mabe to include some of the surrounding shell and engraving or carving that attached MOP as an option. All depends on what type of customisation, what end product and what budget/timeline...

 

[BlackPearlDudeDC]

I am not one to single out one vendor over others because there are several really good vendors here that don't get mentioned all that often these days.

That being said Pearl Paradise used to offer pearl jewelry with gold initials embedded in the pearl, don't know if they still do this, but I thought it a great idea when I saw it. That is somewhat a personalization of the pearl albeit after the fact.