Tahitian - with a tiny hole worn through - Repair, or just a natural occurance?

[kTron]

(I hope I've posted this in the right section, but please give me a heads up if it would work better elsewhere on the forum )

Hello, all! I am seeking opinions on the "wear and tear" that is normal on a Tahitian pearl. I have a pearl pendant that I wear quite frequently, just purchased this fall at Margo Tahitian Pearl in Honolulu (thanks to some great recs on the board, I should add). The pearl itself is baroque, and there were some natural "wrinkles" and a few small spots where it appeared there was never any nacre - not cracked or broken, just some natural pinpricks - and appeared as white dots/blemishes.

I noticed today as I was wiping it down that one of the blemishes appears to have gotten a tiny hole in it, on the white material. The beautiful colored nacre isn't cracked or damaged, and the spot itself is hidden behind the pendant mount. I did take a tiny pin edge to it, to see if maybe it was a piece of fuzz or something that just stuck in the groove, but i feel like it actually is a small hole. I've attached a couple of pics - sorry they are a bit blurry due to the closeness, but hopefully you can see the small dot i'm talking about - it kind of looks like an eyeball, the tiny black pinprick on the white. It's about the size of a grain of sand.

My question is...do I need to repair this somehow, or can I just let it go and keep wearing the pendant without damaging the pearl? Is there a substance I should try to dot into the hole to "fill" it, or does it not matter? The material surrounding it is fine and not cracked, it doesn't affect the way it's mounted, and you can't even see it from the front, so it's not a matter of cosmetics. I just love my big purple pearl and want to take care of it! I've included a shot of it "in action" just for fun

Any feedback would be most appreciated. Thank you!!

ETA: my post is a bit rambly, so I wanted to just clarify it's not the blemish i'm worried about, but the hole that has appeared on the blemish (if that helps)

 

[pattye]

It's a beautiful pearl and I can understand why you'd love it and want to wear it all the time!

Seems very odd that a blemish like that would suddenly appear. Is the metal part loose at all, like the glue is getting lose, I'm wondering if the leaf? originally was supposed to cover the hole? Looks in the 2nd photo like someone started to top drill the pearl across the top and changed their mind. Doubtful you did anything to cause this~I can't think of anything at all. I'd try to get a more clear photo to put up here and send to question Margo Pearl about it. Is the bail sterling or 14K? Was the price pretty reasonable to account for the imperfections in the pearl? It is difficult to tell from your photos whether this is a drill hole or natural blemish.

 

[kTron]

Oh yes, it was very reasonably priced, and the bail is sterling. I chose it because of the size and the color, figuring I could hide the ripple and a few pinpricks with the right placement of the setting. The setting (which is fashioned after the top of a pineapple) hasn't moved - the blemish has been there all along, as a spot of white. It's just this tiny hole which seems to have appeared that I was curious about.

Thanks so much for your input! I will try and take a clearer photo in the daylight tomorrow morning. It's such an odd angle to try and photograph, maybe i'll have better luck with no indoor lights I'll send an email to Margo as well - good idea, I hadn't even considered that!

 

[kTron]

My attempts to take a better picture didn't turn out much different. I don't know if what it is (an errant drill hole, a natural flaw) matters as much as figuring out if are there any special precautions to take while wearing it? Should I try to "fill" it with something? I'm feeling less anxious about it now, and plan just to continue to wear it as I have been unless you have any more sage advice for me .

 

[BAS]

Personally, I want to figure out what is going on with your pearl. First there was a white indent/crater -- and now a hole appears all of a sudden...?!

 

[kTron]

It really is odd. I probed it with the tip of a needle, but even though it's such a small hole, the needle can move around like it's definitely at least a divot! Maybe this was just a weak spot in the nacre (is that possible) where there wasn't much, and it just eroded a bit? I haven't dropped it or banged it or done anything that would obviously cause it harm.





Here are two more photos. They aren't MUCH better, but I think you can see it a bit more clearly. You can also see the ridge/wrinkle that was innate to the pearl, and how you can see there's a sliver of white where there is a similar spot of "weakness" on the pearl.

I mean, I love it and I'm going to wear it no matter what! It's still huge and beautiful, even with a tiny hole no one can see but me. Just a head-scratcher as I've really tried to baby it following the tips i've learned reading the forum.

 

[GemGeek]

I think it's a beautiful pendant. Just try to put the spot out of your mind and eventually it will not stand out so much to you. I am a bit of a perfectionist about pearls and have had to turn that off to appreciate some funkier things that I could better afford - and those flaws were in full view!

 

[kTron]

I couldn't agree more, Gem Geek! You guys have made me feel much better - I no longer feel like my pearl is about to implode or something! It such a pretty pendant, and honestly my trip to Margo was one of the highlights of my Hawaii trip, so I love the memory whenever I look at it.
Perfect pearls are beautiful, but my "champagne taste with a beer budget" has made appreciating baroques and ringed Tahitians that much easier. Honestly, I am pretty new to the concept of anything beyond white Akoyas, and as lovely as they are, I'm so glad I've expanded my knowledge of other pearls!