Tom Stern's natural pearls
- Thread starter DrTKStern
- Start date
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
Hong Kong Gem Show
Hong Kong Gem Show
Hello, All,
Just returned from the Hong Kong Gem Show. While strolling in the old Wan Chai District, I came across this enormous sculpture of a dragon chasing a "flame" pearl, part of the archetypical dragon myth.
Regards,
Tom
Hong Kong Gem Show
Hello, All,
Just returned from the Hong Kong Gem Show. While strolling in the old Wan Chai District, I came across this enormous sculpture of a dragon chasing a "flame" pearl, part of the archetypical dragon myth.
Regards,
Tom
Attachments
laurenb
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2008
- Messages
- 360
Hmm... I was born in the year of the rooster, which might explain why I'm such a cock-a-doodle-doo?
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
Nautilus pearls
Nautilus pearls
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
Senior Guide Member Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 220
Dear All,
Please see the images on the Nautilus Pearl posting on this section of Pearl Guide.
At the urging of our malacologist, Yolanda Stern, I took a careful fresh look at our collection of Nautilus shells. There are some laboratories tht refuse to consider identifying a pearl as a Nautilus because they say, "A non-nacreous pearl cannot come from a nacreous shell.
The following photographs intend to dispel that notion by showing that the interior surface of a Nautilus pompilius, if untreated, is non-nacreous, and that only beneath it is nacre. Thus there is no problem.
The first photo in the series is a Nautilus pompilius from Celebes Sea, some 8.5 inches at its widest, so mature. The interior of the shell is non-nacreous, though it does have a glow from a deeper layer.
A closeup of the interior shows the non-nacreous layer. It will follow in a second posting.
Best,
Tom
Attached Images
DrTKStern
View Public Profile
Send a private message to DrTKStern
Send email to DrTKStern
Find all posts by DrTKStern
#220 (permalink) Today, 03:37 PM
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
Senior Guide Member Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 220
This is the same shell, but in a close-up of the last portion of the shell. Definitely non-nacreous. Deeper into the throat of the shell, some areas of nacre do show through.
Tom
Attached Images
DrTKStern
View Public Profile
Send a private message to DrTKStern
Send email to DrTKStern
Find all posts by DrTKStern
#221 (permalink) Today, 03:41 PM
Caitlin
Natural Pearl
Senior Pearl-Guide.com Pearl Expert Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Southern Arizona
Posts: 3,797
I love every post on this. I can hardly wait for the definitive word.
__________________
Caitlin
Armchair Pearlologist
following the pearl-what a ride!
Caitlin
View Public Profile
Send a private message to Caitlin
Send email to Caitlin
Find all posts by Caitlin
#222 (permalink) Today, 03:42 PM
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
Senior Guide Member Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 220
With simple abrasive tools available near the Equator, locals polish away the outer non-nacreous layer to expose the beautiful nacreous layer inside. It is probably the thinness of the non-nacreous layer that allows an unusual amount of crystalline formation from the deeper layer to mix in, and that makes the Nautilus pearl the most flamboyant of all pearls.
This photo shows a Nautilus where is has been abraded down to nacre on as many surfaces and the worker can reach. Under a loupe, abrasion marks are easily seen.
Tom
Attached Images
Nautilus pearls
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
Senior Guide Member Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 220
Dear All,
Please see the images on the Nautilus Pearl posting on this section of Pearl Guide.
At the urging of our malacologist, Yolanda Stern, I took a careful fresh look at our collection of Nautilus shells. There are some laboratories tht refuse to consider identifying a pearl as a Nautilus because they say, "A non-nacreous pearl cannot come from a nacreous shell.
The following photographs intend to dispel that notion by showing that the interior surface of a Nautilus pompilius, if untreated, is non-nacreous, and that only beneath it is nacre. Thus there is no problem.
The first photo in the series is a Nautilus pompilius from Celebes Sea, some 8.5 inches at its widest, so mature. The interior of the shell is non-nacreous, though it does have a glow from a deeper layer.
A closeup of the interior shows the non-nacreous layer. It will follow in a second posting.
Best,
Tom
Attached Images
DrTKStern
View Public Profile
Send a private message to DrTKStern
Send email to DrTKStern
Find all posts by DrTKStern
#220 (permalink) Today, 03:37 PM
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
Senior Guide Member Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 220
This is the same shell, but in a close-up of the last portion of the shell. Definitely non-nacreous. Deeper into the throat of the shell, some areas of nacre do show through.
Tom
Attached Images
DrTKStern
View Public Profile
Send a private message to DrTKStern
Send email to DrTKStern
Find all posts by DrTKStern
#221 (permalink) Today, 03:41 PM
Caitlin
Natural Pearl
Senior Pearl-Guide.com Pearl Expert Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Southern Arizona
Posts: 3,797
I love every post on this. I can hardly wait for the definitive word.
__________________
Caitlin
Armchair Pearlologist
following the pearl-what a ride!
Caitlin
View Public Profile
Send a private message to Caitlin
Send email to Caitlin
Find all posts by Caitlin
#222 (permalink) Today, 03:42 PM
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
Senior Guide Member Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 220
With simple abrasive tools available near the Equator, locals polish away the outer non-nacreous layer to expose the beautiful nacreous layer inside. It is probably the thinness of the non-nacreous layer that allows an unusual amount of crystalline formation from the deeper layer to mix in, and that makes the Nautilus pearl the most flamboyant of all pearls.
This photo shows a Nautilus where is has been abraded down to nacre on as many surfaces and the worker can reach. Under a loupe, abrasion marks are easily seen.
Tom
Attached Images
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
The Great Pearl Race!
The Great Pearl Race!
Quote:
Originally Posted by smetzler
And the race is on!
Conflicting interests have converged to provide the critical mass required to move this thread from speculation to active pursuit. Natural, as he has indicated to me on numerous prior occasions, seems to be pretty confident he can come up with the goods.
Dear All,
A race! Great! Now we have something happening!
Natural: I want a blister Nautilus pearl still attached to the shell...not loose. Read the instructions below very carefully.
The blister pearl could be anywhere inside the shell, so you have to let the meat dry, wash out the interior rotten meat with a water hose, then look as far inside as you can. Take a small piece of mirror and attach it to a stick so you can put the mirror far inside, then use a strong flashlight to try to see much further into the secret inside of the shell. If you see a pearl inside, carefully cut the shell open and keep the pearl on a big piece of the shell without cutting it off. Take photographs of the entire process.
My man can be to you in 6 hours. Three other diving teams are looking already, so you need to hurry.
You must send me a photograph of the blister before we fly to you.
All Please ask your diving contacts in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines to be on a mission to find a blister Nautilus pearl.
Good luck to all participants! A fantastic party in California's Wine Country will follow discovery and verification.
Datuk Dr. Tom Stern
The Great Pearl Race!
Quote:
Originally Posted by smetzler
And the race is on!
Conflicting interests have converged to provide the critical mass required to move this thread from speculation to active pursuit. Natural, as he has indicated to me on numerous prior occasions, seems to be pretty confident he can come up with the goods.
Dear All,
A race! Great! Now we have something happening!
Natural: I want a blister Nautilus pearl still attached to the shell...not loose. Read the instructions below very carefully.
The blister pearl could be anywhere inside the shell, so you have to let the meat dry, wash out the interior rotten meat with a water hose, then look as far inside as you can. Take a small piece of mirror and attach it to a stick so you can put the mirror far inside, then use a strong flashlight to try to see much further into the secret inside of the shell. If you see a pearl inside, carefully cut the shell open and keep the pearl on a big piece of the shell without cutting it off. Take photographs of the entire process.
My man can be to you in 6 hours. Three other diving teams are looking already, so you need to hurry.
You must send me a photograph of the blister before we fly to you.
All Please ask your diving contacts in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines to be on a mission to find a blister Nautilus pearl.
Good luck to all participants! A fantastic party in California's Wine Country will follow discovery and verification.
Datuk Dr. Tom Stern
GemGeek
Pearlista
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2006
- Messages
- 9,196
This is the most exciting thing to happen in the three years I've been on Pearl-Guide! A race to find the first 100% definitive Nautilus pearl -- A blister!!!
I can't wait to see what it looks like. NATURAL: Make sure no one tries to polish the blister -- keep it exactly as found!
I can't wait to see what it looks like. NATURAL: Make sure no one tries to polish the blister -- keep it exactly as found!
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
Conservation Considerations
Conservation Considerations
Yes,
So there is no depletion of living animals, I have instructed my men to go visit shell men and rummage through the tall piles of damaged Nautilus shells already bleached and in their warehouses, not good enough for export. If a blister exists, we will find it in a dead shell.
Regards,
Tom
Conservation Considerations
This is the most exciting thing to happen in the three years I've been on Pearl-Guide! A race to find the first 100% definitive Nautilus pearl -- A blister!!!
I can't wait to see what it looks like. NATURAL: Make sure no one tries to polish the blister -- keep it exactly as found!
Yes,
So there is no depletion of living animals, I have instructed my men to go visit shell men and rummage through the tall piles of damaged Nautilus shells already bleached and in their warehouses, not good enough for export. If a blister exists, we will find it in a dead shell.
Regards,
Tom
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
Paula Crevoshay ring using T. Stern natural white conch
Paula Crevoshay ring using T. Stern natural white conch
Hello, all,
Brilliant designer Paula Crevoshay selected a white conch from our stock of natural pearls and created this beautiful ring.
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Tom
Paula Crevoshay ring using T. Stern natural white conch
Hello, all,
Brilliant designer Paula Crevoshay selected a white conch from our stock of natural pearls and created this beautiful ring.
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Tom
Attachments
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
Beheadings
Beheadings
Dear All,
Despite the slaughter and beheadings of 57 people a couple of days back, and in spite of last week's beheading of a school principal, and aware of the wave of kidnappings for ransom in Sulu and North Borneo, we continue to dive for pearls. This, however, requires great caution.
I know that some will swim through a frenzy of sharks to reach pearls, but I want to stress great thought before you come to this area. If you want pearls from here, just tell me and my men will meet you in America or Europe.
Datu Tom
Beheadings
Dear All,
Despite the slaughter and beheadings of 57 people a couple of days back, and in spite of last week's beheading of a school principal, and aware of the wave of kidnappings for ransom in Sulu and North Borneo, we continue to dive for pearls. This, however, requires great caution.
I know that some will swim through a frenzy of sharks to reach pearls, but I want to stress great thought before you come to this area. If you want pearls from here, just tell me and my men will meet you in America or Europe.
Datu Tom
TomMStern
Member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 10
To answer this question, YES!!! The flame pattern on this pearl is absolutely amazing in real life. As usual with most pearls, a simple picture does it no justice.
DrTKStern
Natural Pearl Connoisseur
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2007
- Messages
- 374
NAJA at Tucson
NAJA at Tucson
Hi,
Thanks to Mr. David Porter, I will be adding a few remarks to his presentation at the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers conference in Tucson on Feb. 1 at 1:30 at the Convention Center.
This will include some modeling of Sulu natural pearls by Yolanda, and showing a Power Point of pearls from that area, followed by Q&A.
Regards to all,
Tom
NAJA at Tucson
Hi,
Thanks to Mr. David Porter, I will be adding a few remarks to his presentation at the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers conference in Tucson on Feb. 1 at 1:30 at the Convention Center.
This will include some modeling of Sulu natural pearls by Yolanda, and showing a Power Point of pearls from that area, followed by Q&A.
Regards to all,
Tom
pattye
Pearl Scholar
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2005
- Messages
- 11,403
Perhaps, Dr. Tom, you will take some photos of Yolanda modeling and post them here. This will be very special! It was a huge thrill to see some of your Sulu natural pearls in person at Tucson 2008, and of course, to meet you and Yolanda!
Blaire, guess you will have to be eyes and ears for this presentation!
Blaire, guess you will have to be eyes and ears for this presentation!
