What are these? Pearls or Beads?

[Harleywcsd]

New to site...how do I attach pictures?
Thank you Kathleen

 

[Pearl Dreams]

These are shell beads.

 

[CortezPearls]

Yes, those are mother of pearl beads, very likely from Pinctada maxima shells.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Not washboard mussels, Douglas? Too big for those?

 

[CortezPearls]

Not washboard mussels, Douglas? Too big for those?

Maybe, but I used to buy pearl nuclei from Palawan and the colors and that luminosity was always present in those. Some of the best nuclei I ever purchased back in the 1990's!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Would Jewelmer use those in culturing GSS, or would they buy whiter nuclei?

 

[CortezPearls]

Would Jewelmer use those in culturing GSS, or would they buy whiter nuclei?

To my knowledge they employ American mussel beads just like everyone else. But I don't know if they used a few of these. The company's name was "Palawan Pearling", met them back in 1994 and they sold pearling tools and beads. They never told us whom they sold to, but their nuclei were cheaper and they would sell just one kilo to us, we did not have to buy many kilos/bags. It was very convenient.

 

[jshepherd]

I’ve only heard of Jewelmer using mussel shell beads, not MOP. I know they have done business with forum member Mike Rivers - all mussel shell nuclei. That’s also what I saw at their farm.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Clarifying, Jeremy-- are mussel shell beads used for nuclei non-iridescent, lacking the iridescent bands in MOP beads?

 

[jshepherd]

They are similar, but look different. The MOP nuclei I've seen (and I've only seen them at Josh's place - Kamoka), have that deeper banded iridescence.

This is a video I shot 15 years ago at a nucleus factory in Guangzhou, China - a much younger Jeremy The tall gentleman is Doug Fiske, the author of the GIA Pearls course. I spent a couple of weeks guiding him and a photographer around China for his research.

The video isn't the clearest. This is before GoPro or iPhone. But you can see the beads and the process of making them.

 

[CortezPearls]

I’ve only heard of Jewelmer using mussel shell beads, not MOP. I know they have done business with forum member Mike Rivers - all mussel she’ll nuclei. That’s also what I saw at their farm.

Yes indeed. I remember Mikkey's visits there.

 

[CortezPearls]

They are similar, but look different. The MOP nuclei I've seen (and I've only seen them at Josh's place - Kamoka), have that deeper banded iridescence.

This is a video I shot 15 years ago at a nucleus factory in Guangzhou, China - a much younger Jeremy The tall gentleman is Doug Fiske, the author of the GIA Pearls course. I spent a couple of weeks guiding him and a photographer around China for his research.

The video isn't the clearest. This is before GoPro or iPhone. But you can see the beads and the process of making them.

This is a great video. Glad to revisit it.