Who can drill natural non-nacreous salt water pearls

DavidM

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2024
Messages
4
Who might be recommended to drill (and ideally but not necessarily string) approximately 65 non-nacreous, natural (not cultured) saltwater pearls? They are of course various sizes, shapes, but all from the same species of bivalve mollusk. The pearls were collected in the Visayas area, Philippines. I am US based ... Thanks
 

Attachments

  • IMG_8278.jpeg
    IMG_8278.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 155
  • IMG_8279.jpeg
    IMG_8279.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 165
  • IMG_8280.jpeg
    IMG_8280.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 163
Your Pearls Looks strange for me
Hi Donia. Indeed, they are kind of wonderfully strange. You are looking at a set of rare natural saltwater pearls from bivalves that live in ocean waters near the Philippines. As GIA researchers have shared, non-nacreous pearls like these consist chemically mainly of layers of fibrous aragonite as processed by the bivalve mollusks that create them. They are hardly ever perfectly spherical but instead form these wonderful irregular shapes such as button or baroque, and are extremely rare. These have an attractive and strong porcelaneous surface, and are a creamy white color that looks like it is over a pinkish and yellow under color that makes them quite energetically interesting. They will eventually make a spectacular necklace, once strung together.
 
Any idea of what mollusk species these come from?
 
Any idea of what mollusk species these come from?
Anadara antiquata was provided as mollusk genus and species by the collector. Based on the fact that they have been long time seashell collectors in the greater Visayas area—an area that also has fisherman and others who have long exploited this species [mostly as a food source], and given the color of the pearls, I have no reason to doubt their confidence as to this being the species. That said, there are a few other bivalve species that could produce pearls of the same size and qualities. It would have taken years of careful collecting to bring this set together. When laid end to end, they really are something.
 
Anadara, ok...a "Blood Cockle"! I have seen quite a few from one of the common species on the Pacific coast. Those pearls are HARD, they will not be easy to drill.
Wish I could recommend someone for the drilling!
 
Hi Donia. Indeed, they are kind of wonderfully strange. You are looking at a set of rare natural saltwater pearls from bivalves that live in ocean waters near the Philippines. As GIA researchers have shared, non-nacreous pearls like these consist chemically mainly of layers of fibrous aragonite as processed by the bivalve mollusks that create them. They are hardly ever perfectly spherical but instead form these wonderful irregular shapes such as button or baroque, and are extremely rare. These have an attractive and strong porcelaneous surface, and are a creamy white color that looks like it is over a pinkish and yellow under color that makes them quite energetically interesting. They will eventually make a spectacular necklace, once strung together.
Hi.. we are Indian very familiar with this, many of those "Fake" this is what I mean strange,
 
Back
Top