Hi all, I love all kinds of colored gemstones, but pearls fascinate me. Even though most all are cultured, they still have that made by nature appeal to me. I have three Golden South Seas Pearls. No Tahitians, yet. I own several strands Akoya of pearls. Two years ago a the Tucson Gem Show I bought two fantastic unstrung (strings) that I am going to hand knot myself. I took a class last year and have actually done very well with the freshwaters I am practicing with. It is not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Thanks for any supporting share. Jennifer Croydon.
I'd go for pearls. I hear the world's oceans are quickly becoming too polluted to get high grade pearls.
Great that you are investing in pearls! All we need in a bad event in northern Australia and the world's best supply of south sea pearls are gone for a long time. IMHO I wouldn't touch Tahitian... oversupply and they don't hold value. Beautiful - yes. Wearable? YES! Investing? No. Go with the South Sea. While I read that you enjoy your Akoya, and that is great, I don't have any as IMHO they are not investments. They are to wear and enjoy, but I don't feel the quality (that is the deep levels fo nacre) is there. I have four Paspaley south sea pearls (currently my DW wears them in earrings, a ring and a bracelet with a feature pearl). I bought them loose and over some time, and now they are set. In terms of money I count them as cheap. She wears them all the time and they look great, but not at all the investment like silver or gold. She has her eye on a Paspaley strand.... $35,000. I think that will be when our silver goes to the moon!
Jennifer, please reread the forum rules about posting links for new members, and for industry disclosure.
I am imagining battery farms full of oysters in tiny cages being forcefed antibiotics and grains of sand. Free range pearls or nothing for me. In the full interests of disclosure I have no pearls or gemstones but I hear that with the right equipment you can make coloured diamonds for about the same power requirements as running a hairdrier for three days. eBay has once again let me down. Gemstones seems too big a learning curve to me, too many cooked gems and lead filled flaws to make it safe for the beginner.
pearls dont cost that much money.....what is pricey is buying them when they have been double knotted.....
Big fan of PearlsDon't know there is just something about them.. My other half hates them..bugger Where would be the best place to buy south sea's and are they graded independantly or by the seller? Cheers REDBACK
For you? A little gem place in Mentone, who gets them in on consignment if you stipulate the grade you want.
Being an ex commercial wild shell pearl diver in Broome, in my finer young years, The Maximus Pearl shell, "pearl" just looks like another shinny bead to me. Most fascinating is how they cultivate them! They get a 10mm bead from a freshwater mussel, all the way from the Mississippi river! Slice a section through part of the shell they call the gonad, "yes lads gonad", & insert a 10 mm bead with a secret element!!! A cut section of another shells mantle, this then grafts its self to the host shell, & coats the bead with luscious amounts of Nacar that women drool over, & send their husbands broke. Whilst in the Solomon Island, on another mischievous trip of my youth, a Short lander local....Him half way between Papua Guinea, & Solomon islands, came to me with half a jam jar of natural pearls.......Yep "big" natural pearls from their gold lip shells, he had been collecting over many years.......OMG I said quietly in my head not giving away my devious nature of intent to purchase.......Natural pearls are rare as! Turns out his sea eggs( that's what they call them over there) Have been sitting in water all their life No I said, this is like burning them in a fire, as water the very thing they come from, will also destroy the nacar luster that make them valuable. Man was I dealt a bad hand......
