What does s.o. mean when they say they''d rather have "cultured" pearls....

[Phoenix]

....than freshwater pearls?

I know practically all pearls these days are "cultured". But when someone says this, do they mean perfectly round freshwater pearls or do they mean smaller white SS pearls?

One of my sisters has asked for a strand of cultured pearls for her Xmas pressie and she specifically stressed she did not want freshwater pearls!

So what do I look for? And how much do I expect to pay for them?

 

[cellentani]

She probably means akoyas. They're saltwater pearls, and a little more expensive than freshwaters of like grade. I understand that the top quality akoyas have an unbelievable luster. Check out the hanadamas on Pearlparadise.

ETA: Forgot to add that akoyas and SS pearls come from different types of oysters, so it's not just a size classification.

 

[Arcadian]

I''m guessing she means what I call nugget pearls vs the round ones. When I was younger I thought "nugget" pearls were freshwater, the round cultured ones were saltwater. When I talk about nugget pearls I''m obviously talking about baroques, rice and way the hell off rounds.

I now know better (obviously)

I think you just have to teach her the difference between the different types of pearls. Cultured rounds which I''m guessing is what she wants, can be salt or fresh. Rice and baroque apparently are not to her tastes but they can be from either as well.


I have freshwater rounds and saltwater rounds. I have freshwater rice, and saltwater baroques. I guess my pearl tastes have grown up a lot

I think you just have to introduce her to the differences and show her what a quality set of pearls looks like.


-A

 

[Streeter1]

She means akoya pearls. Although it is a misnomer ''coz
freshwater pearls are also cultured, a lot of people still call akoya cultured and freshwater just freshwater (even some jewelers). I bet she doesn''t know that freshwater pearls can be just as round and lustrous as akoya now though.

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you very much, Cellentani, Arcadian and Streeter. It's good to know. Now "all" I have to do is figure out how to distinguish the akoyas from the good quality freshwater pearls. That's an easy task, right? NOT!

I have some freshwaters that are perfectly round and that have excellent lustre. Do you guys have any tip?

 

[brightlight]

Date: 9/15/2009 7:14:10 AM
Author: Phoenix
Thank you very much, Cellentani, Arcadian and Streeter. It''s good to know. Now ''all'' I have to do is figure out how to distinguish the akoyas from the good quality freshwater pearls. That''s an easy task, right? NOT!

I have some freshwaters that are perfectly round and that have excellent lustre. Do you guys have any tip?

Usually, even on a superb strand of freshwaters, there''s at least one pearl that''s the tiniest bit off-round. They also feel slightly different to me.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 9/15/2009 12:02:10 PM
Author: brightlight

Date: 9/15/2009 7:14:10 AM
Author: Phoenix
Thank you very much, Cellentani, Arcadian and Streeter. It''s good to know. Now ''all'' I have to do is figure out how to distinguish the akoyas from the good quality freshwater pearls. That''s an easy task, right? NOT!

I have some freshwaters that are perfectly round and that have excellent lustre. Do you guys have any tip?

Usually, even on a superb strand of freshwaters, there''s at least one pearl that''s the tiniest bit off-round. They also feel slightly different to me.

Thank you so much for that. That''s certainly helpful.

Sorry to have to ask you one more Q, when you say "they feel slightly different", what do you mean? Is one type heavier than the other or just the texture or both? Thanks.

 

[pearlie]

Freshies, akoya''s and south seas all have a different ''feel''. With my eyes closed, I can usually identify a pearl just by touch. But I''m very tactile, apparently BrightLight is, too!

With a soft hand and a light touch, gently roll the pearls between your thumb and fingers, and begin to get a ''feel'' for them.

This takes quite a bit of practice and experience to be accurate, and you have to be touch sensitive, so best not to rely solely on touch.

Freshies have a different color. A white freshie is different from a white akoya. The luster is different. And, as someone mentioned earlier, the imperfections. Akoya''s are well known for being very well matched and round. Freshies, because they are tissue nucleated, are hardly ever perfectly spherical.

Sounds like you have some good sources for pearls where you are, ask to see an akoya and a comparable freshie side by side.

.julie.

 

[brightlight]

Date: 9/16/2009 3:58:16 AM
Author: Phoenix

Date: 9/15/2009 12:02:10 PM
Author: brightlight

Date: 9/15/2009 7:14:10 AM
Author: Phoenix
Thank you very much, Cellentani, Arcadian and Streeter. It''s good to know. Now ''all'' I have to do is figure out how to distinguish the akoyas from the good quality freshwater pearls. That''s an easy task, right? NOT!

I have some freshwaters that are perfectly round and that have excellent lustre. Do you guys have any tip?

Usually, even on a superb strand of freshwaters, there''s at least one pearl that''s the tiniest bit off-round. They also feel slightly different to me.

Thank you so much for that. That''s certainly helpful.

Sorry to have to ask you one more Q, when you say ''they feel slightly different'', what do you mean? Is one type heavier than the other or just the texture or both? Thanks.

Sorry to respond so late. I''ve been lazy and have been dealing with problems in my kitchen.

It''s hard to describe b/c it''s a subtle difference, but I''ll try my best. The best thing to do really is to feel each of them for yourself. This is just my personal opinion. Akoyas feel more slick (don''t know if that''s the right word) to me. Both akoyas and really exceptional freshwaters feel smooth, but freshwaters have a reallly, really, really faint textured feeling to them. I think this may be b/c freshwaters are softer than akoyas, so they scratch more easily. Maybe it''s the subtle microscopic scratches I''m feeling? Again, it''s hard to put into words, but there''s a difference. I can also feel ever so slight deviations in roundness.

 

[brightlight]

I think the easiest way to tell is to look for the off-round pearls in the strand or if you look at them in the sunlight you can see variations in color. Although, I may have super sensitive eyesight. I once had a jeweler show me different colored diamonds to prove how difficult it was to distinguish the colors, and I got them all right - even the D and E!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 9/17/2009 8:33:26 AM
Author: pearlie
Freshies, akoya''s and south seas all have a different ''feel''. With my eyes closed, I can usually identify a pearl just by touch. But I''m very tactile, apparently BrightLight is, too!

With a soft hand and a light touch, gently roll the pearls between your thumb and fingers, and begin to get a ''feel'' for them.

This takes quite a bit of practice and experience to be accurate, and you have to be touch sensitive, so best not to rely solely on touch.

Freshies have a different color. A white freshie is different from a white akoya. The luster is different. And, as someone mentioned earlier, the imperfections. Akoya''s are well known for being very well matched and round. Freshies, because they are tissue nucleated, are hardly ever perfectly spherical.

Sounds like you have some good sources for pearls where you are, ask to see an akoya and a comparable freshie side by side.

.julie.

Thank you very much, once again, Julie.

I actually have a strand of akoyas at home and plenty of freshwaters so I''ll practice doing that. Thanks.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 9/18/2009 2:50:00 PM
Author: brightlight
I think the easiest way to tell is to look for the off-round pearls in the strand or if you look at them in the sunlight you can see variations in color. Although, I may have super sensitive eyesight. I once had a jeweler show me different colored diamonds to prove how difficult it was to distinguish the colors, and I got them all right - even the D and E!

Thanks very much for both of your posts, Brightlight. Wow, you *do* have super-sensitive eyesight! I will try and compare my akoyas with my freshies. Your suggestions are very helpful.

Hope you got yr kitchen problems sorted out.