Visit to Japan’s pearl farms
Having attended the IGC conference in Tokyo in October 2023, Dr. Michael S. Krzemnicki and Dr. Laurent E. Cartier took some time to travel south to visit the cultured pearl trading hub of Kobe and pearl farmers in Mie prefecture.
Exceptional non-nacreous pearls and pearl jewellery
Over the past few months, we have again analysed a number of outstanding, historic, or gemmologically interesting pearls. These include natural pearls from gastropods and non-nacreous shells.
DNA Fingerprinting and age dating of historic natural pearls: a combined approach
DNA Fingerprinting and age dating of historic natural pearls: a combined approach. IGC 2023 Proceedings, 157-158.
Saltwater pearl with barium
Recently, the SSEF received a button-shaped pearl of 7.5 ct for testing. Based on X-ray radiography and a UV-Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum, the pearl was easily identified as a saltwater natural pearl from the species Pinctada margaritifera.
Cultured pearl with unconventional bead material
Recently, we received a round pearl for testing which exhibited an excellent surface quality and a remarkable size of 24 mm in diameter. Interestingly, its weight of 60 ct was rather low for such a pearl (resulting in a calculated specific gravity of approx. 1.61 instead of 2.715 considered standard for a pearl
Assembled blisters and shells used to imitate pearls
Since historic times, natural pearls have been treasured and considered symbols of wealth and beauty. When harvesting (natural) pearls, one may find not only a pearl inside a shell, but also blister pearls and quite often blisters. A pearl has grown completely wrapped in a pearl sac in the mollusc, whereas a bl
Pearls & diamonds: a royal selection
The SSEF is known worldwide as a leading authority in gem testing, and as such we have the great pleasure to scientifically analyse some of the most prestigious and important jewellery before it is offered up for auction or in private sales. Apart from testing the gem materials in such jewellery, we are often i
Queen Mary pearl: age dating & DNA fingerprinting
Similar to gemstones which are re-polished over time and thus need an updated SSEF report, we also occasionally receive pearls a second or third time for a new report, for example when the pearl is set in a new jewellery design. This is specifically the case when a pearl is important and/or of historical proven
The value of cultured pearls: evolution and current trends
Pearls are often reported as the oldest valuable gem known to humankind, and have been collected for at least 8,500 years (Ainis, et al., 2019). Natural pearls are accidental formations in wild oysters or mussels, and have been considered to be one of the most precious gems in many cultures (Kunz & Stevenson, 1
DNA Fingerprinting and Age Dating of Historical Natural Pearls
Presentation by Dr. Laurent E. Cartier FGA Download Pdf