Category Archives: Pearls

Small Gestures That Can Have Meaning

One of the more charming ways people pay homage to others is in the clothes and accessories they wear. This can be a helpful thought to bear in mind for a couple of reasons. When I ran the gallery I … Continue reading →

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Fast Facts About Pearls

The most common questions I got when I owned the gallery were about pearls. What are the classes of pearls and how are they different? What classes of pearls are more expensive? Least expensive? What affects the price of pearls? … Continue reading →

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Lots of Pearls, No Kokoshniki

By the end of the year, jewelry lovers will be treated to two period pieces which rely upon sumptuous jewelry for atmosphere and detail. The first is a remake of “The Great Gatsby” which will feature designs by Tiffany. If … Continue reading →

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Rare Double Strand of Natural Pearls

A rare double strand natural pearl necklace is being offered for sale by Christie’s at its October Magnificent Gems Auction today. The event is noteworthy because matched strings of natural pearls are increasingly hard to source. This necklace is composed … Continue reading →

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Cambridge Scientists Create Artificial Mother-of-Pearl

For the first time, scientists have created a material that mimics mother-of-pearl in structure, mechanical behavior and optical appearance. Nacre, also called mother of pearl, is the iridescent coating that is found on the inside of some molluscs and on … Continue reading →

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Pearls: New Role in Combating Cancer

Pearl and bead stringers will be interested to know that recent news from India suggests that pearls may play a role in treating cancer. Ajai Kumar Sonkar at the Pearl Aquaculture Research Foundation in India analyzed the micro-nutrients in several … Continue reading →

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Cultivating Pearls

This morning I stumbled across a series of marvelous photographs by Kamran Jebreili of the Associated Press documenting the cultivation of pearls in the Ras al-Khaimah lagoon in the United Arab Emirates. The pearl farm is a collaboration between Japanese … Continue reading →

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When is a Pearl a Pearl?

The CIBJO conference, coming up later this month, is anticipated to address the weighty and controversial issue of pearl nomenclature. Who is the CIBJO?  Pearls? Controversial? And, why does it matter to pearl and bead stringers what they say about … Continue reading →

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Cleopatra and Marc Anthony Pearl Legend Entirely Plausible

When I ran the gallery, I was often asked to give lectures and gallery talks on jewelry, including pearls. When pearls were the subject, I frequently mentioned the famous story about Cleopatra and Marc Anthony. According to the legend, Cleopatra … Continue reading →

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Pearl and Bead Stringers: Be Wary of Bad Advice from “Experts”

The internet is wonderful for so much. However, and this is a big however, the publishing freedom it provides means that there is an awful lot of advice out there that is not only wrong, but destructive. I came across … Continue reading →

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