Talk:Pearl

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Contents 1 Illustration 2 myth? 3 . 4 reverted bad edit 5 Nonsensical sentence and Titian 6 Animal rights 7 Symbolism 8 Information wrong for subject 9 Grain of sand 10 Vinegar? 11 Color 12 student research 13 Resource for Prl locations and types 14 Natural Pearl Edit 15 Page to be merged with Pearl

[edit] Illustration

The picture used as illustration ("White pearls strung on a necklace") features imitation pearls. They are not real pearls. Effisk 21:42, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Here's a pic I just shot of 2 strands of akoya pearls. This is not a necklace. Akoya pearls are sold in hanks wholesale. Hanks are made of several strands such as these two. Usually 16" long. These strands comes from a Chinese wholesaler. Effisk 21:53, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

ok, I'll just go ahead and replace the pic in the article.Effisk 02:33, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Why did someone revert my change? Would you illustrate an article on diamonds with a piece a glass? No. Then why illustrate an article on pearls with imitation pearls? Effisk 10:29, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Huh, looks like I have just been fooled by my computer's cache. My change hasn't been reverted. [/end of monologue] Effisk 10:31, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] myth?

I just watched an episode of The Avengers about a black pearl, and at the end they say that pearls dissolve in wine. Is that true? - Corby 23:01, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

No way. >Eventually<, maybe, but not anytime soon. 65.41.47.6 17:51, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

It will dissolve... when the wine turns to vinegar (acidic) Effisk 21:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] .

Pearls can be manufactured by hand. In Manacor, Mallora (Spain) there are pearl factories that makes 'Majorcan pearls'. These are made with a glass centre, onto which the layers are added one by one. The pearls are polished extensively between layers to remove any imperfections. As far as I remember, the material for the layers consists of such things as fish scales...

...And therefore they are not true pearls. But you're right, perhaps some mention of imitations could be made.--Joel 22:19, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

Why no picture of an actual pearl, alone or in the context of jewelry? Surely someone reading this owns both a pearl and a digital camera.--Joel 22:19, 10 May 2005 (UTC)..

• I came here to say the same thing... --RealWingus 06:05, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] reverted bad edit

I reverted the edit by Nameneko 19:31, May 10, 2005. I changed the unit back to cm instead of mm. It is impossible for a 7mm oyster to produce a 10mm pearl. Kowloonese 22:38, August 19, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Nonsensical sentence and Titian

and is finer in proportion as the layers become thinner and more numerous.

Anyone know what this is supposed to mean? Also, why are Tahitian pearls known as Titian pearls? There's no explanation anywhere, and that makes it seem to me that the link to Titian is wrong. FireWorks 19:11, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

Layers of nacre. They are deposited on the shell bead. One layer is a few micron thick. The thinner the layers, the higher the luster. The thicker the nacre (total of nacre layers), the higher the luster. In cold water, the layers deposited by the 'oysters' are thinner, hence the higher luster on akoya pearls (compared to south-sea pearls luster for example). Effisk 21:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Npaspaley 12:32, 15 February 2007 (UTC)The concept that the colder the water - the higher the luster - is not correct. Luster is dependent primarily on the quality of the nacre tiles produced by particular pearl oysters. If the quality is fine, and there are thousands of thin layers of nacre, the luster will be fine. However, the relationship between cold water and luster can best be described as follows: it is a fact that a pearl oyster will produce finer layers of nacre during the cold winter months than in hotter summer months. It is NOT correct that Akoya pearls in Japan's cold water have a higher luster than south sea pearls from tropical warm waters. When harvested, south sea pearls generally have a much higher luster than freshly harvested Akoya pearls. Akoya pearls have quite poor luster when harvested, and it is the polishing process which delivers a high luster. Artificial luster can be as shiny as the polishing process is intended. e.g. even mirror finishes can be achieved through modern polishing processes. However, this is not the natural luster of pearls in nature.Npaspaley 12:32, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Animal rights

There should be an Animal Rights section discussing the fact that pearl oysters are animals too, and have rights too. 201.23.64.2 00:46, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Symbolism

Pearls are a beautiful thing created by a reaction to suffering. For this reason it is sometimes used symbolically. --Zerothis 02:44, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

What is the best way to integrate this information into the article? Is an L2 headline "Symbolism" appropriate? Should there be more info or does my short sentence suffice? Zerothis 05:29, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Information wrong for subject

The subject of this article should be on the middle English poem Pearl and not on actual pearls. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mango79 (talk • contribs).

See: Pearl (poem). Also note the disambiguation note at the top of this article. Vsmith 13:08, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Grain of sand

I have impetuously substituted the idea that a parasite acts as the seed for the pearl, as per this page. But is this just a theory? I'm not sure. This page is perhaps more reliable.--Shantavira 12:28, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

First page is more accurate. Effisk 21:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Vinegar?

I opened a Snapple bottle today, and it had a 'Random Real Fact' that pearls dissolve in vinegar. Maybe that's where the wine thing came from too-wine can turn to vinegar-can anyone verify this? -Rmeskill 14:58, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

It's the acidity of the vinegar that dissolves the calcium carbonate. Effisk 21:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Color

I think we need a short explaination of what causes different color pearls to be produced. Kerowyn ^{Leave a note} 08:57, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Color of pearls primarily depend on the 'oyster' or mussel species. Pinctada margaritifera will produce darker pearls (Tahitian pearls), Pinctada maxima will produce white or golden pearls (south-sea pearls, depending on the subspecies, 'white-lipped' or 'silver-lipped'), etc. Another factor is the nacre color of the donor mollusc (mollusc whose mantle tissue is implanted (grafted) along with the bead. That is for natural colors. Effisk 21:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] student research

this page does not have stuff about how pearls are retrived!

Needs to be added!

Depends. If the 'oyster' is not be reimplanted with another bead, then the oyster is simply open and the pearl retrieved by hand. The mollusc obviously dies. If the 'oyster' is reimplanted, which can happen up to 3 or 4 times depending on the species, then the process is quite similar to the implanting (grafting): the oyster is held slightly open, a nucleator (the guy who implants the bead nucleus) cuts open the pearl sac using a sharp blade, removes the pearl, then implants a new bead (usually of the same size as the retrieved pearl) in the pearl sac. Please don't hesitate to add this to the page. My English is not so good... Effisk 21:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Resource for Prl locations and types

Came across this table on the GIA site, and thought editors of this page might find it useful. Gems & Gemology data depository: Expanded localities for cultured pearls, natural pearls, and calcareous concretions. Cheers. SauliH 21:41, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

December 2006 (UTC) Found a pearl the size of a small marble in my oyster stew.I assume, having been "cooked',its only value is as a novelty?

It isn't a "pearl" in the technical sense because edible oysters don't produce nacre (it is then called a "calcareous concretion"). It does not have the luster, orient, etc. that real pearls display and which make them valuable. So yes, its only value is as a novelty, and its uniqueness to your eyes. Effisk 19:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Natural Pearl Edit

While an expansion of natural pearling is welcomed the recent edit was very non-NPOV, and required extensive editing. The article now needs further copyediting and expansion to remove duplicate information, as well as some citation work. SauliH 18:24, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Page to be merged with Pearl

I have been working on the pearl page (and organizing it as well as will add more info on specific pearls). In due time this article will completely cover colored (whether natural or cultured) pearls. What I WOULD suggest however is to create some info pages (in due time) dealing with individual pearls such as Keshi, Melo, Tahitian etc etc. Colors are not really a way to structure pearls (one can think of natural/cultured, saltwater/sweetwater etc). Gem-fanat 10:25, 18 March 2007 (UTC)