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Pearl
Perfect shining spheres. Lustrous baroque forms. Seductive strands, warm to the touch. Pearls are simply and purely organic.
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Research
The Lure of American Freshwater Pearls: Revisiting the Latendresse Family
John Latendresse is known as the father of American cultured pearls. He was also a great natural pearl collector and left his family a remarkable natural pearl collection. The Latendresse family is well recognized in the American pearl industry and has long supported GIA pearl research. Come with us to revisit this family and their pearl collection.
Cultured Pearl Market Update
Pinctada maculata (Pipi) Bead-Cultured Blister Pearls Attached to Their Shells
A study on four Pinctada maculata cultured blister pearls originating from Penrhyn Island.
Atypical “Beading” in the Production of Cultured Pearls from Australian Pinctada maxima
In 2011, the authors began to see cases of low-quality natural pearls being used as unconventional “beads” for cultured nacre growth.
Bead-Cultured and Non-Bead-Cultured Pearls from Lombok, Indonesia
Documents the retrieval and testing of P. maxima cultured pearls from a Lombok hatchery.
Non-Nacreous Purple and White Pearls Reportedly from Spondylus Species
Examination of pearls with a dominant purple hue, reportedly from the Spondylus calcifer mollusk.
The Fluid Art of Angela Conty
Spectral Characteristics of Pinctada Mazatlanica and Pinctada Margaritifera Pearl Oyster Species
Examination of shells from on P. mazatlanica proves the similarities between that species and P. margaritifera.
Iridescent Spondylus Pearl
Iridescence is seen in a porcelaneous pearl examined at the Carlsbad laboratory.
Identification of “Pistachio” Colored Pearls Treated by Ballerina Pearl Co.
A report on the color treatment process for these intensely greenish yellow to yellowish green cultured pearls and the techniques for identifying them.
Large Natural Fossil Blister Pearls from Tridacna (Giant Clam) Species
Two blister pearls attached to a host shell believed to have fossilized during the later Pleistocene period and discovered in southeastern Kenya are studied.
A Natural Pearl with an Intriguing Internal Structure
A semi-baroque pearl with an unusual radial feature is submitted to the Bangkok lab for testing.
