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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
Filled Natural Hollow Heart-Shaped Pearls
Examination of four heart-shaped pearls reveals cavity filling and plugging to improve durability.
An Unconventional Bead Cultured Saltwater Pearl
A semi-baroque saltwater nacreous pearl presents identification challenges in the Mumbai laboratory.
Assembled Black Imitation Pearl
An undrilled black bead is identified as an assembled imitation pearl made from shell fragments.
Fingerprint Pattern on a “Hammered” Pearl’s Surface
Spiral patterns of nacre platelets observed on the surface of a non-bead cultured pearl are reminiscent of fingerprints.
Low-Heft Hollow Natural Pearl with an Opening
Organic-rich material is observed through an opening in a hollow natural pearl.
Two Assembled Pearls
Natural pearl cores are used to simulate the appearance of natural pearl growth in two assembled pearls mounted in a pair of earrings.
Imitation Seed Pearl with Blue X-Ray Fluorescence
X-ray fluorescence screening is used to identify an imitation in a submission of more than 9,000 seed pearls.
Iridescent Gems Cut from Hinge Ligament of South Sea Pearl Oyster (Pinctada maxima)
Biogenic material from a pearl oyster is used to produce a new eye-catching blue-green iridescent gem material.
Three Large Natural Hollow Pinctada radiata Pearls
Three large natural pearls with hollow interiors reportedly from Bahrain are studied in the Mumbai laboratory.
Exceptional Nacre Thickness of Hybrid Akoya Bead Cultured Pearls
GIA’s Bangkok laboratory reports on a hybrid mollusk species that can produce bead cultured pearls with a thicker nacre layer.
