Judi McCormick / cultured pearls

Phuket Thailand Pearl Farm

Phuket Thailand Pearl Farm

I love to take you on a visit to a pearl farm every once in awhile.

Pearl farms are fascinating for many reasons, but most importantly, they can only exist in some of the most clean and sustained water conditions. They are wonderful places to visit.

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Was Mikimoto the first developer of the cultured pearl?

Was Mikimoto the first developer of the cultured pearl?

That does seem to be the story we hear the most, but I have a different story.
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Care and Maintenance of Pearls

Care and Maintenance of Pearls

Here is a more in depth look at how to care for your pearls.

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The definitive book on Pearls, by Elisabeth Strack

The definitive book on Pearls, by Elisabeth Strack

At over 700 pages long, I go to Strack's book whenever I have a question about pearls.

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Natural vs. Cultured Pearls

Natural vs. Cultured Pearls

What is the difference? There is so much misinformation about whether a cultured pearl is really a pearl. 
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Freshwater vs. Saltwater Pearls

Freshwater vs. Saltwater Pearls

Let me give you a very concise match-up and you can decide.
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Pearl Nacre Thickness

Pearl Nacre Thickness

The thicker the nacre of a pearl and the better the quality, the more exquisite the pearl.
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The New World of Cultured Abalone Pearls

The New World of Cultured Abalone Pearls

Abalone pearls are a rare natural pearl. The mollusk, Haliotis is the mother to these iridescent pearl. But she is unable to clot her wounds and thus it is impossible to implant a nucleus to culture a pearl. She would die of bleeding, as a hemophiliac.

Until recently...

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How an Oyster is Implanted with a Nucleus

How an Oyster is Implanted with a Nucleus

I am sharing a video that I took at the Ha Long Pearl Farm in Vietnam of a worker implanting an oyster so it will "grow" a pearl.

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Why Are Golden South Sea Pearls So Special?

Why Are Golden South Sea Pearls So Special?

South Sea cultured pearls are the largest type of cultured pearls. The Goldens are the rarest of the rare of the South Sea Pearls.

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Men in Pearls-a continuing investigation

Men in Pearls-a continuing investigation

Tonight is the first game of the World Series (baseball...). Joc Pederson has received a lot of press about wearing a string of pearls while playing the outfield for the Atlanta Braves. He is playing tonight. Will he be wearing his pearls??
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The Colors of White Pearls

The Colors of White Pearls

While for many of you, white is white, in the pearl world many pearls are known for their specific hue of white.
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