As if chocolate pearls (see previous post) aren't cool enough, Chi
Huynh, a gem and jewelry artist from San Dimas Calif., has created a
Tahitian black pearl with a gemstone nuclei. Pearl experts told him
his remarkable idea wouldn't work. "Why?" asked Chi. "Have you tried
it?"
It worked. Read on.
From Jewelers Circular Keystone Online: By far the most outstanding
addition to the gem world was premiered at JCK Las Vegas 2007. Chi
Huynh is best known for his diamond-in-a-pearl, in addition to his
carved Akoya and Tahitian pearls. This year, Chi introduced carved
black pearls, exposing the pearl's nucleus. The surprise is that the
nucleus is not mother-of-pearl.
Several years ago, while Chi was carving a Tahitian pearl, he
accidentally carved too deeply, exposing the white Mother-of-Pearl
bead beneath the black nacre. Lamenting over the fact that he had just
ruined a perfectly fine Tahitian pearl, he suddenly got this idea that
if he could insert gemstone beads into a black lipped oyster, he could
then create a carved pearl that would expose the gem beneath the nacre.
Chi took that idea to Tahitian pearl farmers who told him that this
kind of pearl could not even be attempted in the French Polynesian
Islands. Undaunted by this turn of events, he took the black lipped
oyster to waters off the shores of Vietnam. After persuading experts
in implantation that his idea could actually work, he attempted to
grow black pearls using citrine, amethyst, and turquoise bead nuclei.
Three years later, Chi harvested beautiful AAA quality Tahitian-like
(now Vietnamese) black pearls. While it was always his intent to carve
these pearls down to expose the gemstone nucleus, he started to
question his sanity of carving these beautiful pearls.
Carved pearl with diamond nuclei. http:/www.diamondinapearl.com
But carve them he did, and the transformation is remarkable. Carved
black pearl nacre over citrine, amethyst, and turquoise nuclei,
Galatea has stunned the pearl world.
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