Eve explains Keshi Pearls
First of all, Keshi in Japanese means 'poppy seed'. It was the name given to the tiny pearls found when they opened Akoya oysters in Japan and expected to find round pearls, but the nucleus might have been expelled, and some tiny pearls like poppy seeds formed instead. They are not exactly natural (non-nucleated) pearls since the oyster had been stimulated by man. Perhaps some bits of the implanted tissue had loosened, but they are not a cultured pearl either, so the name Keshi stuck. Eventually people decided to drill and to string those tiny irregular but pretty pearls, and make them into multistrand chokers, usually not knotted, and fairly expensive because of all the labor.
Then, in Australia and Tahiti, when the same thing occurred, the keshis were obviously larger, but still interestingly shaped, and very pretty. Having no nucleus meant all nacre, and often very lustrous – great for rings, earrings, and single strand necklaces, and expensive because they are rare.
The GIA called them 'adventitious' pearls ( wild, or happenstance pearls), i.e., not cultured, but not exactly natural.
Then came China. The Chinese were excited to cash in on the demand for pearls, and they did not really care about, or understand existing terminology. So for instance, they looked at the now extinct Japanese Lake Biwa pearls... well, their pearls were freshwater too, odd-shaped, so they called them Biwa too, no matter that they had nothing to do with lake Biwa! Sigh.. what could the world do?
Now the Chinese came up with another pearl idea: When they started culturing coin pearls, which have a nucleus, they would harvest the pearls carefully, then put the mussels back in the water for a year without renucleating them, just to see what would happen: well, strange petal-like pearls would form in the old pearl sac, second-generation, or born-again pearls, as they were called in Chinese.
Then someone in China looked at what would be a better name for trade, and came upon the word Keshi. At first, the rest of the world was resistant: real Keshis were formed differently, they occurred in the original production cycle INSTEAD of the original pearl that was expected. But then they rationalized that there were similarities: both types of pearl occurred without a nucleus, both had accidental shapes that could not be controlled... why fight it? Once again, Chinese dictated the terminology, and so the dealers who tell you their pearls are keshi are just following the (now) generally accepted custom. If you can't beat them..
First of all, Keshi in Japanese means 'poppy seed'. It was the name given to the tiny pearls found when they opened Akoya oysters in Japan and expected to find round pearls, but the nucleus might have been expelled, and some tiny pearls like poppy seeds formed instead. They are not exactly natural (non-nucleated) pearls since the oyster had been stimulated by man. Perhaps some bits of the implanted tissue had loosened, but they are not a cultured pearl either, so the name Keshi stuck. Eventually people decided to drill and to string those tiny irregular but pretty pearls, and make them into multistrand chokers, usually not knotted, and fairly expensive because of all the labor.
Then, in Australia and Tahiti, when the same thing occurred, the keshis were obviously larger, but still interestingly shaped, and very pretty. Having no nucleus meant all nacre, and often very lustrous – great for rings, earrings, and single strand necklaces, and expensive because they are rare.
The GIA called them 'adventitious' pearls ( wild, or happenstance pearls), i.e., not cultured, but not exactly natural.
Then came China. The Chinese were excited to cash in on the demand for pearls, and they did not really care about, or understand existing terminology. So for instance, they looked at the now extinct Japanese Lake Biwa pearls... well, their pearls were freshwater too, odd-shaped, so they called them Biwa too, no matter that they had nothing to do with lake Biwa! Sigh.. what could the world do?
Now the Chinese came up with another pearl idea: When they started culturing coin pearls, which have a nucleus, they would harvest the pearls carefully, then put the mussels back in the water for a year without renucleating them, just to see what would happen: well, strange petal-like pearls would form in the old pearl sac, second-generation, or born-again pearls, as they were called in Chinese.
Then someone in China looked at what would be a better name for trade, and came upon the word Keshi. At first, the rest of the world was resistant: real Keshis were formed differently, they occurred in the original production cycle INSTEAD of the original pearl that was expected. But then they rationalized that there were similarities: both types of pearl occurred without a nucleus, both had accidental shapes that could not be controlled... why fight it? Once again, Chinese dictated the terminology, and so the dealers who tell you their pearls are keshi are just following the (now) generally accepted custom. If you can't beat them..
Japaneses know how to put a funny name for evertything but the name a deeper meaning that it is related that way that it was made.
Posted by: friend | March 28, 2011 at 12:02 PM
I hear something about this pearls, allegedly are real beauty, and the quality of the sames are incredible, the most curious fact with this pearls, is that it color is totally different to the rest of the pearls.
Posted by: Gen | April 12, 2011 at 11:31 AM
Since yesterday I have been searching to read similar things, it is one of the best sites on the web!
Posted by: macy | August 29, 2011 at 03:55 PM