What you've always wanted to know about PEARLS!

     Similar to my last post, this is a post from the same past job. This one, much like the last post I shared, was also not very popular with my former boss (despite him now having his name on the by-line); because he, once again, didn't believe this post would result in any sales. But it is also one of my favorites I wrote during my time there, because I learned a lot while writing it. Again, having grown in my writing skills since its original posting, I have made small edits to the original post to correct for bad grammar, spelling errors, and poor choices in vocabulary. All research for this post and the other posts like it were done by me, but I am surely not infallible. If you find something that is inaccurate, please let me know and I will look further into it.

Originally posted Feb 9th 2018

Pearls

     Pearls have consistently been one of the most popular gemstones in history; having been documented since 2206 BCE. They are one of three birthstones for the month of June; and their beautiful, lustrous, and iridescent appearance, along with their versatility, have made them highly sought-after. So, today, I wanted to take the time to talk about these beautiful treasures of the deep.

 
Pearl Formation

 

     Many people already know the basics of how pearls are formed, but for the public at large, let’s talk about it! A pearl forms in the fleshy interior body of a mollusk (an oyster, muscle or clam) known as the mantle. An irritant enters the body of the mollusk and, as a form of defense, the mollusk secretes a coating known as nacre. While the proverbial “grain of sand” is a possible irritant, the most common irritant found in naturally occurring pearls are parasites. Layer upon layer of nacre is built up on the irritant until a pearl is formed: a process that can take years.

 

Cultured Pearls

     Cultured pearls are created in much the same way; however, they are created with the assistance of humans. Small pieces of mantle tissue or beads are placed inside the mollusk to jump start the creation process. Irritant beads can be made from a myriad of substances with mother of pearl being the most frequently used. These “seeds” or “nuclei” are the base for the pearls that will form over the next few years. Most cultured pearls take a minimum of three years to reach a quality high enough to be used in jewelry (on top of the time it takes for mollusks to reach maturity).

 

What is the difference between saltwater or freshwater cultured pearls?

     The first cultured pearls were created by Kokichi Mikimoto in Japan in 1893. Since that time, it has been discovered that there is frequently a distinct difference in quality between freshwater and saltwater cultured pearls. Freshwater cultured pearls tend to have more commonly occuring irregular shapes and subpar lustre and surface clarity. Saltwater cultured pearls have a notoriously high-quality appearance in lustre and surface clarity and more frequently appear in round or near round shapes. However, improvements in culturing and farming techniques have caused increases in the quality of freshwater cultured pearls. The highest producers of freshwater cultured pearls are currently China and the United States while many saltwater cultured pearls are named for the regions they are from:

 

Akoya: 

 

     Cultured mainly in Japan, with minor production in Korea and China. These are the original cultured pearl and are prized for their superior luster. Akoya pearls are created one-at-a-time in Pinctada Fucata oysters, a small mollusk that results in smaller round cultured pearls in various shades of white with rose, silver, or grey overtones. Akoya pearls will occasionally, though rarely, come in pinks, blues or golden colors and do not naturally come in black.

 

Tahitian: 

 

     Tahitian pearls are cultured in the French Polynesian archipelago (a collection of 118 islands) before being collected in Tahiti for export. Tahitian pearls are known for their dark colors with beautiful color iridescence. The mollusk they are created in, the Pinctada Margiritafera, secretes a naturally dark nacre, resulting in darker natural colors, such as: blue, dark green, pistachio green, chocolate, peacock, black, grey or aubergine. Tahitian pearls are larger than Akoya cultured pearls, averaging at 9-12mm (larger exist but are rare) and come in a myriad of shapes including round, semi-round, baroque, ringed, button, drop, or oval.

 

South Sea: 

 

     Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines produce the height of pearl luxury, the South Sea pearl. South Sea pearls are created in the Pinctada Maxima; a mollusk that is frequently referred to as “the silver lipped Oyster.” South Sea pearls are the most expensive and rare pearls due to their being farmed on the open ocean, with its typhoons and natural predators posing dangers to pearl farmers. The pearls also take longer- up to five years- to form. South Sea pearls are frequently the largest cultured pearls in production, averaging between 9-17mm with larger and rarer pearls being a possibility. The most coveted colors of the South Sea pearls are golden and white with overtones of blue, green, silver and red. South Sea pearls are most frequently oblong shapes, but round South Sea pearls do rarely occur and frequently go for a high premium.

 

     Since the popularization of cultured pearls (and pearl imitations like plastic and glass) and over fishing, the frequency of naturally occurring pearls has steadily decreased. Only approximately 5% of cultured pearls reach a quality high enough for use in fine jewelry.

 

Pearl Imitations and Detection

     Since the popularization of pearls, people have tried to imitate its appearance. The use of plastic, resin, and glass have resulted in the market being overrun with a variety of pearl imitations. The most popular pearl imitation is a glass bead that has been coated in a solution made of fish scales. This coating is thin and usually temporary. The easiest detection of pearl imitations can be done by anyone without any special tools. The easiest way to detect imitation pearls is to rub it against your teeth. Imitation pearls will feel smooth and glossy when rubbed against your teeth; however, real pearls will feel gritty from the nacre.

 
Pearl Qualities

     Just like the 4 C’s of diamonds, there are different quality factors for pearls as well. Those factors are lustre, surface quality, shape, color, and size.

 

Size:

 

     Pearls are measured in millimeters and, with all other quality factors being equal, increase in value as they increase in size. Pearls come in a range of sizes most frequently from 2-16mm (depending on the mollusk) with an average of 6-9mm. The larger a pearl is, the longer it takes the form and the less likely to be without defect in shape, color, lustre, etc.

 

Surface:

 

     A pearl’s surface can be compared to a diamond’s clarity. Surface blemishes can be caused or impacted through formation or wear and tear; and, just like a flawless diamond, a perfectly smooth pearl is incredibly rare. As stated before, the larger a pearl is, the less likely a pearl is to be without surface blemishes. However, most blemishes are small and nearly invisible at arm’s length similar to a diamond’s need to be viewed under a microscope to view a diamond’s inclusions. Lustre can also help disguise blemishes making them more difficult to see.

 

Lustre:

 

     Lustre is considered by most to be the most important aspect of a pearl’s appearance. Like the brilliance of a diamond, lustre is the first quality people can see about pearls at a distance and is the hardest aspect of a pearl’s quality to recreate with imitations. Lustre is the quality of reflections from a pearl’s surface because of the crystalline structure of nacre built up on a pearl. The higher the lustre, the brighter and more defined reflections will appear in the surface of a pearl. The lower the lustre, the more blurry, smudged or uneven the reflections will appear.

 

Shape:

 

     Pearls naturally come in a variety of shapes including: round, near- round, baroque, oval, button, drop, circle, keshi and mabé.

        Round:

     As one might expect, round pearls are by far the most popular and coveted shape of pearl. Perfectly round pearls of high quality are extremely rare and therefore go for high prices, especially when paired with like quality pearls in strands.

        Near-Round (also called: semi-round or off-round):

     Because round pearls are so rare, most pearls found used in pearl strands are near-round. Near round are exactly what they sound like, pearls that are round but stray slightly from the ideal round shape.

        Oval:

     Oval pearls are a symmetrical, slightly elongated round shapes. Small oval, drop or baroque pearls can sometimes be referred to as rice pearls.

        Drop:

     Drop pearls are similar to oval pearls but are more rounded on one side over the other. The best comparison of this shape is to an egg or a pear.

        Ringed (also called: circle or cercleé):

     Ringed pearls can take the silhouette of any of the pearls listed above. But with natural ridges or grooves that circle around the pearl. There could be one, or several rings wrapped around the surface.

        Button (also called: coin)

     Button pearls take on the appearance of a round, or semi round pearl that has been flattened. They get their name because of their comparable appearance to a button or a coin. Coin pearls are a title normally reserved for a more flat pearl.

        Baroque:

     Baroque is a catchall term for any pearl that doesn’t have a shape that fits into the above categories. They are abnormally shaped without, usually, any discernable form or pattern. Some pearls are mostly uniform shapes with some minor irregularities and are therefore referred to as semi-baroque.

        Keshi:

     Keshi pearls are a unique combination of a type of pearl and a pearl shape. Keshi are nucleus-less pearls that are frequently just the byproduct of pearl production in mollusks. They are frequently small, flat and baroque in shape; similar in appearance to fruity pebbles cereal.

        Mabe:

     Mabe pearls are, like keshi pearls, a combination of shape and formation style. A mabe pearl is a pearl that formed, regardless of shape, attached to the shell of a mollusk without detaching. Mabe pearls therefore are sold either still attached to the mollusk or flat on the back where it was cut away from the shell.

 

Color:

     Pearls come in innumerable colors with a variety of overtones and iridescence. Some of the most common and popular shades are white, pink/peach, golden, black, blue, lavender, and chocolate. The iridescence and overtones can give a variety of shades to pearls as well. The most common treatments done on pearls are done as a form of changing or correcting pearl colors: bleaching, dyeing, or irradation.

        Bleaching:

     The bleaching process is used to even out the color of white pearls. While many people believe pearls to consistently come out one color, may pearls come out with blotchy colors or dark spots that can be corrected by bleaching the pearl. Pearl bleaching is a permanent treatment.

        Dyeing:

     Dyeing can happen many ways. The most common is after the pearls have been harvested from the mollusk. Frequently the pearls are prepared by being bleached white, and then dyed. Pearls are porous and therefore can result in dyed color fading over time. Dyeing can also be used to even out color in naturally colored pearls. The other form of dyeing can be done by introducing dye into the mollusk which changes the color of nacre produced, creating a colored pearl that is permanently colored. Dyeing, in some form, is relatively common and is frequently used by pearl companies to create unique or rare pearl hues.

        Irradiation:

     Irradiation is used to darken pearls. Pearls are treated with mild doses of irradiation to permanently darken their color until they almost resemble Tahitian black pearls.

 
Pearl Care

     A common saying in the jewelry industry is, “Pearls should be the last thing you put on in the morning, and the first thing you take off at night.” Because of their porosity, pearls can easily be damaged or discolored from their exposure to chemicals in makeup, hair products or perfume. Pearls, if you remember from our discussion of durability in our blog post “why are diamonds the best gemstone for an engagement ring,” pearls are very soft and fragile. The proper cleaning of pearls is very simple: never use chemicals! The best way to clean pearls is to wipe them down with a cloth that’s been dampened with ONLY water. This can be tricky with pearl jewelry that combines multiple gemstones; however, you should never try to clean these on your own. Always entrust them to a professional jeweler to ensure these pieces are well maintained.

     The most common jewelry for pearls is a pearl strand. Pearl strands require special care to ensure longevity. The best way you can ensure the longevity of a pearl strand is to have them restrung at least once per year. The silk cord that high quality pearls are strung on can gradually stretch over time and run the risk of breaking. Also, ensure the jeweler that is restringing your pearls is knotting the cord between each pearl. This is for two reasons, if the strand breaks, it decreases the risk of losing pearls, and you prevent pearls from rubbing together and damaging each other. Ideally you will also want the strand to have a French wire attached to the end of the strand at the clasp. This is a piece of wire wrapped around the strand that helps prevent the cord from unraveling or breaking at the clasp.

     For glued pearls (e.g. earrings, rings, pendants, etc) ensure that you DO NOT try any other glue than jeweler’s epoxy to secure loose pearls. Jeweler’s epoxy is the most secure while presenting the least risk of damaging a pearl. Epoxy takes approximately 48hrs to cure completely, so ensure you plan with your jewelers accordingly.

 

What are conch pearls?

     Conch pearls are a rarely occurring phenomenon, that, like pearls, are formed in mollusks; in this case, the queen conch. However, unlike pearls, they are non-nacreous. Because they are not created from nacre, the material that gives pearls their iconic iridescence, they are not considered “true pearls.” They are created when an irritant (usually broken shell) makes its way into the mollusk where a calcareous concentration forms around the irritant like how kidney stones form. The small fibrous crystals create a unique porcelain-like appearance and a flame-like shimmer that is not found in traditional pearls. Conch pearls are currently unable to be cultured.

     Conch pearls are traditionally warm tones- pinks oranges and reds- with the darker, most intense pinks being the most coveted. Conch pearls occur once in approximately every 10-15,000 queen conchs. Out of these, only 10% are considered gem quality making them very rare, popular and expensive.

 

How will I know if pearls are best for me/my partner?

     This is a fair question; however, it is a question that is impossible to answer. Like choosing clothing, cars or shoes, it is best to try them on and see if you like the way they look. So, get out there and try on pearls, see what style appeals most to you and what you think looks best on you. However, if you find yourself rough on jewelry, limit yourself to pearl necklaces or earrings!

Famous Diamonds Throughout the World

     Once upon a time, I was working for a small private jewelry design firm that shall remain nameless. During that time, I was tasked with keeping up with the website and social media accounts for promotional work of the company. Since I left, that company has kept my words on the blog but changed the byline to that of the owner. However, I truly enjoyed writing these posts and decided I would share them here on my newly updated blog to pass the hours off-ship and during a period of seemingly unlimited free-time. Having grown in my writing skills since its original posting, I have made small edits to the original post to correct for bad grammar, spelling errors, and poor choices in vocabulary. More of this is to come, but this one of my favorite entries, and was the last post I made before leaving the company. All research for this post and the other posts like it were done by me, but I am surely not infallible. If you find something that is inaccurate, please let me know and I will look further into it. However, I hope you find these posts entertaining and maybe even educational.

Originally posted Feb 20th 2018

Famous Diamonds Throughout the World

     Today we are taking a brief detour, going through the interesting world of famous diamonds. We will discuss what made them famous, specifics about the diamonds and any lore or records these diamonds may have. Diamonds set records or become famous all the time, so for the sake of this blog post, we are going to limit it to the best of the best.

 

The Golden Jubilee

     Let us start with the record holder for the largest, finished, cut, and faceted diamond in the world. This fancy yellow-brown diamond weighs a whopping 545.67 carats and was discovered in The Premier Mine in 1985. The Premier Mine, sometimes called the Cullinan Mine, is located in the Guateng province of South Africa and is the source of several famous diamonds throughout history, including multiple on our list. Gabriel Tolkowsky was commissioned by De Beers to cut the stone; a process that would take a span of two years, before being given the Papal Blessing by Pope John Paul II as well as a blessing from both The Supreme Imam and The Supreme Buddhist Patriarch in Thailand. The finished diamond was then gifted to King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on his 50th coronation anniversary. It was the king who bestowed the name “The Golden Jubilee” to a diamond that had previously only been known as “The Unnamed Brown.” The Golden Jubilee is now part of the Crown Jewellers of Thailand and does occasionally travel the world in exhibits. 

 

The Hope Diamond

     From the largest cut diamond in the world, to -arguably- the most famous diamond in history: The Hope Diamond. Known throughout the world, the Hope diamond is famous for several reasons: its history, its beautiful and incomparable color, and its “curse”

     The first known owner of the diamond (it is believed the diamond had other owners prior), Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, claimed that the rough diamond was found in the Kollur Mine in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh during the 17th century. The fancy blue 112-115ct triangular-shaped diamond quickly gained fame under the moniker of “The Tavernier Blue”. Around 1669, it was sold to King Louis XIV of France -along with approximately 1000 other diamonds- in exchange for approximately 147 kilograms of pure gold and a nobleman’s title for Tavernier. King Louis commissioned his court jeweler, Sieur Pitau, to recut the diamond; and the resulting 67.125ct diamond that was set in a cravat pin for the king where it became known as “The French Blue.” It was passed down and reset into other jewelry through the royal line until break-ins to the royal storehouse during the French Revolution caused the diamond to go missing.

     The first known resurgence of the diamond was briefly in 1812, although speculation abounds about who the owner was at the time. It wasn’t until 1839 that the diamond found a new purchaser in London banker Thomas Hope from whom the diamond was given its namesake. The Hope Diamond stayed in the Hope family until 1902 during which time it changed hands several times. In 1910 it fell into the hands of Pierre Cartier; who, it is believed, invented the “curse” as a marketing scheme. It was broadcast that tragic death would befall anyone who wore the diamond. The now famous 45.52ct, fancy dark greyish-blue, VS1 diamond was last owned by the late Harry Winston, who donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History, where it can still be seen today.

 

The Pink Star

     The Hope Diamond may have been deemed priceless and will likely never go up for sale in our lifetime, but we will now talk about the stunner that recently set the record for the most expensive diamond ever sold: The Pink Star. The 59.6ct, internally flawless, and intense pink fancy colored diamond is the largest of its kind ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The raw diamond was found in South Africa by De Beers in only 1999; and, like The Golden Jubilee, was cut over a period of 2 years. Formerly known as The Steinmetz Pink, The Pink Star went up for auction in April of 2017 and set the record for the most expensive diamond ever sold with a bid of 71,200,00USD. The diamond is now owned by jeweler Chow Tai Fook and has been renamed the “CTF Pink Star.”

 

The Cullinan Diamonds

     The Cullinan Diamonds are a collection of nine stones that were cut from the largest piece of gem-quality rough diamond in history. The 3106.75ct rough diamond was found in the Premier Mine of South Africa (the same mine that produced the Golden Jubilee) in 1905 and was named after the founder of the mine: Sir Thomas Cullinan.

     The rough diamond was purchased by the Transvaal government as a gift to King Edward VII as “a token of the loyalty and attachment of the people of the Transvaal to His Majesty's throne and person.” King Edward VII then tasked the cutting of the diamond to the Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam. Three people worked 14 hours per day, seven days per week for 8 months to complete the 9 primary Cullinan stones, 86 minor brilliants and 9.5ct unpolished fragments. The 9 primary stones formed from the Cullinan are currently part of the Crown Jewels of England and reside in the Tower of London when not being worn.

Cullinan I- Also known as The Great Star of Africa, the Cullinan I is a pendeloque-cut brilliant (pear-shaped modification of the round brilliant cut) 545.67 carat diamond. This diamond was the largest cut diamond in the world until it was usurped by The Golden Jubilee. The diamond currently sits in the Sovereign’s Scepter but can be removed and set in a brooch with the Cullinan II.

Cullinan II- The Cullinan II is known as The Second Star of Africa and takes the shape of a cushion-shaped brilliant at 317.4 carats. The diamond is mounted in the Imperial State Crown but can be removed and worn with the Cullinan I in a brooch. The Cullinan II is still ranked in the top 10 largest diamonds in the world.

Cullinan III- The Lesser Star of Africa, as the Cullinan III is known, is a 94.4 carat pear-shaped diamond. The diamond is most frequently worn in a pendant brooch with the Cullinan IV.

Cullinan IV- Also known as The Lesser Star of Africa, this square-cut diamond weighs 63.6 carats. This diamond is most frequently worn with the Cullinan III in a brooch.

Cullinan V- The Cullinan V is an 18.8 carat heart-shaped stone that currently sits in a brooch that can be fitted onto the necklace that also holds the Cullinan VII.

Cullinan VI- The Cullinan VI is an 11.5 carat marquise-cut stone that sits in a brooch with the Cullinan VIII that can be added to the Delhi Durbar necklace that holds the Cullinan VII.

Cullinan VII- This 8.8 carat marquise-cut diamond sits as a pendant in the Delhi Durbar necklace.

Cullinan VIII- This 6.8 carat oblong-cut diamond sits in a brooch with the Cullinan VI and can be added to the Delhi Durbar necklace.

Cullinan IX- A 4.39 carat pendeloque-cut diamond, this is the smallest of the Cullinan diamonds. This diamond currently sits in a platinum ring known as The Cullinan IX Ring.

 

The Taylor-Burton Diamond

     We will now take a break from diamonds that are famous for the records they set and talk about a diamond that is famous for its significance in popular culture. Elizabeth Taylor is one of the most recognizable names in the world. She was a world-renowned beauty, a generous philanthropist, an award-winning actress, and famously had a jewelry collection that could rival royalty.

     The most famous piece of jewelry in her collection was a necklace featuring a beautiful 69.42 carat pear-shaped diamond. This beautiful diamond, found in the Premier Mine was cut by none other than Harry Winston himself. Eventually finding its way to auction, the diamond set the record for the most expensive diamond sold at auction at the time for $1,050,000. It was bought by the Cartier parents company, and was dubbed “The Cartier Diamond”… for about 24 hours. Richard Burton, Taylor’s husband on two separate occasions, had been a fierce competitor to Cartier at the auction and decided to pay $1,100,000 to buy it from them. While the name of the diamond was officially changed to “The Cartier-Burton Diamond,” it gained popular public recognition as “The Taylor-Burton Diamond” which has since become the common name. The diamond is now owned by Robert Mouawad of the Jewellers Mouawad and has since been recut to its current size of 68 carats.

 

Moussaieff Red

     After many of the diamonds we have discussed above, the triangular-cut Moussaieff Red diamond may not sound very impressive. Actually, at only 5.11 carat, this internally flawless diamond may seem positively minuscule. However, this incredible fancy colored diamond, formerly known as The Red Shield Diamond, is a stone of legend. Graded by the Gemological Institute of America as a fancy red, it currently holds the distinction of being the largest diamond of pure red coloration in existence. Very few fancy red diamonds have surfaced, and very fewer exceed the one carat mark, making the fancy red grade the rarest of all naturally occurring fancy diamond colors. The rough diamond was discovered by a Brazilian farmer in the Abaetezinho River in an area called Alto Paranalba. The diamond was purchased and cut by the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation before being purchased in 2001 or 2002 by Shlomo Moussaieff (an Israeli-born jewelry dealer in London). The diamond is still owned by Moussaieff Jewellers Ltd. but does sometimes travel on display with other famous diamonds.

 

Koh-i-Noor

     Like the Elder Wand from Harry Potter, this diamond’s bloody history is easily traceable throughout the centuries, passing from hand to hand as a result of bloody battles. The original finding of the stone is not well recorded; however, Sanskrit writings can be found as far back as 5,000 years describing the diamond.

     Originally cut down to 186 carats, it derived from the largest rough diamond of the time: approximately 793 carats. The diamond is currently part of the Crown Jewels of England, but this is heavily contested by the nation of India who feel the diamond was stolen from them and represents a great piece of Indian history and culture. The diamond was originally given to the Indian Maharaja in 1830 by the King of Afghanistan in exchange for military assistance in his quest to reclaim the throne. The Koh-i-Noor is believed to have come into the possession of British royalty as a gift from the 13-year-old Maharajah Duleep Singh. However, it is still regularly insisted by the Indian government that the diamond be returned amicably, especially as partial reparations of British colonization of the country.

     One of the most fascinating aspects of the Koh-i-Noor, like The Hope Diamond, is the belief that it is cursed. While there are many that believe that wearing the diamond will give you the power to rule, there are still others that believe wearing this stone will bring you death and misfortune. This wide-spread belief is a result of the history of death and warfare surrounding the stone throughout history. It is said, however, the diamond provides protection for any woman who wears it. Which may be why, after it was commissioned to be cut down to its current size of 105.6 carats by Prince Albert, the colorless diamond found its way into the Royal British Crown worn by his queen.

 

The Centenary Diamond

     The Centernary Diamond was only discovered in 1986 at, you guessed it, The Premier Mine! The rough was found using cutting-edge x-ray technology and was unveiled at the centennial celebration for De Beers, which is what gave the diamond its name. The task of cutting down the 599 carat rough diamond fell to Gabi Tolkowsky; and when the diamond was finally completed, it set the record for the biggest colorless and flawless finished diamond currently in existence.

     The Centenary Diamond’s most recent claim to fame is that is no one knows where it is. The last time the diamond was on display was in the Tower of London for several years. However, it has not been seen publicly since. It is believed that it may have been purchased from De Beers; however, due to their strict policy of anonymity, it is impossible to confirm this rumor. To this day, no one knows who, if anyone, owns the Centenary Diamond. 

Life in Quarantine

     This post may be a bit redundant, as much of it has been discussed in my previous two blog posts and on my facebook Live videos. However, much of it bears repeating, especially having reached the milestone of 50 days in isolated quarantine. A majority of this post is going to be answering a lot of the most common questions people have been asking me about my time in here, as well as a compilation of highlights (or lowlights) of my time contained in a a single cabin on the ship. 

     I would like to start with a statement that is a running theme throughout my blog posts; however, it is especially poignant here, for reasons that will become quite apparent throughout: the situations and conditions I discuss in this post are factual and my interpretation of these are opinion based (through the lens of someone who is living it). You are welcome to read about the conditions I have been placed in and reach your own conclusions. I have been told by some that I have overreacted to some things, and been told by others that I should be more outraged than I have been of late. So I invite you step into the world of the pandemic on a cruise ship and react in a way that feels most authentic to you when you read what it has been like.

     As I stated above, I have officially been in isolated quarantine for 50 days. During that time I have been contained in a single passenger cabin on the ship. I find myself in this position due to a series of circumstances that are largely my own fault. Unfortunately, being to blame for the position that I am in greatly enhances many of the frustrations I have felt toward the topics I will discuss here. When the time came that the ship I am on (but before it was announced that every other ship in the fleet) would stop, I reached out to the home office, asking if I would be able to be transferred to another ship that was still operational. I am not going to pretend I did this for some noble reason, I did this for the same reason many people continue to work on cruise ships (despite the difficulties the life onboard may present) money. I had only been on contract for under two months and had not had enough time to save up money to last however long I would be without work. Obviously this request was denied, as many ships were being scheduled to cease sailing, but they did say that I would be staying as part of the 60(ish) person skeleton crew that would be kept on the ship during that time. They gave me the option to decline, but I was assured I would be paid and the likely timeframe would be only two months, so I eagerly took the opportunity to continue making money knowing I would be unlikely to find work back home.

     Shortly, the company began disembarking crew members from this (and other ships) in droves. Hundreds of crew members were disembarking every day. While there had been no testing done for the virus on the ship (and despite care being taken with both remaining and disembarking crew) approximately 200 crew members remained when multiple people, including a close friend of mine, tested positive upon their arrival home. This resulted in the stop of all disembarkation of the remaining crew off the ship, and a demand was made for tests to ensure the virus on the ship was contained, and any future crew members wishing to go home were confirmed negative before travel. 

     While I understand that with impending country border closures and travel bans, the company was trying to get as many people home as possible; I think a plan should’ve been devised by the home office to be implemented on all ships, that would place all crew members in a mandatory 14 day quarantine, with testing, before being allowed to disembark and travel home. This was a feeling that was echoed amongst few others on the ship, as everyone was eager to make it back to their families, but it likely and unfortunately resulted in others being infected (possibly even myself).

     Once it was discovered that a close friend had tested positive, I immediately sought out the doctor and offered to be placed in isolation, hours before the official order came from the master of the ship. Myself, and a select group of people who hung out together (with the aforementioned crew member) were instructed to pack our bags because we would be moved into isolation for 14 days. This was received differently throughout the people of the group: with some (myself included) being understanding and wanting to do what was best for the health of others, some being scared, and one being angry. His anger was understandable because it meant that it would be unlikely he would be able to find a way home to his family in a reasonable amount of time, especially since all disembarkation immediately stopped (whether by command of the company or the port authority). 

     I asked whether or not we would be allowed to return to our original cabins afterward, I was assured I would and decided to only pack a small travel bag with 3-4 outfits (figuring I could spend time without clothes while alone on or would not need as many clothes) They brought us to the same cabins that had been used for isolation during the virus scare of our last cruise (see my previous blog entries), but were moved up to larger balcony cabins in a passenger area the next day. The people moving us make it very clear that they were moving us for the optics: if the shore authorities, or anyone else were to see us, they wanted to make sure that we were comfortable. We were told we were expected to be tested in the next couple days. Thus the normal everyday cycle of eating, doctor examinations, and trying to pass the time began.

     The first 14 days passed very slowly; likely because I had something to look forward to: getting out; but unfortunately, it didn’t really work out that way. Now time slips by much more quickly. (I still can’t believe it has been over a month since that first 14 days passed.)

Testing

     Despite being told that we would be tested early into our isolation, we were not tested until day 15. On day 14 we were allowed to briefly leave the cabin (standing by in case the doctors came aboard the ship), but the following day, we were not allowed to leave at all because of testing. I do wish the company or doctor had warned me in advance what the test consists of. Though I doubt it would’ve made much difference, because there is no way to prepare for a cotton swab being shoved up your nose. 

     Having now gone through the test 6 times (as of my writing this), I have become a bit of a pro (with the doctors and nurses all remarking that I am one of the only people who doesn’t flinch, gag, or react in a negative way to the test being done. My tests have come back positive, positive, negative, positive, negative, and am waiting for the results of my final test. Despite my time in quarantine and isolation, we are not allowed to leave until we receive two consecutive negative tests. A feat made all the more difficult by the inaccuracy of the test, because (according to studies) the test can show positive when inert fragments of the virus are still present in the sinuses, despite posing no threat.

     The authorities in the port, are also incredibly strict regarding their testing policy. For the first couple tests, we were only given tests once every two weeks (with a confirmation test given for negative results after only a couple days) and results coming back a harrowing 24-96 hours later. While they have since increased testing to a frequency of one-per-week, they do not regard any positive as a false positive. When my first negative was met with a positive shortly after, my doctor pleaded with the authorities to treat this as a false positive (as I had just had a negative and I had been in isolation for over 40 days at the time). This was rejected and the cycle started all over again. 

     We recently, in the past couple weeks, have begun preparing for the tests by clearing out our sinuses and gargling with a peroxide and water solution, and swabbing our sinuses with a small amount of vaseline. The peroxide is known to kill the virus on surfaces and is not harmful to the body in small quantities (thought very uncomfortable to stick up your nose) and I am not entirely sure the benefit of the vaseline (but who am I to argue with the expertise of the doctor that has truly had my best interests at heart throughout this process). These have met with mixed results (see myself and my mixed bag of test results), but I have diligently kept up with the regimen because, at this point, I will drink peroxide if it meant I would get to finally go home. 

The Cabin

     As I stated before, it was made pretty clear that we were being moved into the passenger cabin for optics. However, regardless of the reasoning, this was something that company did that I agree with. While we aren’t sailing, there is no reason why the crew can not occupy passenger cabins. Every crew member is now being held in a balcony cabin on the ship and they are to treat it like any crew cabin they are staying in; they are responsible for the cleanliness of the cabin, disinfecting etc. (which is made difficult when the first couple weeks lacked any provisions like replacements for clean linens or toilet paper). Because everyone on the ship is now in isolation (save for 30 or so crew members), we are provided with disinfectant, and vacuums are nearby for cleaning purposes, but the entirety of our time is spent confined by these “four walls.” We are not supposed to go to other people’s cabins and other people are not supposed to come to ours (thought some people have not abided by that rule very strictly). This is especially true of the quarantine area of the ship (which is located on a different floor than the rest of the crew) where doctors come to our cabins twice daily (once in the morning and once in the afternoon) to monitor our oxygen levels in our blood, and our body temperatures.

     While the cabins themselves are comfortable (despite no air conditioning to avoid the spread of contaminated air and occasional high cabin temperatures with no fans), I have begun to view them as cushy prison cells with a view. Much like Alcatraz’s legendary view of the city of San Fransisco, every day I can look out from the balcony at a city that is so close, and yet so unreachable. I can spend every day talking with my friends and family on the phone (if I choose to, and am willing to pay for it… more on that shortly), but they are ultimately just faces and voices from a phone. The most face-to-face interaction I have is with the doctors, the restaurant workers who bring food, and the housekeeping crew who bring us clean linen when they come to my door. Which, for a highly social person like myself, could also be described as my own personal hell. Contributing to this feeling is the recent hopelessness that has overtaken me more often than not. I feel like this will ultimately stretch on indefinitely, with freedom so tantalizingly close, but never am I able to reach it.

     It is also worth noting that in a cabin with little more than a bed, a couch, a tv (with only 2-3 channels per language), a chair, and a bathroom, there is little to occupy most of the time in the day. I have found myself sleeping more, bathing more, and playing more cell-phone games in an effort to kill hours that seem to drag on endlessly. Unfortunately, keeping myself sane during these months hasn’t come free. 

Paying to stay onboard

     This section is going to encapsulate a lot of what makes me very frustrated to be in this position. It has now become public knowledge that my company (as well as many others) have decided to “freeze” the contracts of their crew members (while keeping the crew on the ships) relieving them of their obligation to pay. However, our contracts are based on a union mandated collective bargaining agreement. In that agreement it states that we are supposed to be paid until we are disembarked (or as is my understanding). Since none of us have been disembarked (nor have I signed anything agreeing to a freezing or termination of my contract), the company is supposed to continue paying us (despite their assurances that we will not be “required” to work during this time… as if I have a choice). 

     This is more infuriating for me, as I stayed on the ship, (resulting in me missing my opportunity to make it home and possibly resulting in my infection with the virus) because of the promise of pay. I didn’t chose to get infected and not work, and there are clauses in the contract that also cover us for situations including times where we are medically unable to perform our duties. The contract also states, “A seafarer requested by the Company to leave his employment before the agreed period of service on board the vessel has expired, through no fault of his own… or on the loss, laying up or sale of the vessel, shall be entitled to receive compensation equivalent to 2 (two) months of basic monthly wage.” I have been hearing from others that the company has been playing on the loyalties of their crew members and getting them to sign documents forfeiting their rights to this money in exchange for the promise of returning to a contract within 6 months, otherwise the company will pay. But it is my understanding of the contract that the company is obligated to pay regardless of when (or if) we go back to work. 

     While this news has, of course, rubbed me the wrong way, and I am frustrated for myself; I am more worried for other people. There are a great number of people still stuck on the ships, who work to support families back home. Those families rely on the income generated by these people and now their pay has ceased, with no way for them to get home and hopefully find another job. Making that situation worse for both my fellow crew members and I, is that many of us are paying to be here. 

     Once I was moved into a passenger cabin, I noticed something horrifying: the internet wasn’t working. The company, at the start of this pandemic, implemented free social media internet service for all crew members onboard. This, to me, was a bandaid, as few things on social media were likely to occupy 50 days worth of isolated time. But soon, it became worse when I realized that the cabin they had moved me to, couldn’t even get the meager internet the company was willing to provide. This was brought to the attention of the hotel director (who did champion free internet for those of us being put into isolation), but nothing ever came of it. It soon became increasingly apparent that I would need a new SIM card. Luckily I was able to get one from a coworker to hold me over (so long as I paid to put data on it) until I was able to procure one of my own. My mother swooped in and located one on Amazon Italia and it reached me after about a week. This (along with the first recharge of my coworker’s SIM) was the first of many charges that has now reached over 300 euro between my family and myself. This money is just for me to have cell phone service enough to contact my family, watch the occasional TV show (though not too much to run down my data) and attempt to keep myself occupied since the ship  hasn’t provided us with anything to meet those ends. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for crew members stuck out at sea since they can’t use cell phone service and aren’t receiving free internet from the company. 

Food

     Most other charges I have incurred have been a result of food. To understand why this is even a necessity, allow me to discuss the food situation on the ship. For the first two weeks of isolation (during which time food was still being prepared on the ship), the food was pretty standard crew-mess fare and was nothing to write home about, being brought to us three times per day along with a 1 liter bottle of water). They usually abided by most dietary restrictions if it could be helped (thought I did occasionally come across meat on my plate, despite 15 years of being a vegetarian, and them having been made aware of it). Unfortunately, most food on the ship is very carb heavy and this was no exception, with a heavy emphasis placed on white rice and pasta for most of my meals. 

     Once all non-essential crew were placed in isolation (including kitchen staff) food was provided for us from off the ship. I believed this was being provided by the port authority (as I was told that it was delivered to the ship on a near-daily basis) though I am now unsure. Once this method of food delivery was established the care and quality of the food (which is little more than hospital quality) dropped substantially. There were days where they brought me meat by accident and I would return it to the people delivering the food, reminding them that I can not eat it (effectively cutting my meal in half); but the worst were the days where they only had meat. Very little solutions were proposed to solve this dilemma, and only once was I called to ask if I would like some cheese sandwiches instead (the sandwiches were just cheese and lettuce on bread rolls, but I appreciated the effort nonetheless). 

     It has only been a couple days since we have begun fully functioning kitchen duties again, and since then I have had two meals where my entire meals has been ONLY white rice and potatoes. While I understand the kitchens may need time to get back up in to their normal functionality, it seems like very little care is taken to meet crew members’ basic nutritional standards if they require certain dietary restrictions. This is true for not only me, who is a vegetarian by choice, but for those with celiacs disease, or food allergies, who regularly received foods they also can not eat. This is why food is a cause for spending more money. 

     While we are in isolation, the crew shop is open and is operated by the shop manager (who is considered essential personnel). She can be reached by phone at certain times of the day and will take orders, charge it to your cabin and it will be brought up to your cabin in the afternoon. That means that snacks (to eat between the 7.5 hour difference from lunch at 12:30pm and dinner at 8:00pm or to supplement meals when we can’t eat part/all of them) have to be paid for by us. 

     There are also some of us who have had to pay for additional beverages. For a period of time, we were getting about 3 liters of water per day. This was then cut down to about 1.5 liters of water per day (delivered only at lunch) with a juice box in the morning (and even some days with only 1 liter of water to last for the whole day). Only a couple weeks ago the company began delivering soft drinks for us at dinner or lunch and provided us with a kettle for us to make tea, but before that time, the only things we had to drink were room temperature water. So some people took to going in to their mini-fridge (located in each passenger cabin). In those mini-fridges there were soft drinks, additional waters, some alcohol, and some snacks and people informed me that they chose to drink some of these. However, it was then decided by the ship, that the people in these cabins would be charged for anything missing from these refrigerators. Not only were they charged (even for things like water), but they were charged passenger prices, which are considerably higher than what we pay as crew members. This is precious money that many crew members need as we are not getting paid any more to be here, despite not having other options because we can not order drinks.

Laundry

    While internet may be a sore spot for me and others paying for their entertainment, and the food may sometimes be barely edible, we now reach an issue that subjected us to a status of nearly subhuman. As I stated before, I was only expecting to come in to isolation for 14 days, and packed very lightly (I didn’t want to have to pack, unpack, repack, and unpack again in a span of two weeks). After a few weeks in isolation, it was remarked by both myself and my neighbor (when we chatted on facebook) that we were unaware of how we would be able to do our laundry. Our isolation had been extended (for at least two more weeks), but we hadn’t been given any chance to procure any more provisions or clean the ones we had. When my neighbor inquired about laundry, he was told to do it in his cabin. 

     Because I didn’t have any laundry detergent in my cabin, and soaking my clothes in hot water wasn’t likely to do anything except cause them to shrink, I just gritted my teeth and dealt with it (even when my isolation was extended YET AGAIN due to another positive test result). When (after a false alarm with one negative test), I realized I wouldn’t be leaving, I had had enough. I had been wearing the same clothes for 45 days and I asked my doctor how I could go about washing them. Her, being the amazing person that she is, offered to do them for me. She then pushed the ship command to implement a laundry service for us, though I can not imagine what took them so long to do so. 

     I have since managed to get the last of my stuff out of my old cabin providing me with more clothes and laundry detergent. I have also done a load of laundry (my socks and underwear, which we were told would NOT be done by the ship) in my bathtub… a situation I never would’ve foreseen for myself.

Communication

     Being in this situation is hard. Being in this situation with little to occupy your time is harder. Being in this situation with little to occupy your time while the world goes on outside your door and you are given little information as to its happenings is hardest. While I know a lot of what is happening in my country through the news I watch on the tv or on my phone, much of what happens on the ship or with the company remains a mystery. A lot of information tends to make its way to us through news publications; which has, at least for me, made me feel like we are not worth being told the things that are happening. 

     For the first couple weeks, we were told that we could contact the doctor, the bridge or the hotel director if we needed anything or had any questions. However, most of those people have since disembarked (including the captain whose position was taken over by the staff captain), making communication much more difficult. My main doctor, who is amazing, was quarantined herself for a while and was replaced with a doctor who speaks very little English. The captain would come to see us about once-per-week, but with very little new information. We were, on rare occasion, only given a sheet of paper with some updates (like the announcement of payment ceasing). 

     While in more recent weeks, at the insistence and with the aid of the home office (according to sources), the ship has been trying to keep abreast of more announcements that they deem essential. Unfortunately, certain breaking news situations have not been shared with us. For instance the operational updates of the company, including when the company expects to be up and running again and any delays, or even the death of a fellow crew member. It was discovered when it was reported in the news that a crew members from the ship had passed away from the virus and the company and the ship never shared that information with us. This is very disheartening because there are people who may have been close with that person (as many people are want to do when living together for months). 

     But it isn’t just the communications from the ship that are lacking. Communications directly from the company have been incredibly rare. Despite being made aware of my situation and my infection with the virus, I was never reached out to by my heads of department to check in on me. In fact it took over four weeks for ANYONE from the home office to reach out to me and see how I have been doing (excluding my fleet supervisor). Now having done so, they have been supportive, pleasant and understanding, regularly reaching out to me and informing me of things I was previously unaware of: there are people (therapists or similar) to help crew members cope during this time and there is a website set up by the company to help keep us occupied. Despite having a strong understanding that these are very uncertain times and everything is very fluid, I feel it would do right by the crew members to keep them updated more frequently, even if you have to later explain that situations have changed and the earlier information may no longer be accurate. 

     While many of these things would’ve had little impact on my day-to-day life, combined with an overall feeling of being kept in the dark, it is hard to get a clear picture of when I may be able to get home.