Things You Should Know About Pearls

A Pearl is an organic “gem.” Pearls are formed around a grain of sand or other foreign matter in the shells of certain mollusks.

Pearls are produced by several species of saltwater and freshwater mollusks, soft-bodied animals protected by a hard exterior shell. Mollusks include oysters, clams, mussels, snails, squid, octopus and many other shellfish.

Natural or Cultured Pearls

Cultured Pearls – ( also called cultivated pearls) are also a natural product, produced by a mollusk in essentially the same way it produces a natural pearl, but with the help of specialized technicians. Technicians surgically implant and object that stimulates the oyster to produce the conchoilin and necre that results, ultimately, in the creation of the pearl. Saltwater and Freshwater pearls are cultured.

Virtually all round saltwater and freshwater cultured pearls, the implant is normally a round bead, accompanied by a piece of mantle tissue. This round bead/mantle tissue implant is called the nucleus. In irregularly-shaped (elongated and asymmetrical shape)freshwater cultured pearls that resemble the cereal “rice-krispies,” the implants may be mantle tissue alone.

A fine pearl requires a cultivation period of at least two to three years in the oyster to acquire a thick necre coating that will give it lasting beauty. During the cultivation period, the oysters receive constant attention and care to help assure that they will thrive and produce the best possible pearl crop. It’s truly a game of chance. In terms of quality, more time means thicker necre and, potentially a more lustrous, longer-lasting pearl. But the longer the pearl is in the ouster, the greater the extent to which other desirable characteristics – shape, color and surface perfection may be affected. Even after all of the effort that it requites, pearl farmers have little control over the final results. They can’t control whether or not the oyster will accept or reject the implanted nucleus; they can’t control the quality of the pearl the oyster produces: lustrousness, shape, color, surface smoothness, and so on.

Different Types of Pearls

Freshwater Cultured Pearls – pearls that are grown in freshwater rather than saltwater, in mussels that live in lakes and rivers. Freshwater pearls are now grown in United States , Japan and China . Round cultured freshwater pearls require more sophisticated production process. There are several techniques that are being used, however the exact technique has not been disclosed. Some contain round implant, the result is an all-nacre, round cultured pearl. Others contain shell beads nucleus, produced in a manner similar to seawater varieties.

Round freshwater pearls are more expensive than other types of freshwater cultured pearls. They also occur in a wide range or colors – a much wider variety than round, saltwater pearls – which gives them a special allure. Colors include light, medium, and dark orange, lavender, purple, violet, blue, rose and gray. Freshwater pearls, naturals or cultured, may also be dyed

Saltwater Cultured Pearl – or “sea” pearls, are grown today in Australia, China, Cook Island, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malysia, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The best-known “white” pearls are the Japanese “Akoya” and the larger “ South Sea pearls.” Among the fancy-color pearls, the best known are the naturally black cultured pearls from Cook Islands and Tahiti .

Saltwater cultured pearls command higher prices than freshwater cultured pearls. Higher costs are incurred because a much greater number of “spat” (baby oysters) must be collected and raised to insure adequate supply of mature oysters for cultivation. Another very important reason for the cost difference is that individual saltwater oyster normally can produce only one or two sizeable pearls at a time. By comparison, in China or Japan , a single freshwater mussel can produce 40-50 pearls at a time.

Imitation Pearls – also called “faux”, “simulated”, and most recently, “semi-cultured” are NOT created by a creature. Imitation pearls have never seen the inside of a mollusk. They are entirely artificial, made from round glass, plastic, or shell beads dipped in a bath of ground fish scales and lacquer (called pearlessence)

“Tooth Test” to spot the fake pearl
Run the pearl gently along the edge of your teeth (the upper teeth are more sensitive, and also be aware that the test won’t work on false teeth). The genuine pearl will have mildly abrasive or gritty feel, while imitation will be slippery smooth. Try this test on pearls you know are genuine, and then on known imitations to get a feel for the difference.

Glossary

Necre: The usually whitish crystalline substance which the mollusk secretes around a foreign “intruder” and which forms what we know as the pearl (as concentric layers of this substance build up over time).

Nucleus: The “irritant” embedded by man into a pearl mollusk, around which the oyster secretes nacre, which builds up to form the pearl.

Shape: A quality evaluation, describing the shape of a pearl. Round is the most prized shape in the industry, but saltwater and freshwater pearls are produced in a variety of shapes, just as they exhibit a variety of colors.

Size : The diameter of pearls measured in millimeters and used as a quality and price evaluation of pearls. The size of pearls depends mainly on personal taste and the occasion.

Millimeter: A unit of measure, used to determine the diameter and overall measurements of a pearl. Approximately 1/25 th of an inch.

Surface: A quality evaluation of the amount of blemishes on a pearl, ranging from clean to heavily blemished.  

Color: Freshwater pearls are usually white, pink, peach, lavender, plum, purple and tangerine. The most popular shade of Freshwater pearls are white with rose undertones. Color is a personal preference, but in general people who are fair coloring look best in light colors with pink undertones. People with darker complexion will look better in white, black, or golden colors.

Popular Necklace Lengths

Choker
A necklace 14 inches to 15 inches in length that rests on the collarbone.

Princess
An 18-inch necklace strung with either graduated or uniform cultured pearls.

Matinee
A slightly longer necklace, usually 20 to 24 inches in length.

Opera
A 30- to 36-inch necklace. This length necklace should fall to the breastbone and can often be worn long or doubled.

Rope (also called Sautoir or Lariat)
Any necklace longer than opera length (usually over 36”). Ropes are often worn knotted or with a shortener for added versatility of style.

Collar (Dog Collar)
A multiple strand of pearls fitting closely around the neck.

Bib
A necklace of more than three strands of pearls that are worn nested together.

Torsade
A necklace in which several strands of cultured pearls (usually freshwater) are twisted together and held with a special clasp. Usually choker length, but can be longer.

Graduated
A necklace containing a large pearl in the center, with pearls becoming progressively smaller toward the ends.

Uniform
A necklace in which all cultured pearls appear to be the same size, although there is usually a slight difference between the center and end cultured pearls.

Pearl Jewelry Care

Remember that cultured pearls are precious jewels and should always be treated as such

• Store in a separate pouch to prevent scratching the pearl’s surface on sharp metal edges or prongs, or against harder stones.
• Avoid contact with these substances – vinegar, ammonia, and chlorine bleach of any kind, inks, hairspray, perfumes and toilet water, and cosmetics.
• Wipe gently with a very warm damp towel before putting pearls away to remove body oils and perspiration – which are particularly harmful to a pearl’s color .
• Avoid storing pearls in an excessively dry place.
• Restring pearls periodically.
• Remove your pearls prior to doing strenuous exercise or work.
• Avoid ultrasonic cleaners.