Pearls, About: Fast Fabulous Pearl Facts
By Janet K. Nelson
Article Description
Pearls and the oysters that produce them are an art form as well as a coveted worldwide industry. This article provides basic information so you can get involved. The variety of pearls and opportunities to enjoy them in combination with precious and semi-precious gemstones is broad and beautiful.
Article
Pearls are both a natural and cultured product. They are coveted, especially by women the world over as the classic feminine ornamentation. Beautiful, iridescent pearl gem beads are valued throughout the world. The pearl necklace can be a simple, elegant string of pearls or pearls in combination with other gemstones. Pearls are also believed to promote integrity, loyalty, a calm disposition and focus. Culturally, pearls have been the symbol of wealth, social prominence and success throughout human history.
The Pearl Maker
Who makes pearls? Irritated mollusks/oysters make pearls, but not because they are angry. In nature, if an irritant such as sand gets into their soft layers of flesh, they isolate it inside layers of calcium carbonate called nacre. The oyster produces many layers of nacre to protect itself. At the same time it produces one of nature’s most beautiful ornaments. The most highly prized pearls are bright white, very round, without blemish and have an exceptional sheen referred to as luster. If a pearl has a low luster rating, it is usually due to thin or a low count of nacre layers. Oysters raised in colder water sometimes produce low luster pearls. Pearls are an organic gem and can also be produced by mussels, conch and abalone.
Pearl Color and Tone
Many white pearls have overtone colors referred to as tint. Pink or rose overtones are rare and expensive. Creamier overtones are also rare but not quite so expensive. Pearls with silver overtones are also highly coveted. Mikimoto and Company
(http://www.mikimotoamerica.com), is the world leader in acquiring and selling pearls with pink overtones and Tiffany & Company is a primary dealer in silver over-toned pearls. In America, a company called American Pearl (http://www.americanpearl.com) is one of the leading wholesale suppliers of fine pearls. Charlie Bakhash founded American Pearl. He has been in the business over 50 years. American Pearl has the reputation for selling flawless and the whitest body color pearls with silver or rose overtones.
Natural vs. Cultured Pearls
Natural pearls are created in mollusks. They create pearls to protect themselves from sand, parasites and other minute foreign objects. These natural pearls are mostly found in the Persian Gulf and are referred to as oriental pearls. Natural salt-water pearls are among the most coveted in the world but have virtually ceased to exist due to pollution and lack of natural supply.
Cultured pearl growing began with a patented process invented by Kokichi Mikimoto, the founder of Mikimoto and Company, one of the world’s finest pearl growers and sellers.
A bead is surgically planted in Akoya oysters to create the irritant that causes oysters to create a pearl. The oysters are then put back in the sea enclosed in baskets. They stay in the baskets from one to three years. Twenty five percent of the oysters left in the baskets die each year. Yet, the longer they have to produce layers of nacre the larger and more beautiful the pearls produced. You can begin to appreciate why these salt-water pearls have such value.
Freshwater Pearls
Cultured freshwater pearls are grown in rivers all over the globe. Japan cultivates them and so does the United States along small tributaries of the Mississippi River. Freshwater pearls are produced by mollusks. They can be grown in a variety of colors including pink, orange, mauve and golden colors. They are usually smaller in size and come in a variety of sizes. Colored pearls are judged by tone. Tone refers to the intensity of the color ranging from light to dark. A dark yellow pearl will have a richer color and is considered more rare and valuable. Pearls can also be dyed and come in a variety of shapes. The shapes vary from round, baroque, button shaped, drop shapes and irregular shapes. Large round spherical pearls are the most highly valued. Pearls of any kind make beautiful lasting jewelry by themselves or in combination with other gemstones. Freshwater pearls make beautiful jewelry and many varieties are well within the common person’s price range.
The creative designs for fresh water pearls in combination with other precious and semi-precious gemstones are really limitless. You can see some examples at http://www.tigereyejewels.com. Tiger eye gemstone and yellow pearls in combination are coveted by many as beautiful, quality rich and affordable foundation jewelry appropriate for any occasion.
Stringing Pearls
Pearls must be drilled in order to make a classic strand, necklace or bracelet possible. Often, a blemish can be created on the pearl’s surface right around the hole. If a pearl has been dyed, there will sometimes be a concentration of color around the bead hole. The pearls are traditionally strung on high quality silk cord that is knotted between each pearl to separate, display and protect each pearl from the one next to it. If the strand should break only one pearl will fall from the string and potentially roll away. The knot between each pearl keeps them from rubbing against each other, which can do damage over time. Silk cord rarely breaks. It is thin and unobtrusive yet very strong. It is usually pre-stretched before becoming the foundation for a strand of fine pearls. The pearls of a fine strand should be perfectly matched in size, shape, color and tone. This adds to the value of a necklace or bracelet.
Caring for Pearls
A Pearl is an organic gem. Nacre is made of calcium carbonate. Pearls are made of a soluble chemical and can easily be damaged by oils, perfume, hair spray and human perspiration. They can be cleaned with filtered water and cotton balls. Avoid all chemicals. Jewelers know how to safely clean pearls that are badly soiled. Treat pearls with the respect Mother Nature intended for her work of art and their beauty and luster will last forever.
Pearl History
Pearls have been valued for their shimmering iridescence and glow since ancient man first walked the earth. Many ancient cultures reference stories related to pearls. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra dissolved pearls in wine so she could consume the wealth of an entire nation in one meal. Pearls defined wealth and social standing in ancient Rome. The Greeks considered the pearl the ultimate symbol of love and marriage. The dark ages saw maidens of nobility gifting pearls to gallant knights as a protection in battle. The nobility of the European Renaissance displayed and accumulate pearls in excess. Laws were passed that forbid anyone except nobility to wear pearls. In the New World of America the discovery of pearls in Central America caused their demise in the 17th century due to over harvesting of this natural resource. The famous jeweler, Jacques Cartier bought his New York store in 1916 by trading two pearl necklaces for the building…a very good buy.
Pearls have served man culturally, artistically, financially, psychologically and emotionally throughout history. Their value extends far beyond the dollar they command. They are most importantly, an expression of excellence shared cooperatively by man and nature. Here is hoping the beauty of pearls help you celebrate your life.
