Pearl

Welcome to the most informative, yet concise, guide to the iridescent world of pearls on the internet. In the next twenty minutes, you can learn everything from how these most precious of gems are produced, to the "Big 6" factors which determine their quality and value.

The awesome beauty of these lustrous gems is so powerful that it would be hard to find a society anywhere in the history of mankind in which they weren’t prized beyond all other treasures. From the ancient Chinese over 4,000 years ago, to the lost history of the Incas, the pearl has been imbued with mystical properties for health, wisdom and prophecy.

Whether you want to purchase a lovely string of pearls or simply understand the essence of their inner glow, this Express guide will illuminate and entertain as you gain appreciation for these most ancient of gems.

Saltwater Pearls:
The most popular, and arguably the best, sea pearls are the Akoya Japanese pearls (famous for the quality of their classic whites,) and the South Sea variety, which are typically much larger than Akoyas. There are also the naturally black Tahitian types as well. Saltwater pearls are usually more costly than freshwater because of higher production costs.

Freshwater Pearls:
Freshwater pearls are grown in Mussels in lakes and rivers and each mussel can yield up to 30 pearls per harvest! Lake Biwa in Japan has long been known as the king of freshwater pearls, to such an extent that Biwa has become synonymous with freshwater pearls. But Lake Biwa has dried up, so finding authentic Biwa’s is very difficult.

Freshwater pearls are grown in many countries and don’t require a nucleus for production. Rather, a tissue graft from the mantel of the mussel begins the process. This means that these pearls are almost completely nacre.

Freshwater pearls are available in a far wider color range than saltwater, including purple, violet, orange, blue and gray. Except for round pearls, freshwater cost quite a bit less than their salty relatives.

American Freshwater Pearls:
Mainly from Tennessee, these unique freshwater gems are produced like the saltwater variety, with a nucleus. American freshwater’s are allowed to mature for much longer than all other cultured pearls (up to 5 years, compared to 1 year for most others.) And, again, the longer the growth, the thicker the nacre. Giving American pearls an unusually high luster and orient.

There are other types of pearls as well, like the saltwater Mabe variety, which are dome shaped. Solid Blister Pearls are also dome shaped, but from freshwater. Then there are Seed, or Keshi pearls which are tiny gems typically found in antique jewelry. Ringed pearls are naturally occurring rings around the gem and can make for a unique style statement. Half, and Three-quarter pearls are gems that have been cut and placed on borders of jewelry. They are not the same as Mabe or Solid Blister’s which grow in the dome shape naturally.

The modern pearl market is possible because of one thing: Culture. For centuries, people have been trying to unlock the secret of nature and duplicate the magic worked inside a particular type of mollusk that is actually more closely related to the scallop than the oyster of pearl’s lore. But it wasn’t until 1916, when Kokichi Mikimoto patented his technique for producing round pearls, that the world was offered the means to enjoy and appreciate an abundance of these gems from the sea.

Unless you are shopping at estate sales or antique auctions, virtually all the pearls you see are cultured pearls. But cultured pearls are real pearls, they’ve just gotten a little help from science.

It’s funny to think that the pearl producer’s job is to irritate oysters, but that’s exactly what they do. Planting a mother-of-pearl nucleus into the soft membrane of the "oyster" kick-starts the mollusk’s natural protective response which is to secrete a conchiolin (soothing brownish substance) followed, and covered, by a nacre coating (the lustrous materials of pearls) to destroy the intruder. The longer it cultivates, the thicker the nacre. The thicker the nacre, usually, the deeper the luster. The deeper the luster, the better the pearl.

Even though cultured pearls are real pearls, there are a couple tests you can do to determine the difference between cultured and natural.

1. Look at the drill hole. Natural pearls are composed entirely of nacre, while cultured pearls are nacre surrounding the mother-of-pearl nucleus. This point of connection between the nucleus and the nacre can be seen as a dark brown line when examined carefully through a jeweler’s loupe. This is not a foolproof test, though, because some cultured pearls have such a beautiful, thick nacre that the brown line will not be visible. This line can also be bleached away. Therefore, if you don’t see a brown line, more testing needs to be done.

2. Ultraviolet test. Under a regular black-light, natural pearls will typically emit a yellowish-tan fluorescence, and cultured, a milky-bluish color. There are also fiber-optic and X-ray tests that any gemologist can perform for you which are fairly foolproof in spotting nature from nurture.

These tests are not necessary unless you are looking at antique jewelry or if a jeweler tells you his pearls are natural (in which case, make sure he has documentation to back up his claim.) Cultured pearls have literally saved the pearl trade from extinction. If it weren’t for cultured pearls, only kings and queens and the fabulously wealthy would be awarded the opportunity to treasure these gems. Thanks to Mr. Mikimoto, we can all marvel at the inner glow and magical beauty of pearls.

Although color is one of the Big 6 valuing factors, it is the element with the most leeway for individual taste and choice. Whatever color you are looking at, remember to consider both the body color and overtones. Body color is the overall color of the pearl, like white or black. Overtones are the tints or shades of secondary color that is within the nacre. If you see a white-pink pearl, the body color is white, and the overtones are pink. This example also happens to be about the costliest combination. In white pearls, it is also typical to find overtones of green. This is less desirable and therefore cheaper.

In black pearls, however the black-green combination which is sometimes called "peacock" is highly prized and most costly.

You can find pearls in blue, green, yellow, cream, pink, gold and silver. They range in price depending on their overall quality, so check out some top jewelers to find out the spectrum available as you get to know the rainbow of possibilities in these lushous gems.

Usually when we think of pearls, we think round. Even though round are indeed the most valuable shape, there are other valuable options that you can choose from. Round pearls fall into the "spherical" category, the other two types of shape are "symmetrical" and "baroque." Here’s what to look for in each category:

1. Spherical pearls are judged by how close to perfectly round they are.
2. Symmetrical pearls are pear and teardrop shaped, and are valued for how evenly symmetrical they are.
3. Baroque is just a fancy way of naming every other shape that nature has to offer. There is nothing wrong with owning a string of baroque shaped pearls, but as with any other shape, the main thing to remember is uniformity of shape from pearl to pearl.

The one fact that cannot be overstressed in valuing pearls is nacre thickness. This factor alone is what gives a pearl its luster, orient, color, iridescence and even longevity. Yes, pearls wear out. The thicker the nacre, the longer the pearl has had to grow, and the longer its life. Again, natural pearls are all nacre, cultured pearls have a mother of pearl nucleus which the nacre grows around. With rising production costs there is greater tendency to harvest pearls before they’ve had a chance to produce a thick enough nacre to give them the quality they deserve, and you want. Tips on how to judge nacre thickness include:

1. For perspective, natural pearls are 100 % nacre. Top quality South Sea cultured pearls will consist of no more than 50%, and the average nacre thickness is typically between 10 and 15%.
2. Look for orient and deep luster. Good indicators of thick nacre.
3. Look for cracks, peeling and bands of color. These are sure signs of thin nacre.
4. If you are still unsure, and are about to spend a lot of money on a string of pearls, have a lab report done on them. Call the Gemological Institute of America for a qualified lab in your area.

Cultured pearls are sold by size, not weight like other gems or even natural pearls. Size, in pearls terms is considered in millimeters. Round pearls are measured in diameter, and symmetrical and baroque gems are measured in width and length. Natural pearls, on the other hand are sold by the carat, just like diamonds. Just to help put size into perspective:

1. South Sea pearls are much larger than Japanese Akoya pearls.
2. In Japan, a 7 millimeter pearl is huge but in the South Sea’s the same size is tiny.
3. Price jumps dramatically in Japanese pearls over 8 millimeters.
4. The price jump for South Sea pearls is at 15 mm.
Now, you may wonder why they don’t just plant a really big mother-of-pearl nucleus in the mollusk to make bigger pearls. If only it were that simple. The bigger the nucleus, the more likely the mollusk will reject it, and may even die in the process. Also, the larger the nucleus, the less nacre, the less nacre, the less luster and value.

Of all the Big 6 value factors, blemishes are the least important. Not that you shouldn’t investigate the pearls for cracks and large pits, but high luster, good color, shape and nacre thickness are far more crucial to the gem’s overall beauty and value. It is a good idea, however, to familiarize yourself with how to recognize blemishes. So make sure to check pearls under a variety of lighting situations, against a dark background (white pearls especially) this reveals little nicks, roll them either alone or on the string, you will get a feel for little glitches in their skin and then hold them at eye level. If you see dark spots, don’t necessarily rule the pearl out. It could be lipstick or perfume. Pearls are very pourous and will soak up just about any substance it comes in contact with. Many of these stains can be buffed or washed away. Again, unless you see large cracks or actual chips off the nacre, don’t let a few surface imperfections keep you from a lustrous gem on all other counts.

Simply put, luster is the deep inner glow that emanates from a well formed, thick nacre. If you observe enough pearls, you will soon be able to tell the difference between luster and shine. Shine is a surface quality frequently mistaken for luster, but don’t be fooled. Here’s a few tips to help tell the difference.

1. Luster is rated from high to low. High luster pearls will appear iridescent, while low luster will seem hazy and dull.
2. Holding a pearl under fluorescent light, you should be able to detect a marked difference between the bright area where the light hits the surface and what is called the "ball" of shaded area. This contrast is caused by thick, well formed nacre and gives the pearl its glow.
3. Roll the pearls around to make sure that the luster is uniform throughout.
Orient is an iridescent quality that is rarely found in round pearls. This amazing effect occurs mostly in baroque gems with very thick nacre and is basically a prismatic display of all the colors of the spectrum shining from deep within the pearls skin. This is probably the biggest difference between natural and cultured pearls because natural pearls are all nacre and cultured have the large mother or pearl nucleus. The thicker the nacre, the more likely you will see this glorious display of color.

The above information was sourced from www.TheDiamond.com.

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