How a pearl is born:

Gemstones must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty. But pearls need no such treatments to reveal their loveliness. They are born from their mother oysters with a shimmering iridescence, lustre and soft inner glow that is unlike any other gem on earth. A natural pearl begins its life as a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of sand that by accident lodges itself in the oyster’s soft inner body where it cannot be expelled. In an effort to ease this irritant, the oyster’s body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant in order to protect itself. This substance is called nacre. As long as the irritant remains within its body, the oyster will continue to secrete nacre around the irritant, layer upon layer. After a few years, the irritant will be totally encased by the silky crystalline coatings. The result — the lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl. But how precious pearls are formed from what an oyster regards as merely protection against irritation is one of nature’s most prized secrets. For the nacre is not just a soothing substance. It is composed of microscopic crystals, each crystal aligned perfectly with each other so that light passing along the axis of one is reflected and refracted by the other to produce a rainbow of light and colour. Cultured pearls are formed by oysters in almost an identical fashion. The only difference is that man surgically implants the irritant — a small piece of polished shell — in the oyster rather than leaving it to chance, then steps aside to let nature and the oyster creates their miracle.

Pearl Cultivation:

Early pearl cultivation depended entirely on wild oysters. Now pearl cultivation is more selective. Japanese scientists isolated strains of oysters possessing superior pearl bearing qualities. These selectively bred oysters produce pearls of exceptional lustre and colour clarity. Enter the Nucleus Highly skilled technicians open the live pearl oysters carefully, and then surgically implant a small polished shell bead and piece of mantle tissue in each. The shell bead serves as the nucleus around which the oyster secretes layer after layer of nacre, the crystalline substance that forms the pearl. Back to the Sea The nucleated oysters are returned to the sea. There, in sheltered bays rich in natural nutrients, the oysters feed and grow, depositing lustrous layers of nacre around their nuclei. In winter, the oysters are moved south to warmer waters. Pearl Rafts The nucleated oysters are suspended from rafts such as these in order to provide the best growing conditions. Pearl technicians check water temperatures and feeding conditions daily at various water depths and then move the oysters up or down to take advantage of the best growing conditions. Pampered Oysters Periodically, the pearl-bearing oysters are lifted from the sea for cleaning and health treatments. Seaweed, barnacles and other undersea growths that might impede feeding are removed from their shells. Then the shells are treated with medicinal compounds that discourage parasites from injuring the oysters. The Birth of a Pearl At last, the oysters are ready for harvest. Those that have survived such perils of the sea as typhoons, suffocating red tides, and attacks from predators are brought ashore and opened. If everything has gone well, the result is a lovely, lustrous and very valuable pearl.

Manufacturing pearl jewellery:

Sorting Unlike imitation pearls, no two cultured pearls are ever exactly alike. Each has its own unique combination of size, shape, lustre and colour. The art of assembling pearls in a necklace, a pair of earrings or other jewellery calls for refined skills in blending similar looking pearls together so they look like they match. Here, pearls are sorted by experts with highly trained eyes and years of experience. Drilling Drill holes must be made with care and precision. An inexperienced operator can split or ruin pearls with careless handling. A hole drilled even slightly off-center can ruin a necklace or piece of jewelry that depends upon the symmetrical assembly of its pearls. This stage in the preparation of cultured pearls for jewellery is a very delicate operation. Stringing and Blending Because no two cultured pearls are ever exactly alike, pearl dealers must cull through about 10,000 pearls to find enough that are so closely matched that they can be assembled together to make a single necklace. Here, closely matching pearls are blended to be strung into a beautiful necklace.

Varieties of pearls:

Akoya pearls (Grown in Japan and China) Akoya pearls are the classic cultured pearls of Japan. They are the most lustrous of all pearls found anywhere in the world. In recent years, China has been successful in producing Akoya pearls within their own waters. However, at this time they are unable to produce as brilliant lustre as high quality Japanese Akoya cultured pearls.

White South Sea pearls (Grown in Australia, Myanmar, Indonesia and the Phillipines) White South Sea cultured pearls are grown in large tropical or semi-tropical oysters in Australia, Myanmar, Indonesia and other Pacific countries. They generally range in size from 10mm to 20mm and command premium prices because of their relative rarity and large size.

Tahitian pearls (Grown in French Polynesia) Tahitian cultured pearls are grown in a variety of large pearl oysters found primarily in French Polynesia. Their beautiful, unique colors (which can range from light grey to black, and green to purple) and large size can command very high prices.

Freshwater pearls (Grown in Japan, China, and The United States) Freshwater pearls can be found in bays and rivers throughout the world. They are easily cultivated from freshwater mollusks in China, Japan and the United States. Many are less lustrous than salt water cultured pearls but their low price, unique shapes and colors have made them popular jewelry items in recent years.

Mabe pearls (Grown in Japan, Indonesia, French Polynesia and Australia) Mabe pearls are hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shell of an oyster rather than within the oyster’s body. They generally are used in earrings or rings which conceal their flat backs.

How to choose a pearl:

You can evaluate any piece of cultured pearl jewelry on the following quality factors. But always remember that the better the quality of pearls you select, the more beautiful and valued they will be over time.

1. LUSTRE: Lustre is a combination of surface brilliance and a deep seated glow. The lustre of a good quality pearl should be bright and not dull. You should be able to see your own reflection clearly on the surface of a pearl. Any pearl that appears too white, dull or chalky indicates low quality.

2. SURFACE: Cleanliness refers to the absence of disfiguring spots, bumps or cracks on the surface of a pearl. The cleaner the surface of the pearl, the more valuable.

3. SHAPE: Since cultured pearls are grown by oysters in nature, it is very rare to find a perfectly round pearl. However, the rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is. Baroque pearls, which are asymmetrical in shape, can be lustrous and appealing, and often cost less than round pearls.

4. COLOR: Cultured pearls come in a variety of colors from rosé to black. While the color of a pearl is really a matter of the wearer’s preference, usually rosé or silver/white pearls tend to look best on fair skins while cream and gold toned pearls are flattering to darker complexions.

5. SIZE: Cultured pearls are measured by their diameter in millimeters. They can be smaller than one millimeter in the case of tiny seed pearls, or as large as twenty millimeters for a big South Sea pearl. The larger the pearl, other factors being equal, the more valuable it will be. The average sized pearl sold today is between 7 and 7-1/2 millimeters.

The difference between natural, cultured and imitation pearls:

Both natural and cultured pearls are grown by oysters and are therefore considered valued jewels—gifts of nature. The only difference between them is that natural pearls begin by accident while cultured pearls are initiated by man. A skilled jeweler can usually look down the drill hole of a pearl and determine the origin. However, the only sure way to tell the difference between a natural and cultured pearl is by using an X-ray machine. Imitation pearls, on the other hand, are man made by mechanical processes and have no real jewel value.

Better imitation pearls are made from beads of glass, ceramic, shell, or plastic which are coated with a varnish generally made of lacquer and ground fish scales to simulate the iridescence and color of a pearl. Imitation pearls go by many names. Some, unfortunately, are used to mislead consumers. The words “fashion, faux, simulated, organic, man-made, ‘Mallorca’,” or simular regional names are all terms that are currently applied to manufactured, imitation pearls.

Most pearl experts can readily tell the difference between imitation and real pearls by sight alone. However, due to sophisticated manufacturing and polishing techniques, it may be difficult for the average consumer to distinguish a natural or cultured pearl from a good imitation by sight. An easy way to tell the difference is the “tooth” test. A strand of imitation pearls slowly rubbed across the front teeth will feel smooth. A strand of natural or cultured pearls will feel a little gritty. This “grittiness” that is felt is from the crystalline structure of nacre that forms real and cultured pearls.

How to care for your pearls:

Cultured pearls are relatively soft compared to other gemstones and precious metals. So it is important to take special care of your pearls to ensure they will remain bright and beautiful for generations to come. Cosmetics, perfume and hair spray all contain chemicals that can dull the lustre of a pearl over extended periods of time. Even acids contained in body oils and perspiration can work to damage lustre in the same way. Therefore, it is best to put your pearls on after applying makeup, perfume and hair spray. Wiping the pearls with a soft damp cloth after you wear them will ensure that they remain free from any harmful build-ups of these compounds. Periodically, the pearls should be washed with a mild soap. Always keep your pearls separated from hard jewelry items, such as metals and other gemstones, to prevent them from scratching your pearls. Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth pouch or a separately lined jewelry box. If you wear your pearls several times a week, it is best to take them back to your jeweler for re-stringing about once a year to prevent strand breakage. When having your pearls re-strung, many experts advice using silk thread. However, nylon thread is an acceptable alternative. Make sure that the string is knotted between each pearl. Individual knotting will prevent all the pearls in a strand from falling off should a break occur. Knotting also prevents the pearls from rubbing against each other.

Suggestions: Throughout history, pearls have been the gift of love. That’s why tradition has made them the bridal jewel. No other jewel conveys the warmth, depth of feeling and eternal qualities of that emotion. Giving the gift of love is easy with cultured pearls. As cultured pearls come in a wide variety of styles and jewellery choices, there’s a perfect pearl gift for everyone. Please have a browse at our pearl website - AustralianPearlDivers.com for a large selection of pearl jewellery that you may find very interested in, at whole sale prices with 50% less costs than normal retail prices!

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