Your guide to pearl

pearl

Pearls like coral are an organic gemstone. They are formed inside an oyster when a foreign object such as a parasite or grain if sand enters the shell. The oyster forms a hard shell around the object to isolate it. This hard shell is iridescent and is what we know as a pearl. Though they come in all shapes and sizes, round is the most desirable.

Black pearls are especially rare and therefore very precious. These are very hard to culture as the oysters in which they grow are especially sensitive. As such these pearls cannot be mass produced.

Most pearls are now cultured but planting a core into pearl oysters. It takes a minimum of 3 years for a pearl to grow though it can be much longer. The largest pearl ever found was in excess of 6kg and over 10” in diameter. It was found in the Philippines, and is now officially called the Pearl of Lao-tze. The story of which can be read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_of_Lao-Tze

The value of a pearl can be determined by size, colour, symmetry, lustre and lack of surface flaws. Though round is most highly valued, irregular shaped and teardrop shaped pearls are often used in necklaces and pendants. The eight basic shapes are as follows: round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque, and ringed. Natural pearls are the most valuable, followed by cultured (the difference can be told by an x-ray, which can see the nucleus, if this is perfectly round it is most likely cultured). Lastly there are synthetic pearls which are of the lowest value, these usually lack luster and are lighter in weight.

Pearl necklaces have their own names according to length

Collar - sits against the throat

Chocker – sits at the base of the neck

Princess – extend down no further then the collarbones

Opera – reaches no further down than the breastbone or sternum

Pearl rope – anything that hangs lower than an opera.