Pearls have been a symbol of beauty and purity for centuries,. Today, they are regarded as both classic and contemporary, coming in many more fashionable styles than your grandmother’s traditional strand. Pearls are organic gemstones that are formed by shelled molluscs, mainly oysters and mussels. They are made up of nacre (mother-of-pearl) which is mostly Aragonite (calcium carbonate) and Conchiolin (complex proteins that form mollusc shells). The Aragonite microcrystals build up around an irritant. The name “pearl” is said to have originated from the Middle English word “perle”, which in turn came from the Latin word “perna”, meaning “leg”, thought to be due to the ham-leg shape of the bivalve mollusc. It is said that it the pearl grows approx 1mm per year and that is why bigger ones are so expensive.
Please see below the different types of Pearl found today:
Natural
Natural pearls are very expensive, typically small and extremely rare. Because of this people have developed ways to culture pearls, so that these beautiful gemstones can be enjoyed by many.
Cultured
Cultured Pearls are produced on farms. The molluscs are raised until they are old enough to accept the mother-of-pearl bead nucleus. Through a delicate surgical procedure, implants the bead and then the molluscs are returned to the water and cared for while the pearl forms. If successful, this process induces the mollusc to form a “pearl sac” whose cells secrete a layer of brownish protein called Conchiolin over the irritant. This is followed by the secretion of numerous mineral layers of nacre composed of calcium carbonate in thin overlapping plates. Pearls can come from fresh or seawater molluscs. The beauty of these stones is that they can be plucked from the shell naturally beautiful, fully-formed and displaying perfect lustre with no need to be cut or polished.
Salt Water
Saltwater Pearls are grown in oysters and can be found in Australia, Japan, Central America, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Manaar (between India and Sri Lanka), the coast of Madagascar, Burma (Myanmar), the Philippines, the South Pacific Islands (including Tahiti and Fiji) and South American waters. They range in size from 2mm (tiny) to 10mm (rare) and are usually white or cream in colour and round in shape.
Freshwater
These Pearls are grown in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds, predominately in China.
Akoya
The akoya pearl is a saltwater cultured pearl from the akoya oyster (Pinctada fucata martensii). Because akoya are the most abundant type of saltwater pearl with the longest cultured history, information on akoyas is abundant! Akoya are considered to be the classic pearl used for necklaces and other pearl jewellery, with perfect round shapes, bright mirror-like lustre and neutral colours, akoya pearls are favoured by most retailers and consumers as the classic pearl choice.
An average akoya pearl is only 7 mm, while an average South Sea pearl is in the 12 mm range. Akoya pearls are currently being harvested in sizes from as small as 1 mm up to the very rare 10-11 mm.
Keshi
Keshi pearls are produced by many different types of marine molluscs and freshwater mussels in China. Keshi Pearls are actually a mistake in the cultured pearl seeding process. They are quite small, typically only a few millimetres. In seeding the cultured pearl, a piece of mantle muscle from an oyster is placed with a bead of mother of pearl within the oyster. If the piece of mantle should slip off the bead, a pearl forms of baroque shape about the mantle piece which is entirely nacre. Therefore, a Keshi pearl could be considered superior to cultured pearls with a mother of pearl bead centre.
Biwa
Biwa Pearls are cultivated in the pearl mussels native to Lake Biwa. This lake, the largest and most ancient in Japan, lies near the city of Kyoto. The extensive and successful use of the Biwa Mussel is reflected in the name Biwa Pearls, a phrase which was at one time nearly synonymous with freshwater pearls in general.
Baroque
Baroque Pearls are irregular and non-spherical in shape. Shapes can range from minor aberrations to distinctly ovoid, curved, pinch, or lumpy shapes. Most cultured freshwater pearls are baroque because freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated instead of bead nucleated.
Shell
A Shell Pearl is laboratory made from the shell of an oyster. The process of making a shell pearl involves several different stages. The raw material for the base of the pearl is the sea shell, which is coated and polished to the final shape of the pearl. In order to produce a good quality pearl, a key ingredient is what we call a ‘mother of pearl bead’. This element adds weight, value and durability to the pearl. In fact, the materials used in order to make shell pearls are the same materials from which cultured pearls are made.
Superstitions
There are many superstitions attached to Pearls, such as the idea that they represent tears and should not be given as a gift, an engagement ring, or worn by a bride on her wedding day,as they are believed to bring sadness. On the other side of this, others believe that pearls are perfect for brides because they represent purity, integrity and loyalty. In ancient China, people believed that Pearls provided protection from fire and dragons. Furthermore, pearls are thought to be effective in love potions and it is believed by some that those who sleep with a pearl under their pillow will be blessed with children. Whilst pearl superstitions and folklore vary greatly, pearls are widely considered to encourage good health and wealth.
Zodiac Sign
Wedding Anniversary
Pearls is a suitable gift for the 3rd and 30th Wedding Anniversaries
Birthstone
June
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