Next, a master carver meticulously follows the lines, carving out details in different widths and depths. First, an artist drew designs on the surfaces of every Pearl by hand. This piece was made by a remarkable factory in Vietnam through a painstaking process. Our carved Ming Pearl necklace (pictured above) is an incredible mixture of nature and mankind working together to create something beautiful. These are truly a unique and high quality product. Their beautiful natural color can only be produced by a specific Chinese Mollusk, making them rare and valuable. By growing each pearl separately, they develop without abrasions, resulting in an almost metallic luster. The result of this process was very round or bubbly Baroque Ming Pearls! With more room to expand, Ming Pearls could grow up to 10-16mm, much larger than traditional Freshwater Pearls, rivaling the size of pearls from the South Sea. In addition to this change, a small bead of Mother-of-Pearl would now be used to initiate growth of the pearl, as opposed to the irregularly shaped tissue used in the past. In 2011, a selection of Pearl farmers, including some of our partners, began experimenting with growing just one Pearl at a time inside the center of the animal. To learn more, read our Freshwater Pearls section on this page below.įor many years, it was common practice to cultivate up to 32 Freshwater Cultured Pearls inside of one mollusk, at one time! China and the US are the leading sources. They’re produced in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. These pearls are primarily grown around the islands of French Polynesia (the most popular of which is Tahiti).įreshwater-Freshwater Pearls, as the name suggests, are pearls which are cultured in freshwater lakes and ponds. The most beloved of these are Black Pearls, formed by black lipped oysters. Tahitian- Tahitian Saltwater Cultured Pearls come in a range of colors from white to black. White & silver colored South Sea Pearls come from the coastline of North-Western Australia, while golden colored ones are more prevalent in the Philippines and Indonesia. South Sea Pearls are the largest and rarest of the cultured pearls – making them the most valuable. South Sea-When it comes to pearls, size matters. The name "Akoya" refers to the most famous of all pearl producing oysters, the Japanese Akoya, which are primarily cultivated in oceans off the coasts of Japan and China. When you picture a round strand of white pearls, you might be thinking of Akoya. They are the classics, best known for their perfectly round shape and their sharp, reflective luster. The only difference between Natural Pearls and Cultured Pearls is that in the latter, humans introduce the irritant into the mollusk allowing the process to begin.Īkoya- Akoya Pearls are the most familiar to jewelry customers. Cultured Pearls are very real as they are still created by the mollusk’s natural defense mechanism. So, are Cultured Pearls “REAL” pearls? Absolutely. After two-to-three years of nacre formation, a lustrous pearl is produced! In the case of ‘Cultured Pearls’ the only difference is that the irritant is introduced into the mollusk by an obliging human rather than natural forces. Many layers of coating are deposited on the irritant making it smooth. As a defense mechanism, the animal produces secretions called Nacre (aka Mother of Pearl) that coats the irritant. Pearls are formed when an irritant accidentally gets into the soft tissue of an oyster or mollusk. Want to learn more about your favorite gemstone? Keep exploring ! Follow us on Social Media for even more fun facts, jewelry styling tips & historical info about pearls. Because no two pearls (like no two customers) are ever exactly alike, sorting pearls is an extremely difficult and time-consuming process, which can add to the jewelry’s cost as well. The bigger, whiter, rounder and smoother pearls are, the higher their quality is and the more they cost. When it comes to high quality, the usual rule for pearl jewelry is ‘the more the better’. Pearls are valued by a combination of qualities, such as size, color, shape, luster, symmetry and lack of any flaws on the surface (#Flawless). It’s our goal to not only showcase the beauty of pearl jewelry, but also to spread knowledge about what makes them so remarkable! And if we’re lucky, we will make our beloved consumers wiser shoppers in the process. Pearls come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and have many different uses. They have been used for embellishment for over 6,000 years! Did you know that pearls are one of few Organic Gemstones (they come from living organisms)? Of course, we’re biased, but pearls are considered the most important of all of the Organic Gems. There are endless pearls of wisdom to discover about our favorite gem. Everything You Need to Become a Pearl Expert
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