CULTURED PEARLS: GIFTS OF NATURE
Cultured Pearls… Their very name conjures up images of lustrous jewels nestled deep in oysters far below the surface of the sea.
Yet cultured pearls are more than just jewels. Since the beginning of time, pearls have been reserved as one of the most beautiful and magical gems on earth.
Today, cultured pearls are the foundation of every woman’s jewelry wardrobe. Fashionable, feminine and fresh, cultured pearls enhance a woman’s palette of styles.
Yet cultured pearls are more than just jewels. Since the beginning of time, pearls have been reserved as one of the most beautiful and magical gems on earth.
Today, cultured pearls are the foundation of every woman’s jewelry wardrobe. Fashionable, feminine and fresh, cultured pearls enhance a woman’s palette of styles.
BIRTH OF A PEARL
The birth of a pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike gemstones or precious metals
that must be mined from the earth, pearls are grown by live oysters far below the
surface of the sea. 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 shimmering iridescence, luster and soft inner glow that is
unlike any other gem on earth.
A natural pearl begins his 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.
A natural pearl begins his 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 secret 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.
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 through 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 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 create their miracle.
ALL ABOUT CULTURED PEARL FARMING IN JAPAN
BRED FOR QUALITY
Early pearl cultivation depended entirely on wild oyster. Now pearl cultivation is more
selective. Japanese scientists isolated strains of oyster possessing superior pearl
bearing qualities. These selectively bred oysters produce pearls of exceptional lustre
and color clarity.
ENTER THE NUCLEUS
Highly skilled technicians open the live pearl oysters carefully, 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 secrets layer after layer of nacre, the crystalline substance that forms the pearl.
BACK TO 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 and 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.
A RARE BEAUTY
Each year, millions of oysters are nucleated. But only a very small proportion live to bear fine quality cultured pearls.
Cultured pearls can never be mass-produced factory-like product. Too much depends upon the whims of unpredictable Mother Nature. Many of the oysters do not survive the surgical nucleating operation. Others are weak and susceptible to disease. Heavy rains can flood the bays with fresh water, reducing salinity and killing the oysters. Sometimes, certain species of plankton undergo explosive growth, creating the dreaded “red tide” that exhausts oxygen in a bay and suffocates the oysters. Then there are typhoons, attacks of predators and parasites or lack of sufficient nutrients in the water.
On the average, about fifty percent of the nucleated oysters do not survive to bear pearls. And only twenty percent bear marketable pearls. The rest are too imperfect, too flawed to be used as jewels.
A perfect pearl is a rare even, blessed by Nature and highly valued. Less than five percent of nucleated oysters yield pearls of such perfect shape, lustre and color as to be considered fine gem quality. They are precious treasures of pearl cultivation and the rare prizes of any jewelry collection.
Lucky indeed is any woman who can possess and wear them!
Cultured pearls can never be mass-produced factory-like product. Too much depends upon the whims of unpredictable Mother Nature. Many of the oysters do not survive the surgical nucleating operation. Others are weak and susceptible to disease. Heavy rains can flood the bays with fresh water, reducing salinity and killing the oysters. Sometimes, certain species of plankton undergo explosive growth, creating the dreaded “red tide” that exhausts oxygen in a bay and suffocates the oysters. Then there are typhoons, attacks of predators and parasites or lack of sufficient nutrients in the water.
On the average, about fifty percent of the nucleated oysters do not survive to bear pearls. And only twenty percent bear marketable pearls. The rest are too imperfect, too flawed to be used as jewels.
A perfect pearl is a rare even, blessed by Nature and highly valued. Less than five percent of nucleated oysters yield pearls of such perfect shape, lustre and color as to be considered fine gem quality. They are precious treasures of pearl cultivation and the rare prizes of any jewelry collection.
Lucky indeed is any woman who can possess and wear them!
TYPES OF PEARLS AND THEIR BIRTH PLACES
Akoya (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.
White South Sea (Grown in Australia, Myanmar and Indonesia)
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 20 mm and command premium prices because of their relative rarity and large size.
South Sea Black (Grown in French Polynesia)
South Sea black cultured pearls are grown in a variety of large pearl oysters found primarily in French Polynesia. Their beautiful, unique color and large size can command very high prices.
Freshwater (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 Unites 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.
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.
White South Sea (Grown in Australia, Myanmar and Indonesia)
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 20 mm and command premium prices because of their relative rarity and large size.
South Sea Black (Grown in French Polynesia)
South Sea black cultured pearls are grown in a variety of large pearl oysters found primarily in French Polynesia. Their beautiful, unique color and large size can command very high prices.
Freshwater (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 Unites 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.
Tahiti (Grown in French Polynesia, around Tahiti)
Tahitian pearls come in a range of colors from white to black. They can contain various undertones and overtones of green, pink, blue, silver and yellow. The most valuable of these are of the darker variety, as the naturally dark tones of the Tahitian pearls is a unique quality among pearls. A true black Tahitian pearl is extremely rare, and largely considered one of the most beautiful kinds of pearls in the world.
Mabe (Grown in Japan, Indonesia, and Australia)
Mabe pearls are hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shell of an oyster’s body. They generally are used in earrings or rings which conceal their flat backs.
Tahitian pearls come in a range of colors from white to black. They can contain various undertones and overtones of green, pink, blue, silver and yellow. The most valuable of these are of the darker variety, as the naturally dark tones of the Tahitian pearls is a unique quality among pearls. A true black Tahitian pearl is extremely rare, and largely considered one of the most beautiful kinds of pearls in the world.
Mabe (Grown in Japan, Indonesia, and Australia)
Mabe pearls are hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shell of an oyster’s body. They generally are used in earrings or rings which conceal their flat backs.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, NATURAL, CULTURED AND IMITIATION PEARLS
Both natural and cultured pearls are grown by oysters and 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 pearls is by using an X-ray machine.
Imitation pearls, on the other hand, are man made by mechanical process 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 colour 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 similar 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.
Imitation pearls, on the other hand, are man made by mechanical process 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 colour 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 similar 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.
Picture Courtesy: Japan Pearl Exporters’ Association and Utopiajewelsmilano
Copy Courtesy: Japan Pearl Exporters’ Association
Copy Courtesy: Japan Pearl Exporters’ Association
