A guide to pearls

     Pearls have consistently been one of the most popular gemstones in history; having been documented since 2206 BCE. They are one of three birthstones for the month of June; and their beautiful, lustrous, and iridescent appearance and their versatility have made them high sought-after. So, today, we wanted to take the time to talk about these beautiful treasures of the deep.

Pearl Formation

     Many people already know the basics of how pearls are formed, but for the public at large, let’s talk about it. A pearl forms in the fleshy interior body of a mollusk (an oyster, muscle or clam) known as the mantle. An irritant enters the body of the mollusk and, as a form of defense, the mollusk secrets a coating known as nacre. While the proverbial “grain of sand” is a possible irritant, the most common irritant found in naturally occurring pearls are parasites. Layer upon layer of nacre is built up on the irritant until a pearl is formed in a process that can take years.

Cultured Pearls

     Cultured pearls are created in much the same way; however, they are created with human assistance. Small pieces of mantle tissue or beads are placed inside the mollusk to jump start the creation process. Irritant beads can be made from a myriad of substances; however, mother of pearl is the most frequently used. These “seeds” or “nuclei” are the base for the pearls that will form over the next few years. Most cultured pearls take a minimum of three years to reach a quality high enough to be used in jewelry stores (on top of the time it takes for mollusks to reach maturity).

What is the difference between saltwater or freshwater cultured pearls?

     The first cultured pearls were created by Kokichi Mikimoto in Japan in 1893. Since that time, it has been discovered that there is frequently a distinct difference in quality between freshwater and saltwater cultured pearls. Freshwater cultured pearls tend to have frequency of irregular shapes and subpar lustre and surface clarity. Saltwater cultured pearls have a notoriously high-quality appearance in lustre and surface clarity and more frequently appear in round or near round shapes. However, improvements in culturing and farming techniques have caused increases in the quality of freshwater cultured pearls. The highest producers of freshwater cultured pearls are currently China and the United States while many saltwater cultured pearls are named for the regions they are from:

Akoya: 

     Cultured mainly in Japan, with minor production in Korea and China. These are the original cultured pearl and are prized for their superior luster. Akoya pearls are created one-at-a-time in Pinctada Fucata oysters, a small mollusk that results in smaller round cultured pearls in various shades of white with rose, silver, or grey overtones. Akoya pearls will occasionally, though rarely, come in pinks, blues or golden colors and do not naturally come in black.

Tahitian: 

     Tahitian pearls are cultured in the French Polynesian archipelago (a collection of 118 islands) before being collected in Tahiti for export. Tahitian pearls are known for their dark colors with beautiful color iridescence. The mollusk they are created in, the Pinctada Margiritafera, secretes a naturally dark nacre, resulting in darker natural colors, such as: blue, dark green, pistachio green, chocolate, peacock, black, grey or aubergine. Tahitian pearls are larger than Akoya cultured pearls, averaging at 9-12mm (larger exist but are rare) and come in a myriad of shapes including round, semi-round, baroque, ringed, button, drop, or oval.

South Sea: 

     Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines produce the height of pearl luxury, the South Sea pearl. South Sea pearls are created in the Pinctada Maxima; a mollusk that is frequently referred to as “the silver lipped Oyster.” South Sea pearls are the most expensive and rare pearls due to their being farmed on the open ocean, with its typhoons and natural predators posing dangers to pearl farmers. The pearls also take longer- up to five years- to form. South Sea pearls are frequently the largest cultured pearls in production, averaging between 9-17mm with larger and rarer pearls being a possibility. The most coveted colors of the South Sea pearls are golden and white with overtones of blue, green, silver and red. South Sea pearls are most frequently oblong shapes, but round South Sea pearls do rarely occur and frequently go for a high premium.

     Since the popularization of cultured pearls (and pearl imitations like plastic and glass) and over fishing, the frequency of naturally occurring pearls has steadily decreased. Only approximately 5% of cultured pearls reach a quality high enough for use in fine jewelry.

Pearl Imitations and Detection

     Since the popularization of pearls, people have tried to imitate its appearance. The use of plastic, resin, and glass have resulted in the market being overrun with a variety of pearl imitations. The most popular pearl imitation is a glass bead that has been coated in a solution made of fish scales. This coating is thin and usually temporary. The easiest detection of pearl imitations can be done by anyone without any special tools. The easiest way to detect imitation pearls is to rub it against your teeth. Imitation pearls will feel smooth and glossy when rubbed against your teeth; however, real pearls will feel gritty from the nacre.

Pearl Qualities

     Just like the 4 C’s of diamonds, there are different quality factors for pearls as well. Those factors are lustre, surface quality, shape, color, and size.

Size

     Pearls are measured in millimeters and, when all other quality factors are equal, increase in value as they increase in size. Pearls come in a range of sizes most frequently from 2-16mm (depending on the mollusk) with an average of 6-9mm. The larger a pearl is, the longer it takes the form and the less likely to be without defect in shape, color, lustre, etc.

Surface

     A pearl’s surface can be compared to a diamond’s clarity. Surface blemishes are the complexion of a diamond and can be impacted through formation or wear and tear and, just like a flawless diamond, a perfectly smooth pearl is incredibly rare. As stated before, the larger a pearl is, the less likely is a pearl is to be without surface blemishes. However, most blemishes are small and nearly invisible at arm’s length similar to a diamond’s need to be viewed under a microscope to view a diamond’s inclusions. Lustre can also help disguise blemishes making them more difficult to see.

Lustre

     Lustre is considered by most to be the most important aspect of a pearl’s appearance. Like the brilliance of a diamond, lustre is the first quality people can see about pearls at a distance and is the hardest aspect of a pearl’s quality to recreate with imitations. Lustre is the quality of reflections from a pearl’s surface because of the crystalline structure of nacre built up on a pearl. The higher the lustre, the brighter and more defined reflections will appear in the surface of a pearl. The lower the lustre, the more blurry, smudged or uneven the reflections will appear.

Shape

     Pearls naturally come in a variety of shapes including: round, near- round, baroque, oval, button, drop, circle, keshi and mabé.

Round:

     As one might expect, round pearls are by far the most popular and coveted shape of pearl. Perfectly round pearls of high quality are extremely rare and therefore go for high prices, especially when paired with like quality pearls in strands.

Near-Round (also called: semi-round or off-round):

     Because round pearls are so rare, most pearls found used in pearl strands are near-round. Near round are exactly what they sound like, pearls that are round but stray slightly from the ideal round shape.

Oval:

     Oval pearls are a symmetrical, slightly elongated round shape. Small oval, drop or baroque pearls can sometimes be referred to as rice pearls.

Drop:

     Drop pearls are similar to oval pearls but are more rounded on one side over the other. The best comparison of shape is to an egg or a pear.

Ringed (also called: circle or cercleé)

     Ringed pearls can take the silhouette of any of the pearls listed above. But with natural ridges or grooves that circle around the pearl. There could be one, or several rings wrapped around the pearl.

Button (also called: coin)

     Button pearls take on the appearance of a round, or semi round pearl that has been flattened. They get their name because of their appearance of a button or a coin. Coin pearls can be interchangeable but this title is normally reserved for a more flat pearl.

Baroque:

     Baroque is a catchall term for any pearl that doesn’t have a shape that fits into the above categories. They are abnormally shaped without, usually, any discernable form or pattern. Some pearls are mostly uniform shapes with some minor irregularities and are referred to as semi-baroque.

Keshi:

     Keshi pearls are a strange combination of a type of pearl and a pearl shape. Keshi are nucleus-less pearls that are frequently just the byproduct of pearl production in mollusks. They are frequently small, flat and baroque in shape; similar to rice crispies.

Mabe:

     Mabe pearls are, like keshi pearls, a combination of shape and formation style. A mabe pearl is a pearl that formed, regardless of shape, attached to the shell of a mollusk without detaching. Mabe pearls therefore are sold either still attached to the mollusk or flat on the back where it was cut away from the shell.

Color

     Pearls come in innumerable colors with a variety of overtones and iridescent. Some of the most common and popular shades are white, pink/peach, golden, black, blue, lavender, and chocolate. The iridescence and overtones can give a variety of shades to pearls as well. The most common treatments done on pearls are done as a form of changing or correcting pearl colors: bleaching, dyeing, or irradation.

Bleaching:

     The bleaching process is used to even out the color of white pearls. While many people believe pearls to consistently come out one color, may pearls come out with blotchy colors or dark spots that can be corrected by bleaching the pearl. Pearl bleaching is permanent.

Dyeing:

     Dyeing can happen many ways. The most common is after the pearls have been harvested from the mollusk. Frequently the pearls are prepared by being bleached white, and then dyed. Pearls are porous and therefore can result in dyed color fading over time. Dyeing can also be used to even out color in naturally colored pearls. The other form of dyeing can be done by introducing dye into the mollusk which changes the color of nacre produced, creating a colored pearl that is permanently colored. Dyeing, in some form, is relatively common and is frequently used by pearl companies to create unique or rare pearl hues.

Irradiation:

     Irradiation is used to darken pearls. Pearls are treated with mild doses of irradiation to permanently darken the color of pearls until they almost resemble Tahitian black pearls.

Pearl Care

     A common saying in the jewelry industry is, “Pearls should be the last thing you put on in the morning, and the first thing you take off at night.” Because of their porosity, pearls can easily be damaged or discolored from their exposure to chemicals like make up, hair products or perfume. Pearls, if you remember from our discussion of durability in our blog post “why are diamonds the best gemstone for an engagement ring,” pearls are very soft and fragile. The proper cleaning of pearls is very simple: never use chemicals! The best way to clean pearls is to wipe them down with a cloth that’s been dampened with ONLY water. This can be tricky with pearl jewelry that combines multiple gemstones; however, you should never try to clean these on your own. Always entrust them to a professional jeweler to ensure these pieces are well maintained.

     The most common jewelry for pearls is a pearl strand. Pearl strands require special care to ensure longevity. The best way you can ensure the longevity of a pearl strand is to have them restrung at least once per year. The silk cord that high quality pearls are strung on can gradually stretch over time and run the risk of breaking. Also, ensure that the jeweler that is restringing your pearls is knotting the cord between each pearl. This is for two reasons, if the strand breaks, decrease the risk of losing pearls, and you prevent pearls from rubbing together and damaging each other. Ideally you will also want the strand to have a French wire attached to the end of the strand at the clasp. This is piece of wire wrapped around the strand helps prevent the cord from unraveling or breaking at the clasp.

     For glued pearls (e.g. earrings, rings, pendants, etc) ensure that you DO NOT try any other glue than jeweler’s epoxy to secure loose pearls. Jeweler’s epoxy is the most secure while presenting the least risk of damaging a pearl. Epoxy takes approximately 48hrs to cure completely, so ensure you plan with your jewelers accordingly.

What are conch pearls?

     Conch pearls are a rarely occurring phenomenon, that, like pearls, are formed in mollusks; in this case, the queen conch. However, unlike pearls, they are non-nacreous. Because they are not created from nacre, the material that gives pearls their iconic iridescence, they are not considered “true pearls.” They are created when an irritant (usually broken shell) makes its way into the mollusk where a calcareous concentration forms around the irritant like how kidney stones form. The small fibrous crystals create a unique porcelain-like appearance and a flame-like shimmer that is not found in traditional pearls. Conch pearls are currently unable to be cultured.

     Conch pearls are traditionally warm tones- pinks oranges and reds- with the darker, most intense pinks being the most coveted. Conch pearls occur once in approximately every 10-15,000 queen conchs. Out of these, only 10% are considered gem quality making them very rare, popular and expensive.

How will I know if pearls are best for me/my partner?

     This is a fair question; however, it is a question that is impossible to answer. Like choosing clothing, cars or shoes, it is best to try them on and see if you like the way they look. So, get out there and try on pearls, see what style appeals most to you and what you think looks best on you. However, if you find yourself rough on jewelry, limit yourself to pearl necklaces or earrings!

Why should we come to you to design my jewelry?

     We involve you in every step of the process. We will first sit down with you and go over any concerns you have and any specific design elements you want your jewelry to have. Once we have established exactly what you want your jewelry to look like, we will proceed with the design process. Once you see this design, if you want to make any changes, or if you have any questions or concerns we will be happy to address them for you. Our role is to help you create the perfect jewelry and that means we will listen to you and make sure that your jewelry is truly one of a kind. 

We'll help you to design your dream engagement ring without stress and spending countless hours searching for your perfect ring. All you need to do is click on "Free Consultation" to get started.

By: Koorosh Daneshgar CEO/Design Chief

Email: Koorosh@WeddingBandscompany.com

Phone: 312-920-0726

Business Text Message Line:312-785-8333