Do You Love Cultured Pearls?

Few women don't like pearls. It's so shining and beautiful. But do you like cultured pearls? As we know, the pearl, symbol of purity, virtue and modesty, is also one of the most precious types of jewellery. Technically known as "organic gems", pearls have been harvested and worn for more than 4,000 years. Their appearance, and how they are acquired, has changed dramatically over that time, and especially in the past hundred years. But pearl jewellery remains a classic.

A pearl is formed when an irritant, such as sand or a parasite, becomes lodged in the shell of an oyster. The oyster deposits layers of a semi-translucent crystalline material called "nacre" around the intruder, building the layers up for years, and creating a pearl. Natural pearls take many years to develop and often have irregular shapes, ranging from slightly off-spherical to twisting, bulging shapes called "baroque." In any shape, they're rare and very costly.

Around the beginning of the 20th century, it was learned that if a sphere of material was placed into an oyster and the oyster stimulated correctly, the oyster would create an almost perfectly round pearl. The longer the pearl remains in the oyster, the larger and more valuable the pearl becomes. These are called "cultured" pearls. Almost all pearls used in today's jewellery are cultured pearls.

Pearls are cultured all over the world, but Japan, China and America remain in the forefront of production. Different types of oysters in seawater, or mollusks in freshwater, create cultured pearls with different sizes, colours and other qualities.

Cultured pearls are rated on five different qualities:

Luster and orient

Luster is the sharpness and intensity of the reflections on the pearl's surface, and orient is the iridescent colours one sees within the pearl. The higher the luster and orient, the more valuable the pearl.

Colour

Colour describes both the main colour (usually white, black or yellow) and the undertone (often pink, rose, or even green.) Pearls can also be dyed any shade according to personal preference.

Cleanliness

This describes how many imperfections are found on the pearl's surface. All real pearls - natural or cultured - will have some imperfections, but the fewer and less noticeable they are the better.

Shape

In general, spherical pearls are the most prized. However, it is common to find small imperfections of shape, which can sometimes be desirable as long as they are symmetrical. Teardrop-shaped pearls, for instance, are often used in earrings and pendants.

Size

Cultured pearls are sold by diameter, measured in millimeters. In general, larger cultured pearls are rarer and more costly. But you should also consider how well matched pearls are when combined in jewellery, such as on a necklace or in earrings. Look for pearls that are essentially the same size, colour, shape and luster. Keep in mind that the better matched pearls there are in a piece of jewellery, the higher the cost. That's why pearl earrings cost more than two individual pearls.

When you buy cultured pearls, remember they're fairly soft gems. They can easily be scratched if they bump into things, or by other jewellery. Keep them separate from harder gems in your jewellery box.

Black Cultured Pearls

Black cultured pearls come from a variety of sources. The rarest are those from a large, black-lipped oyster found in the South Seas. These oysters create large, silver-gray to black pearls that can have other colours as overtones - the most valuable being peacock green.

Given the rarity of South Seas black cultured pearls, enhanced black cultured pearls can be used as an alternative. These are dyed all the way through using a process called "French dying", which produces an even, strong colour that lasts for years. However they're coloured, they are real cultured pearls and need to be handled with the same care as any others.

Fresh Water Pearls

Recently, techniques have been developed to culture pearls in freshwater mollusks. These are sometimes called "Biwa pearls", after the Japanese lake where they were first developed, but today that name should only be used for cultured pearls from Lake Biwa.

Freshwater pearls are cultivated around the world, although China is the foremost producer. Some are spheres and used like other round pearls; some are button-shaped and used to accent jewellery; some are blister shaped, or even Rice Crispie shaped. Large ones are often called Mab?, which are often used in earrings and other pieces with closed backs.

Caring For Your Pearls

Pearls are very beautiful, but they are also delicate by jewellery standards. The layers of nacre that make up a pearl are soft and easily damaged. Because it's an organic compound, a pearl can easily be dulled or even eaten away by chemicals and alcohol.

Cultured pearls should only ever be washed in very mild, soapy water - nothing else. It's also a good idea to bring them in for restringing every couple of years, especially if you wear them a lot.

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