Womens Thoughts

Who can forget Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany`s with her multi-stringed pearl necklace?  Forget the twinset and pearl brigade as once again pearls are in fashion. Look in many high street stores and you will find a choice of pearl necklaces. Size and colours vary but of course these will be imitations. Twinsets are yet to make a comeback but watch this space!

How to tell the difference between real and fake pearls.

Take a pearl lightly and rub across the edge of your front teeth. A real pearl will feel slightly gritty or sandy. This "grittiness" is from the crystalline structure of nacre that forms real pearls. A fake pearl will feel smooth and slick. This is a standard test for authenticity but ask the retailer first for permission before trying yourself!

Look at and feel the pearl. Absolutely flawless-looking pearls, as well as those that feel unusually light when you bounce them in your hands, are probably fake.

Place pearls directly under a light on a flat, white surface in order to inspect them.

Examine the pearl under a 10x magnifier glass.

The appearance of a pearl can be described by its luster, a shimmering iridescence, a rainbow of colours. This is a deep, intense shine whereby the light reflects off the layers of calcium carbonate crystals that the pearl is composed of. The larger the pearl, the more nacre and therefore, the more lustre it will exhibit. Pearls to be avoided are dull and cloudy.

Pinkish overtones seen in pearls may reflect in a higher price, while green or blue tints may lower the price.

Pearl Colour 

Typical pearl colours or body colour are white, cream, yellow, pink, silver, grey, black. A pearl can also have a hint of secondary colour, which is seen when light reflects off the pearl surface.  the colour can be natural or dyed; the latter being less expensive. More exotic natural colours are more expensive.

Pearl Shape 

Shapes that are not spherical or even symmetrical are considered lower quality. Sphere like, round pearls are the most expensive and highly prized.  Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea pearls found in jewelry have a tendency to be the roundest, while Freshwater pearls can be oval or slightly off-round. The first freshwater cultured pearls were small and looked like "rice crispy" when they were first introduced. Today, though, the procedures have improved so much that they can compete with saltwater pearls although they continue to be cheaper.

Types of Pearls

Most pearls sold today are cultured rather than natural but are still grown inside live oysters or mussels. Whether natural or cultured, pearls are grown in the same way.

Cultured pearls can be either saltwater or freshwater. They are produced in the same way. The difference lies in the type of water that they are farmed in. It was many years ago in Japan that pearl farming in salt water first began.  Most of the world's pearl farms are in calm bays or coves in Japan. Japanese pearls have became the standard we all look to for pearls.

Saltwater cultured pearls usually come from the Akoya pearl oyster. They take longer to develop and are more expensive than freshwater cultured pearls.

Freshwater cultured pearls usually come from a freshwater mussel. Cultivated throughout eastern Asia, freshwater cultured pearls offer the beauty of saltwater cultured pearls at a more attractive price.

Imitation pearls are costume jewellry and are of very little value.

How a pearl is formed.

A pearl begins to form as soon as an irritant or nucleus, is introduced into the oyster's tissue. To make a cultured pearl a tiny foreign object, usually a small piece of polished shell, is implanted inside the oyster or mussel. A natural pearl is created in the same way but without human intervention.

In an effort to ease this irritant the oyster secretes a smooth hard crystalline substance around it. This is called Nacre and is applied layer by layer by the oyster. The larger the pearl the longer it has taken to grow. A 3mm pearl will take about 5 years to form.

"Mother oysters" are then treated to ideal pearl-growing conditions in pearl farms in order to produce cultured pearls.

How to look after pearls.

Pearls can be harmed by beauty products such as perfume, face cream, hair spray, etc. This can build up over time and damage the nacre causing pitting, loss of luster or marking. It is recommended that pearls should, therefore, be put on after a woman has completed her beauty regime. Perspiration and body oil can also have the same effect.

After wearing, pearls should be wiped with a micro fibre cloth to remove any of the above.

Keep pearls separated from hard jewelry items, such as metals and other gemstones, to prevent them from scratching your pearls which are so much softer. It is recommended that pearls are kept in a soft cloth pouch or a separately lined jewelry box for this reason.

If worn regularly, pearls will need to be rethreaded. Any good jeweler can organize this for you. They can be threaded on silk or nylon. Knotting in between each pearl will prevent the potential loss of pearls should the strand break. Knotting will also prevent rubbing of pearls against one another.

Pearls are very durable and the more they are worn the more the luster seems to glow. 

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