June’s birthstone, the pearl, has long been a symbol of purity. Do you know Pearls? Pearls are round, hard masses formed in ...
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June’s birthstone, the pearl, has long been a symbol of
purity.
Do you know Pearls?
Pearls are round, hard masses formed in the shells of most
living mollusks. Their lustrous appearance and smooth surface make them a
popular addition to women’s jewelry and accessories. Pearl jewelry remains as
the favorite one for most of the girls…
Pearl Colors
You can wear any color of pearl, just as you can wear any
color of gemstone. You choose the color that you most enjoy. As you will
notice, some pearl colors will compliment your skin tone more than others. While
pearls can be found in many shades, including pink and green, white and black
are the most commonly used colors.
Pearl Shapes
There are eight basic shapes used for jewelry: round,
semi-round, pear, drop, button, baroque, oval, and circled. A perfectly round
pearl is rare, making it the most valuable.
How pearls are made?
Today, natural pearls are extremely rare. Only a small
percentage of mollusks form pearls—out of approximately the 8,000 different
species of mollusks, only about 20 are capable of regularly making pearls. Natural
pearls are made when a parasite enters a mollusk. If the parasite embeds itself
into the mollusk’s soft mantle, the mollusk will cover the parasite with a sac
and begin to form layers of nacre around the irritant. Nacre is the smooth,
shiny substance that makes up the interior of the mollusk, usually an oyster,
and over time, the layers formed around the irritant will form a pearl.
What are cultured pearls?
In response to the rarity of pearls found in their natural
habitat, the Japanese began artificially producing pearls in the early 20th
century. Cultured pearls are also created in mollusks, but they are formed by
mollusks in captivity and have had irritants manually inserted. This process
allows for more production of pearls and over time, has allowed them to become
much more affordable. Today, cultured pearls are considered the norm by those
in the jewelry industry.
What are the types of Pearls?
Cultured pearls are split into two basic categories –
freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater pearls hold a lower value, but can be
found in a vast amount of shapes and colors. Saltwater pearls are broken down
further into categories based on origin. These categories are Akoya, Tahitian,
and South Sea pearls.
In the next post we’ll discuss about the types of pearls and
pearl jewellery… Stay tuned…
