Faye's Diamond Mine Jewelry Store

Faye's Diamond Mine

Pearls

These mysteriously beautiful gems occur naturally--but unlike other “precious gems”, they are not mined from the earth. Instead, they are formed inside mollusks (oysters and mussels). Pearls are a popular gift for brides to wear on their wedding day, as well as for girls to receive on their sixteenth birthday. Not only beautiful, but extremely versatile, these natural wonders can be worn to a gala event or to a backyard barbecue.

Pearl Facts
Judging Pearl Quality
Pearl Varieties
Pearl Strand Lengths
Pearl Care and Cleaning

Faye's Diamond Mine
Northside Shopping Center
Highway 65 North
Clinton, Arkansas 72031
501-745-8434
faye@fayesdiamondmine.com

Facts
The birthstone of June, pearls are one of the classic gems that symbolize everything from virtue to chastity, purity and wisdom. They have even been reputed to have mystical healing powers. Roman women are believed to have slept with pearls to sweeten their dreams, as well as embroidering them into their clothing and upholstery. Ancient Asian cultures even used them to cure ailments like heart disease, indigestion, fever and bleeding. Europeans believed that whole or powdered pearl, if swallowed, could cure matters of the mind and heart, as well as strengthening nerves.

Pearls are the result of an incredible natural process that occurs within an oyster’s shell. The process begins with some kind of irritant being introduced into the oyster’s shell. In response to the invasion, the oyster coats the object with nacre, a smooth, crystalline substance that surrounds the object and forms layers to protect the oyster’s inner tissue (called the mantle) from further irritation. The result of this process is the beautifully luminescent gem we know as a pearl.

Due to the popularity of pearls, there became a need to ‘help’ nature to produce pearls in larger quantities than were readily available. Therefore, a method was devised in the early part of the twentieth century to encourage the oyster to create a pearl by manually inserting an irritant (usually a rounded section of clam shell) inside the shell to stimulate the layering process. Pearls produced in this manner are known as cultured pearls. The oysters are placed in cages and suspended from rafts, where they hang until they are harvested--about five to seven years. In some climates like Australia, the growth period is much shorter. Generally, the longer the pearl grows, the larger and more lustrous it gets. Virtually all pearls sold today (and all the pearls on our website) are cultured pearls. The largest numbers of pearls are harvested from Sri Lanka, China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and the Red Sea.

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Judging Pearl Quality
Although there is no official quality grading system for pearls (like the 4Cs for diamonds), there are several characteristics that affect their value, which you should consider before making a purchase:

Luster: The surface shine that gives pearls their unique glow is known as its luster. The sharper the reflection of light on a pearl’s surface, the more luster it has.

Surface Blemishes: Like gemstones, pearls have imperfections. These blemishes or marks on the pearl’s surface should be minimal.

Shape: Pearls that are perfectly round are extremely rare, so they are naturally the most valuable. While most pearls appear to be round, only about 1% are actually perfect spheres. If you want to know if a strand consists of perfectly round pearls, just roll it on a flat surface, like a counter or tabletop. If it rolls smoothly and evenly, the pearls are round.

Color: Although pearls can come in a wide range of shades, the major color classifications are white, pink, silver, cream, gold and black. Finer quality pearls have an overtone, which usually appears toward the outside edge of the pearl. This can be rose, green or blue. Regardless of the color or shading, you should look for pearls with a deep, rich color that seems to come from within the gem.

Size: All other factors being equal, the size of a pearl is the most important factor in determining its value. However, a larger pearl is not necessarily more valuable if it lacks nacre thickness. A pearl that does not have many layers of nacre will crack and discolor over time, diminishing its value. Only an expert can determine the true thickness of a pearl’s nacre. Pearls are available in a wide range of diameters (measured in millimeters), from 6.5mm up to 15mm or more in the case of Australian and Tahitian pearls.

Orient: The many layers of nacre on a pearl produce rainbow-like colors that appear to move on the pearl’s surface. This motion effect is very rare and only appears in a small percentage of round pearls.

Uniformity: It is critical that the pearls in any strand or piece of jewelry be evenly matched in terms of their size, shape, color, luster, etc. Visible variations of these qualities not only affect the piece’s beauty, but its value.

Availability: A pearl’s value is also based on its availability. Saltwater cultured pearls generally command higher prices than freshwater cultured pearls, since a saltwater oyster can only produce one or two pearls at a time and a freshwater mussel can produce as many as 50 pearls at a time.

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Pearl Varieties
Pearls are classified based on where they are found and how they are formed. Here are the major pearl varieties:

Akoya: These cultured saltwater pearls are usually found around the islands of Japan, and are considered among the finest in the world.

South Sea or Tahitian: These large pearls are cultured in saltwater areas and can be white, golden or black. The black variety are often called “Tahitian” pearls.

South Sea Keshi: These irregularly shaped pearls actually grow alongside cultivated pearls. Composed primarily of nacre, these pearls grow unexpectedly inside the mollusk.

Freshwater: These irregularly shaped pearls are grown in mollusks found in freshwater lakes and rivers.

Mabé (pronounced mah-BEE): These pearls have a half-sphere shape that is formed by the pearl being cultured against the inside of the oyster’s shell.

There are also imitation pearls, which are completely man-made (usually of glass or plastic coated with lacquer or fish scales to make them iridescent) and are not cultivated inside a mollusk or oyster. Majorca is a well-known center for the production of imitation pearls. Although there are some good imitation pearls available, few possess the luster and orient of natural cultured pearls. You may have seen people rubbing pearls on their teeth to check if they’re real. The reason is real pearls feel gritty when rubbed against your teeth; imitation pearls usually feel smooth.

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Pearl Strand Lengths
Pearl strands usually come in four lengths: 16” choker, 18” classic, 24” matinee and 30” opera. They are usually strung and knotted by hand on silk cords.

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Caring for Your Pearls
Since pearls are softer than gems, they require great care. Avoid contact with perfumes, cosmetics, hairspray, etc. Do not clean them using mechanical/ultrasonic jewelry cleaners, heat, chemicals or detergents; they should only be wiped with a soft cloth or washed in mild soapy water. If you wear your pearls frequently, think about having them restrung every year. Fine quality pearls, if properly cared-for, can last for generations.

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