 |
Stone Lore
Pearls have long been prized
around the world. Ancient texts
show high regard for these gems
of the sea. Pearls have always
decorated crowns and robes of
queens and kings. Native Americans
adorned themselves with pearls
fished from coastal waters and
inland rivers. Without cultured pearls,
the beauty of pearls would not be
available to most consumers today.
True spherical cultured pearls came
only in the late nineteenth century
after long efforts by Japanese
researchers. Cultured pearls are
available in a wide variety of sizes,
shapes and colors. Cultured
freshwater pearls have become
increasingly popular in recent years.
Available in spherical and irregular
shapes, these pearls are both
affordable and attractive.
|
 |
| |
The sparkling beauty of a strand of pearls has
held the attention of brides for millennia. The
ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls
would promote marital bliss and prevent
newlywed women from crying. During the
Crusades in the Middle Ages, pearls were the
gift of choice for a knight to give to his lady.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, royal
wedding scenes closely resembled a sea of
pearls, with everyone from the bride down to
her male guests adorned with impressive
arrays of pearl jewelry.
In modern times, cultured pearls have graced such 20th
century brides as Queen Elizabeth II, the late Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor.
You may have seen the term cultured" preceding the word
pearls at your jewelry store. Cultured pearls are pearls that
are nudged to life when a worker surgically implants a tiny
bead into the oyster (that's the shellfish in which pearls
grow). The host oyster is then lowered back into the water
and, if all goes well, it deposits layer upon layer of a
substance called nacre around the bead, eventually
forming a pearl large enough to harvest. Of course, some
oysters continue to produce pearls without any help,
forming nacre around a natural irritant that gets inside their
shells. They are rare however. Culturing produces far more
pearls than nature could alone.
Pearl Qualities:
When shopping for cultured pearls for the bride yourself or
anyone else what quality features should you look for?
Here are the essentials:
Luster - Of all in cultured pearls, luster is perhaps the most
important. Fine luster produces an almost mirror-like
reflection on the surface of pearls, when looked at in normal
light. You should avoid cultured pearls that look dull and
chalky.
Surface - The surface of a cultured pearl should be relatively
clear of blemishes, pockmarks and pits. Since cultured pearls
are grown inside an oyster, it's very rare to find any
completely blemish-free pearl. But the fewer the blemishes,
the greater the value of the pearl. Sometimes if these
imperfections are near the drill hole of the cultured pearls,
they will be less noticeable in a necklace.
Color - Color in pearls is a preference often based upon
geographical location or skin tones. In the U.S., white pearls
with a slightly pink overtone tend to be the most popular,
although pearls with a golden tone are stunning on both
darker skins and red-heads.
Size - Size is another factor best left to personal preference.
Some brides like smaller, more delicate cultured pearls,
from 3mm to 5mm, while others like larger pearls, 6mm
and up. Size does affect price; usually the larger the pearl,
the more valuable it is. Factors such as luster, however,
also have an effect on price - a smaller pearl with better
luster can sometimes equal the cost of a larger, less
lustrous pearl.
Shape - For many wearers, roundness in cultured pearls
equals perfection, and it is the traditional sublime shape.
But modern tastes vary, and you may want to explore
baroque, or irregularly-shaped, cultured pearls. Baroque
pearls, for example, more often flash with "orient," a display
of iridescent colors that moves across a pearl's surface.
|
