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.
The Essentials of Pearls
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.
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 a 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 pearl, they will be less noticeable in a necklace.
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 gaining popularity.
Size is another factor best left to personal preference. Some people like
smaller, more delicate cultured pearls, from 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm, 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.
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.
Pearl Jewelry Collection
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Pearl Jewelry in classic and modern styles: pearl rings, earrings,
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