|
Pearl Luster
Luster is the mirror-like finish on the pearl surface.
They are made when mollusks sense irritants and start building up calcium
carbonate layers called nacre to coat them. The resulting blisters eventually
become pearls. The larger pearls contain more nacre, or layers, and the
pearl becomes more lustrous. Southsea and Tahitian pearls are more lustrous
than Freshwater pearls partly because of the size of the pearl. GIA uses
the terms, Excellent, Good, and Fair to grade the pearl luster. Luster
is the most important factor in picking out the value of a pearl. When
picking out a pearl necklace, pick out the pearl necklace that's graded
Excellent to Good.
Pearl Colors
Freshwater pearls are usually white, pink,
peach, lavender, plum, purple and tangerine. The most popular shade
of Freshwater pearls are white with rose undertones.
Color is a personal preference, but in general people with fair coloring
look best in light colors with pink undertones and people with darker
complexion will look better in white, black, or golden colors.
Pearl Surface
When picking out a pearl necklace, the pearl surface
is the most important thing to look at. Like diamonds, there are rarely
perfect pearls, but the premium pearls are those that have very little
imperfections, such as spots or bumps.
Non-damaging pearl blemishes include spots, bumps, pits, and wrinkles
which doesn't harm the pearl jewelry and won't make the pearls weaker
and more fragile, but they can effect the price and value of the pearl
necklace. Damaging blemishes include cracks, holes or chips. Those blemishes
may worsen and affect the durability of a pearl. When buying pearls,
it's important to find ones that are lustrous enough to last you a long
time, because the nacre will wear off over time from friction due to
rubbing against clothing and skin.
Pearl Shapes
The most popular pearl shape is perfectly round.
Perfectly round pearls are hard to find which makes them expensive.
However, there are other pearl shapes that are popular too, such as
tear drop, button (also known as the mabe shape) and symmetrical pearls.
More irregular shapes fall under the baroque shape category. For a pearl
necklace, women prefer round shaped pearls, but in pearl earrings and
pearl pendants, a button or teardrop may be a better style.
Pearl Quality
Fine pearls last a lifetime and are very much
like memory boxes. Pearls can tell a story of countless cherished moments
and can be passed on from generation to generation.
The most important aspect in choosing
pearls is knowing if they are high quality and knowing how to tell the
difference. Evaluating cultured pearls is much like comparing quality
in diamonds or fine gems because differences in quality affect the aesthetic
appeal and cost of pearls. Comparing differences in quality of cultured
pearls is conceivably more important than in diamonds because quality
of pearls determines how long they will retain their beauty. Pearls
of poor quality can lose their beauty in just a few months, whereas
high quality pearls can last a lifetime. Coastal Cultured Pearls only offers pearls
of the finest caliber. Pearls do not have a universal grading system
like diamonds. Coastal Cultured Pearls uses the most commonly and internationally
used A, A+, AA, AA+, and AAA grading system. Pearls of AAA are recognized
as gem-quality with flawless complexion, very round shape, and intense
luster.
How to Choose Fine Pearls
Pearls are very alluring and hold a quality
that both define elegance and natural beauty. There are more varieties
and availability of pearls today than ever before. The cultured pearl
now rivals with fine diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.
Today most pearls are cultured, meaning
that the mollusk is purposely inserted with an irritant or nucleus from
which it creates a pearl. A better way to think of the difference between
natural pearls and cultured pearls is to think of the natural pearl
as a result of the mollusk working alone and the cultured pearls as
a product of nature being helped by science. Cultured pearls are not
fake like many people may think. The culturing process takes from two
to three years and is a very delicate process. The pearl farmers have
little control on what the pearl will look like or if the mollusk will
reject the nucleus. Not all pearls are fine quality or even desirable
at all. The end result is ultimately a consequence of nature.
Best quality pearls are determined by luster, nacre thickness
and quality (the outer layer), color, surface perfection, shape, and
size. The biggest factor of pearl quality is
nacre thickness and quality which determines how long the pearl will
last. Nacre thickness determines the longevity of the pearl and nacre
quality determines how light reflects through the layers of the pearls.
High luster and iridescence come from high quality nacre and any pearl
with these characteristics has quality, thick nacre. When judging nacre
look for uniform iridescence, intensity of luster, cracks and peeling,
estimate thickness near the drill hole between the nacre and the shell
bead (nacre is lighter). Pearls are very thick with at least .5 mm on
all pearls, thick with at least .5 mm on most pearls, medium with between
.35 and .5 mm on most pearls, and thin with .25 mm or less on most pearls.
Luster is also important and one of the first factors
to notice.
Luster is an intense brightness that illuminates
from within the pearl rather than just being shiny like in imitation
pearls. The intense brightness results from light being reflected throughout
the numerous layers of nacre. Quality pearls will have a sharp contrast
between the brightest area where direct light is hitting the pearls
and the shaded area creating an illusion of a ball within the pearl.
Check for luster by examining them under a fluorescent lamp and rolling
them from side to side to examine uniform luster. Examine pearls over
a light gray or white material (never black) because it is harder to
see the true quality of the pearl.
Size should also be taken into consideration.
Larger cultured pearls are rarer and more expensive.
Akoya pearls over 7 ½ millimeters are much more costly and prices
dramatically rise with each ½ millimeter over 8 millimeters.
South Sea and Tahitian pearls also have high increase in price when
size is over 15 millimeters.
One more factor to consider in pearls is the precision in matching the
pearl quality in a string of pearls. It is important to take all of
the above factors in consideration when matching the pearls. Graduated
pearls also take careful matching. Pearl matching affects the value
of the jewelry because when pearls are not matched properly it takes
away from the appearance of the jewelry. Also, make sure the pearls
are all drilled in the center so they lay properly. Off-center drilled
pearls will not lay correctly and reduces the value of the piece.
It is always important to get an independent
laboratory report when in doubt of pearl enhancements that may have
been employed to make the pearls appear more valuable. Make sure the
person appraising the pearls is a Graduate Gemologist (GG) which is
the Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) highest award.
Pearl Types
Pearls come in two main categories:
freshwater cultured pearls and saltwater
cultured pearls. Various types of pearls are the result of different
oyster use, the environment in which they live, and different culitivation
techniques used by the pearl farmers. Freshwater cultured pearls are
grown in lakes and rivers, whereas saltwater cultured pearls are grown
in bodies of saltwater such as bays
Saltwater cultured pearls most
commonly consist of Akoya and South Sea pearls, also known as Tahitians.
Make of Pearl Jewelry
Stringing pearls is also a large factor affecting
the value of pearly jewelry. Pearl make is the meticulousness in which
pearls are matched for pearl size, shape, color, luster, and complexion.
Pure Pearls only offers high value, precision-matched pearls!
|
