From ancient royalty to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, from Coco Chanel to Princess Diana, to Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister known as the "Iron Lady", the wearing of pearls has allowed us to recognize the elegance of these different women wearing the same kind of jewelry-pearl. The color, shape, and hue of the pearls also set them apart from the rest of the jewelry. Their soft luster and silky feel evoke comfort and elegance at the same time. From small-town picnics to big-city weddings, from earrings to clothing, these gems have left their mark. Even the shells have their unique beauty, people also used them to make buttons, necklaces, or earrings.
Aesthetic value
Pearls have played a pivotal role in the art world from ancient times to the present day. The famous Renaissance painter Ponticelli, in his painting The Birth of Venus, depicts a scene: in the center the newly-born goddess Venus stands in a giant scallop shell, as pure and as perfect as a pearl. Pearls, according to the Danes, are the tears of the mermaid.
Pears are associated with all things beautiful in China. People address the elder's daughter with "zhangshangmingzhu," which means "pearls in the palm," "miaoyulianzhu," which means "talk quickly and witty," and "zhuyuanyurun," which means "round as pearls and smooth as jade," to praise one's eloquence. Pearls have an unrivaled aesthetic value, regardless of time period or country. Pearls have become a common piece of jewelry in recent years, but their value has not diminished. Knowing how to recognize pearls is essential for demonstrating your taste. Pearls involve a wide range of knowledge, here are just a few basics for beginners.
How pearl form?
Born in rivers, lakes, and oceans, pearls from inside certain mollusks when an irritant, such as sand, enters their shells. Over time, the mollusks wrap the irritant in layers of a protein called pearls, creating beautiful, lustrous jewelry.
Types of pearls:
You may have heard of Akoya pearls, South Sea gold pearls, Tahitian pearls, and other types of pearls. The only thing you need to know is why these names exist. Your confusion stems from the various classification methods available.
In terms of the growing environment
Freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls are the two types of pearls. The majority of pearls on the market are freshwater pearls. Freshwater pearls are mass-produced, primarily in southern China. They are commonly found in vibrant colors such as white, pink, orange, and purple, and in a variety of shapes, with the most common being oval, flat, other shaped, etc. Seawater pearls, which are mostly produced in China, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, are more expensive. White, gold, silver gray, translucent green, and other colors of seawater pearls are common. The majority of them are round, but there are some that are oval or irregular in shape.
Classified by the cause of formation
Pearls are subdivided into natural and cultured, with cultured including non-nucleated and nucleated cultured. Natural pearls tend to be small in size or poorly shaped due to uncontrollable formation and cannot be used as jewelry. Most pearls are cultured pearls that are also produced by an oyster or mollusk, but with human assistance.
According to the place of origin
There are Eastern pearls from the Persian Gulf, South Sea pearls from the South China Sea (Myanmar, Philippines, Australia, etc.), Japanese pearls from seto-naikai, and Tahitian pearls mainly from French Polynesia near the equator.
Classification by mother-of-pearl
They are classified as mare's shell pearls, Pinctada fucata martensii saltwater oyster, Pinctada maxima saltwater oyster black lip pearl oyster, conch pearls, and abalone pearls.
Here is a list of some of the pearls that occupy a certain place in the jewelry world
Tahitian Pearls
Despite the fact that it bears the name of the famous Tahiti island, they originate from the waters of French Bohemia. Tahitian pearls are among the world's largest, measuring between 8 and 18 millimeters in diameter. It is stunning not only because of its size, but also because of its incredible iridescent color range, which ranges from light, creamy white, and grey to regal greens, iridescent peacock, and deep black. The mantle of black-lip pearl oysters is rainbow-like, with all-natural colors. Aside from that, its thick nacre ensures a long service life.
South Sea pearls
Farmed in the Pinctada maxima saltwater oyster from the tropical Philippine Islands and the Northern coast of Australia, the south sea pearls are known as the "queen of pearls". They feature a gorgeous palette of natural Golden and White colors that shimmer with delicate overtones. It can take up to 2-4 years for the saltwater oysters to fully form after they have been bead-nucleated. A pearl of this type should be no smaller than 8 millimeters in size, with the average gem measuring 10-13 millimeters. Combine their relative scarcity with their large size, and it's no surprise that these gemstones are among the most sought-after in the world. The value of a South Sea Pearl is heavily influenced by the color of the pearl, with the deepest golden color being the most valuable.
Akoya pearls
Cultured Akoya pearls are grown in the Pinctada fucata martensii saltwater oyster, which is native to the colder Pacific Ocean waters surrounding Japan and bordering southern China and Vietnam. They have a perfect round shape and a bright, mirror-like luster. They range in size from 2.0-3.0mm to 9.0-9.5mm and, on rare occasions, 9.5-10.0mm. Traditional Akoya pearl colors include natural Silvery-Blue and even golden hues, in addition to white.
How to select?
Look at the color of the pearl.
Freshwater pearls are commonly found in white, gold or yellow, purple, pink, and cream; saltwater pearls are less colorful and come in white, silver, yellow, blue, black, and other colors. White pearls with a slight pink luster are the best in general, blue-black pearls with a metallic luster are popular, and golden South Sea Pearls are rare. There is always a color that you like.
Compare the luster strength of pearls.
The luster of pearls has a clear impact on their beauty and value, and high-quality pearls will have a soft and vivid luster. The luster of a pearl is proportional to its layer; in general, the thicker the nacre, the more saturated the luster of the pearl. Seawater pearls have a thicker layer and a brighter luster than freshwater pearls. The simplest way to access a pearl's luster is to look for your reflection in it—a good luster with many layers of nacre will reflect your face back at you.
Pick out the size of pearls
Large pearls will make the wearer more noble and elegant, and small pearls will be more lovely and dynamic.
Look at the cleanliness of the pearl skin.
There is no such thing as a perfect pearl with no flaws. Even if it is the top pearl, if you look closely, you will notice a few blemishes on the surface—these minor marks reflect the natural beauty of the growth process.
Examine the shape of the pearl: the rounder, the better.
There are water drop shapes, rice shapes, baroque shapes, and round shapes; the rounder the better, the higher the price. If you wear a round bead, it looks beautiful no matter which direction the light source comes from, so the more round, the more popular.
How to maintain them?
Keep them away from acids and alkalis, clean them with a cashmere cloth rather than water, and store them in a cool place.