 |
Categories |
 |
|
 |
Shop By Price |
|
|
|
Manufacturer's Search |
|
|
|
Latest News |
|
|
|
| News and Site Information. |
 |
|
|
|
|
Criteria for selecting pearls.
The birth of a pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike gemstones or precious metals that must be mined from the earth, pearls are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty. But pearls need no such treatments to reveal their loveliness. They are born from their mother oysters with a shimmering iridescence, luster and soft inner glow that is unlike any other gem on earth.
A natural pearl begins its life as a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of sand, that by accident lodges itself in the oyster's soft inner body where it cannot be expelled
In an effort to ease this irritant, the oyster's body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant in order to protect its
As long as the irritant remains within its body, the oyster will continue to secrete nacre around the irritant, layer upon layer. After a few years, the irritant will be totally encased by the silky crystalline coatings. The result - the lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl.
How precious pearls are formed from what an oyster regards as merely protection against irritation is one of nature's most prized secrets. The nacre is not just a soothing substance. It is composed of microscopic crystals, each crystal aligned perfectly with each other so that light passing along the axis of one is reflected and refracted by the other to produce a rainbow of light and color. Cultured pearls are formed by oysters in almost an identical fashion. The only difference is that man surgically implants the irritant - a small piece of polished shell in the oyster rather than leaving it to chance, then steps aside to let nature and the oyster create their miracle.
Buying Cultured Pearls:
The following information is from the Cultured Pearl Information Center.
When selecting a strand of cultured pearls, it's best to buy them for a knowledgeable jeweler. Your local jeweler can explain how to make the most of your purchase and insure that you are getting the best quality pearls within your price range.
You can evaluate any piece of cultured pearl jewelry on the following quality factors. But always remember that the better the quality of pearls you select, the more beautiful and valued they will be over time.
1. Lustre: Lustre is a combination of surface brilliance and a deep seated glow. The lustre of a good quality pearl should be bright and not dull. You should be able to see your own reflection clearly on the surface of a pearl. Any pearl that appears too white, dull or chalky indicates low quality.
2. Surface: Cleanliness refers to the absence of disfiguring spots, bumps or cracks on the surface of a pearl. The cleaner the surface of the pearl, the more valuable.
3. Shape: Since cultured pearls are grown by oysters in nature, it is very rare to find a perfectly round pearl. Therefore, the more symmetrically round a pearl is, the more valuable it is. Baroque pearls, which are asymmetrical in shape, can be lustrous and appealing, and often cost less than round pearls.
4. Color: Cultured pearls come in a variety of colors from rose to black. While the color of a pearl is really a matter of the wearer's preference, usually rose or silver/white pearls tend to look best on fair skins while black, cream and gold colored pearls are flattering to olive skin tones and darker complexions.
5. Size: Cultured pearls are measured by their diameter in millimeters. They can be smaller than one millimeter in the case of tiny seed pearls, or as large as twenty millimeters for a big South Sea pearl. The larger the pearl, other factors being equal, the more valuable it will be. The average sized pearl sold today is between 7 and 7.5 millimeters.
| Extra Information: |
|
For more information, please visit this related webpage. |
| Article Statistics: |
| Viewed:3040 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tell A Friend |
|
|
|
|
|
Information |
|
|
|
Currencies |
|
|
|
