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THE WORLD OF CULTURED PEARLS


Wearer
The first consideration should be the person wearing the pearl jewelry. What is her age? Is she formal or casual? Avant garde or classic? Will a man be wearing the jewelry? Pearl jewelry suits all personalities. The most popular pearl jewels for women are pearl earrings, necklaces, rings, brooches and bracelets. Men prefer cuff links, studs, and lapel pins. People with warm coloring usually prefer pearls with a cream color while people with cool coloring prefer white-based pearls. Fancy colored pearls are flattering to everyone.

Luster
Luster is the most important factor in choosing pearls. The inner glow of the pearl combined with the surface brilliance defines luster. The higher the luster, the thicker the nacre or secretion from the oyster and the stronger the glow. You should be able to see your reflections clearly on the surface of a pearl. Lower quality cultured pearls appear too white, dull or chalky.

Surface
The smoothness of the pearl's surface, from clean to heavily blemished, is the next consideration. Cracks or breaks in the nacre are considered damage and can contribute to the deterioration of the pearl. Because pearls are grown in an oyster and are organic gems they are almost never flawless. The gem-quality pearl may have minute blemishes when examined very closely, but they are not noticeable at arm's length.

Shape
Similarly, it is very rare to find a perfectly round pearl. The rounder the pearl, however, the more valuable it is. Slightly off-round, semi- baroque and baroque pearls that are not as perfectly round can be lustrous and appealing and often cost less than rounder cultured pearls.

Color
Cultured pearls range in color from white to black with various multi-colored overtones. The color of the pearl is really the wearer's preference. White pearls with rose overtones or silver-white pearls look better on women with cool coloring while cream and golden pearls are flattering on those with warm complexions. More unusual colors such as blue-grays, strong golden yellows, and pinkish-silvers are sought by pearl lovers who own strands in several colors.

Size
Cultured pearls are measured in millimeters. Pearls range in size from smaller than one millimeter,called seed pearls, to larger than 20 millimeters for large cultured South Sea pearls. All other factors being equal, the larger the pearl the rarer and more valuable it is. The average size pearl sold today is 7 to 7.5 millimeters.

Matching
When two or more pearls are used for earrings, rings or a necklace the quality of the matching adds to the value of the jewelry. Obviously, it is desirable for the pearls to appear as identical as possible. Matching includes the luster, size, shape, base color, overtones, and surface.

COMPOSITION OF A PEARL

Pearls are concentric rings of mostly calcium carbonate, produced by the secretions of oysters reacting to and encompassing an intruding foreign body. Thousands of layers of nacre, a crystalline aragonite substance resulting from the secretions, form the pearl and create the beautiful luster.

A cultured pearl is a pearl formed by an oyster, composed of concentric layers of a crystalline substance called nacre deposited around an irritant placed in the oyster's body by man. Natural pearls are formed by deposits of nacre around an irritant which accidentally lodges within the body of an oyster. Anything else which resembles a pearl but has a surface created by a manufacturing process is an imitation or simulated pearl - and must be labeled as such!

The value of a pearl comes from the unique ability of the crystalline nacre to absorb, refract and reflect light, imparting a distinctive quality, termed orient, to natural and cultured pearls.
Orient is the deep inner glow and shimmering iridescent characteristic of sea-grown pearls. The deeper the luster and iridescence, the more precious the pearl.

Size contributes to the price of a pearl. As it is more difficult for oysters to grow large pearls, they are scarcer. But two pearls of different sizes may be valued the same if the smaller pearl is superior in orient to the larger.

Shape determines value, too. The more symmetrical the shape, the more valuable. Examples of symmetrical pearls are: round, pear shape, tear shape, oval. Pearls of irregular and asymmetrical shape are termed baroque. Oysters grow pearls in many different shapes, from perfect spheres to long flat angel wing pearls.
Surface perfection contributes to value. The surface of a perfect pearl appears satiny smooth. But when viewed closely, natural or cultured pearls may appear to have irregular surfaces which do not detract from value, as do disfiguring blemishes. You
need no magnifier to detect blemishes; when present, they are readily apparent to the naked eye. Rarity increases the value of any jewel. Cultured pearls themselves are relatively rare, as they can only be grown in limited areas of the world's oceans and take years to grow. A perfect pair of pearls are very rare, because nature makes few pearls
exactly alike in orient, size, shape and color.


TYPES OF PEARLS

Akoya - The most familiar type of cultured pearl, grown in true pearl oysters off the coasts of Japan. Akoya pearls are known for their lovely orient and warm color. They rarely grow more than 9 mm in size. South Sea - Large cultured pearls (10 mm and larger) grown in large oysters off the coasts of Australia. Usually silvery in appearance, and sometimes not as lustrous as fine Akoya pearls, South Sea pearls are rare and costly. Burmese - Large cultured pearls (10 mm and larger) grown in large oysters off the coasts of Burma. Warmer in color tonethan South Sea cultured pearls, rare and costly.

Mabe - Large hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shells of oysters instead of within the body. Less expensive than regular round cultured pearls and, because of their hemispherical shape, used mounted in such jewelry as earrings, rings and brooches.

Biwa - A fresh water pearl cultivated in a mollusk only in Japan's Lake Biwa. Smoother and more lustrous than fresh waterpearls from China.

Fresh Water - Pearls cultivated in mollusks, not oysters, found in fresh water lakes and rivers. Fresh water pearls generally are elongated in shape and have a milky translucent appearance. Their wide range of interesting shapes and colors make up in fashion appeal for their relatively low value.

South Sea - Large cultured pearls (10 mm and larger) grown in large oysters off the coasts of Australia. Usually silvery in appearance, and sometimes not as lustrous as fine Akoya pearls, South Sea pearls are rare and costly.

Burmese - Large cultured pearls (10 mm and larger) grown in large oysters off the coasts of Burma. Warmer in color tone than South Sea cultured pearls, rare and costly.

Keshi - Tiny pearls, some a little bigger than a grain of sand, which form naturally in many cultured pearl oysters.

When choosing cultured pearls, look for luster and orient in the shadow area of the pearl, not in the area upon which the light is shining. Clear color tones, not dull or muddy, nor with cracks, chips or disfiguring blemishes.

In addition, all pearls in a strand should blend well together, particularly in regard to luster, orient and color. Roll a strand of pearls along a flat surface to determine if all pearls are strung through their exact centers. All pearls should roll evenly, without an eccentric wobble.

Buy the best pearls you can afford, then choose the clasp. A decorative jeweled clasp can always be purchased later.

SELECTING YOUR NECKLACE
Choose a cultured pearl necklace, too, for its effect on your appearance and personality.
Long necklaces are slinky and sexy.
Short necklaces can be demure or sophisticated.
Dog collars enhance a long neck.
Longer strands slenderize and appear to elongate the neck.
For fair skinned women, roseate hued pearls are most flattering.
Cream and gold color pearls set off darker skin tones best.


NECKLACE LENGTHS AND TERMINOLOGY


Choker - 14" to 15" in length. Should nestle around the base of the neck.
Princess - 18" in length. Halfway between choker and matinee length.
Matinee - 22" to 23" in length. Should fall to the top of the cleavage.
Opera - 30" to 36" in length. Should fall to the breastbone.
Sautoir or Rope - Any pearl necklace longer than opera length
Dog Collar - Multiple strands of pearls fitting closely around the neck.
Bib - Multiple strands of pearls, each shorter than the one below, nested together in one necklace.
Graduated - A necklace composed of pearls which taper downward in size from large pearls in the center.
Uniform - A necklace which appears to be composed entirely of pearls of the same size, though there generally is a slight difference in size between the center and the end pearls for a more proportionate look.

Your cultured pearl wardrobe should consist of matching pearl necklace, earrings and bracelet. Add to it with a ring, a variety of clasps, brooches and a tiara or hairpiece.
A long strand of cultured pearls, with invisible clasps at several points along its length, is very versatile. It can be shaped into many different styles, such as a dog collar, a choker, or a bib.

CULTURED PEARL CARE

Remember: Cultured Pearls are precious jewels and should be treated as such.

Don't toss them carelessly into a purse or jewel box where they can become scratched by hard metal edges or harder stones.

Don't expose them to acid-based hair sprays, cosmetics, or perfumes.

Don't clean them with chemicals or abrasives.

Do treat pearls gently.
Place them in a chamois bag or wrap them in tissue when putting them away.

Do put on pearls after applying cosmetics, hair sprays and perfume.

Do wash your pearls with mild soap and water after taking them off.
This will remove all traces of perfume, cosmetics or hair spray from the pearls.

Do bring your pearls back to your jeweler for restringing once a year.
Cosmetics and ordinary wear weaken and stretch the threads on which the pearls are strung.
It's better to be safe than sorry.

Do have pearls strung with a knot between each pearl.
This will prevent loss of pearls if the string should break.

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