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Pearl Buying Guide
Real vs. Imitiation
First of all, You should know
about natural, cultured and imitation pearls. It creates BIG price
differences, so read on car
efully!. The most expensive kind of
pearl is natural, but they almost don't even exist anymore. A natural
pearl forms when a little grain of sand or other little irritating thing
(most likely a parasite of some kind) in an oyster or mussel is gradually
covered with layers of nacre, the stuff that coats an oyster's shell.
After years and years of build up, a large pearl forms around the scratchy
intruder. These pearls can be round, but are usually random shapes, since
they form so gradually.
Then, in the 1920s, a Japanese guy
called Mikimoto finally succeeded in forcing an oyster to produce a pearl
(without killing it). In this big pearl breakthrough, a bead made out of
shell is stuck in the oyster with a little bit of oyster tissue. Because
the bead is round and relatively large, it gives the pearl a big head
start on forming a round pearl. Thanks to culturing, pearls are now
readily available and usually round. Virtually all of the "real" pearls on
the market today are cultured, including Japanese Akoya (the classic white
pearls), Tahitian, South Sea, and Chinese freshwater pearls. These are jewelry store pearls, and here is
the basic price ladder, freshwater are the cheapest, then Akoya, then
Tahitian, then South Sea. The bigger the pearl, the bigger the price
tag.
Then there are the imitations.
Basically these are beads painted with lacquer. Don't believe any crap
about fish scales or pearl essence or anything like that. If someone
sticks fish scales into some paint, does that make it natural?
So how do you tell the difference
between natural, cultured, and imitation? Forget natural. You won't see
one, and if you do, you won't buy it without a laboratory report saying it
is natural. Basically, the lab X-rays the pearl to see if it has a bead in
it, simple as that. To tell the difference between a pearl that formed in
a shell and an imitation, rub the pearl against the edge of your front
teeth. Gently! Don't gnaw on it! A cultured pearl (and a natural one, for
that matter) will feel rough, slightly sandy in texture. An imitation is
hard and completely smooth. Why does the cultured pearl feel rough? The
nacre that forms its surface is actually layers of crystals. No fake can
duplicate the intricacy of the natural structure.
Judging Pearl Quality
While different pearl varieties
have different price structures, they are judged by the same five basic
quality factors: luster, surface quality, shape, color, and size. Pearl
strand and pair prices are also affected by how well the pearls match in
all the quality factors. A strand should have consistent luster, color,
surface quality, and shape. Color should also match perfectly if it is a
single color strand but today you also have the option of muticolor
stands, which are particularly fashionable in Tahitian cultured pearls.
For size, strands should be all one size or graduated, in which case they
should increase in size in smooth graceful steps.
Luster is most important value factor
when it comes to beauty. Luster is the shine and glow of the pearl, the
way it handles light. What makes it pearly? Basically it is reflecting
light back and refracting it through its translucent top layers of nacre
at the same time. This doubleness gives it a depth, a warm soft glow
unlike any other material. High lustre pearls reflect objects near them
clearly.
The smoother and more regular the topography
of the pearl, the higher the surface quality. Pearls are natural,
so when you look at them closely, most of them have tiny spots, divots,
bumps, and wrinkles. The fewer the blemishes, the more valuable the
pearl.
Shape is very important when it comes
to price because people expect pearls to be round. Off round, baroque
(non-symmetrically shaped), and circle (ridged) pearls are the pearl
world's biggest bargains because most people don't even consider non-round
pearls. The one exception is pear shaped or drop pearls, which are
particularly nice for pendants and earrings. Matched pairs of drops are
particularly prized. One interesting fact: baroque pearls, in particular
Tahitian baroque pearls, are particularly lustrous because the extra
curves on the surface help to increase reflection.
As with every gem, the bigger the pearl
size, the bigger the price tag. Size is given in millimeters and
refers to the diameter of the individual pearl. (Of course strands also
have a length, which also affects price because of the number of pearls
needed to create that particular necklace length.)
There are various types of Pearls available
:
1. Okaya Pearls (Japenese
Pearls) :- Akoya were the first pearls to be cultured and the
pearl industry in Japan is totally organized. As a result, Akoya cultured
pearls are very lustrous, almost always consistently round, perfectly
matched, and are bleached to perfect whiteness.
2. Tahitian Pearls :-
Tahitian cultured pearls are larger than Akoya pearls because the oyster
is larger. Tahitian pearls aren't just black, they come in a range of
natural colors from black to grey, brown, plum, or green. And the color
isn't monochromatic. Most Tahitian pearls also have iridescent overtones
laid on top of the body color.
3. South Sea Pearls
:- South Sea pearls are the giants of the pearl world, ranging from
8mm up to jawbreaker-like 22mm sizes. South Sea pearls range from silver
to white, cream, and golden colors. The luster of a South Sea pearl is
generally softer and more satiny, not as reflective as the luster of an
Akoya pearl And the color is generally not as good either but naturalness
has a price.
4. Fresh Water Pearls :-
Most Freshwater pearls come from China, and are the product of an
elaborate process in which a single resilient mussel can be harvested many
times, yielding several pearls at a time. The Freshwater pearl looks
remarkably similar to the Akoya pearl, but Freshwater pearls are available
for almost 1/5 the price of Akoya pearls. The only tradeoff is that
Freshwater pearls are generally smaller, less symmetrical, and not as well
matched when strung on a strand. But if you’re looking for pearls at an
outstanding value, Freshwater pearls are the perfect
gift.
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