Pearls Guide

Pearls are frequent material of a jewelry custom made, van cleef & arpels jewelry set with mother of pearl is the most popular and favorited during luxury brands jewelry.Pearls are formed over time when an organic invader burrows deep into the soft tissues of a mollusk. The mollusk then coats the intruder with many layers of natural minerals and proteins, referred to as nacre (Nay-Ker). This is what gives pearls their unique appearance, beautiful luster and color. Today, natural pearls are extremely rare, so this process is re-created by oyster farmers who make cultured pearls.Pearls come in a number of sizes and shapes, but a classic akoya cultured pearl strand necklace is the top-seller among our most popular pearl jewelry.

Color

A pearl’s color is also called the body color, presenting in various hues including white, white rosé, black, silver, gray,gold or pink. A pearl can also have a secondary overtone, which is seen when light reflects off the pearl’s surface. For example, a pearl strand may appear white at first glance, but a closer look may reveal a translucent overtone that’s rose, green or blue.

Luster

Pearls produce an intense, deep shine called luster. This is a combination of the pearl’s exterior shine and glow from within, created by light reflected from the calcium carbonate crystals that make up the pearl’s nacre. Luster is determined by the nacre’s thickness, degree of translucence, and arrangement of layers. These factors vary depending on the type of pearl and how long it’s allowed to grow. Contrary to popular belief, a pearl’s nacre is not related to its size. A tiny Akoya pearl may have amazing luster, while a large one that’s harvested too early, would be very dull.

Shapes

There are three main pearl shapes: spherical, symmetrical, and baroque or non-symmetrical. The basic pearl shapes fall within those categories like this:

Spherical:Round and Near-round
Symmetrical:Oval,Button,Drop and Teardrop
Baroque (Non-Symmetrical):Semi-baroque and Baroque

Size

The size of a pearl greatly depends on the type. Cultured freshwater pearls range in size from about 3.0–13.0mm, Akoya pearls range from about 6.0–8.5mm, and South Sea and Tahitian pearls can reach sizes as large as 13mm. Of course, with an ideal environment and conditions, natural pearls can grow to be much larger.

How To Identify Real Vs Fake Pearls

The biggest difference between real and fake pearls comes down to their surface feel. The surface feel of real pearls is slightly uneven, while the surface of plastic or glass beads is perfectly smooth. Because pearls are made by nature (or cultured to mimic the natural process), real pearls will also vary slightly in size, color and luster compared to the uniform look of fake pearls.