Crash Course in Pearls

[somethingshiny]

Sorry if there is a similar topic ( I haven''t found one )

I''ve got a few pearl pieces but know very little about them. Can we get a bit of info together in one place from the pros??

These are just my questions but I''m sure I''m missing some topics completely so feel free to add!!


1) What are the basic differences in freshwater, cultured, natural, tahitian, south sea, etc pearls?

2) Is there a way to tell if your existing pearls are FW, Cultured, Natural, etc??

3) Are there different life expectancies amongst various pearls?

4) What is the best way to take care of pearls?

5) Please list some trusted vendors.



Thanks for any help!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Have you tried this thread?

 

[that_someone_special]

Keep looking around at threads--- a lot of your questions are answered.

 

[pearlie]

1. Basic differences: First, cultured means to be farmed, propagated. All these pearl types that you mentioned (freshwater, south sea, etc.) are farm raised cultured pearls. There are differences in cultivation techniques, growth rates, type of mollusk used, different types of nucleus, different insemination processes, etc.

Natural pearls occur when a parasite bores it''s way thru the shell of a mollusk and invades the soft tissue of the body. The mollusk''s immune system develops a membrane around the parasite and bombards it with pearl nacre.

Freshwater is (usually) tissue nucleated, and can develop in a wide range of pastel hues. The freshwater mollusk is a prolific pearl producer, resulting in tonnage of pearls harvested each year in a wide variety of quality. The marine (salt water) pearls are bead nucleated. Akoya pearls are the traditional round white pearls of Japan. Tahitians, or black pearls, are farmed in the tropical waters surrounding French Polynesia, Vietnam and the Cook Islands. Black pearls are never truely black. South Sea golden pearls are cultivated from the largest pearl producing mollusk and farmed in Indonesia and the Phillipines. The country that produces the largest harvest of SS whites is Australia. South Sea pearls tend to be the most valuable of all cultured pearls.

There are also some incredible pearls now being cultivated in Mexico and Fiji, using a different mollusk than the one''s above.

2. Yes, there are ways to tell one pearl type from another. But unless there is a glaring characteristic, it takes years of study and training. This also goes for telling the difference between fakes (Majorcans, orient pearls) and real pearls, and color enhancements.

3. The life of a pearl will depend on the thickness of the nacre and how well the pearls are cared for.

4. The biggest threat to pearls are chemicals. Keep your fine pearls away from bleach, ammonia, chlorine, etc. Put your makeup, hairspray and perfume on first, allow it all to dry, then take your pearls out and put them on.

 

[gardengloves]

Date: 12/16/2009 9:42:26 PM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl
Have you tried this thread?

Brown eyed Girl

this has been extremely helpful. Very much the information I was looking for. Many thanks..

 

[gardengloves]

Date: 12/17/2009 5:02:17 PM
Author: pearlie
1. Basic differences: First, cultured means to be farmed, propagated. All these pearl types that you mentioned (freshwater, south sea, etc.) are farm raised cultured pearls. There are differences in cultivation techniques, growth rates, type of mollusk used, different types of nucleus, different insemination processes, etc.


Natural pearls occur when a parasite bores it''s way thru the shell of a mollusk and invades the soft tissue of the body. The mollusk''s immune system develops a membrane around the parasite and bombards it with pearl nacre.


Freshwater is (usually) tissue nucleated, and can develop in a wide range of pastel hues. The freshwater mollusk is a prolific pearl producer, resulting in tonnage of pearls harvested each year in a wide variety of quality. The marine (salt water) pearls are bead nucleated. Akoya pearls are the traditional round white pearls of Japan. Tahitians, or black pearls, are farmed in the tropical waters surrounding French Polynesia, Vietnam and the Cook Islands. Black pearls are never truely black. South Sea golden pearls are cultivated from the largest pearl producing mollusk and farmed in Indonesia and the Phillipines. The country that produces the largest harvest of SS whites is Australia. South Sea pearls tend to be the most valuable of all cultured pearls.


There are also some incredible pearls now being cultivated in Mexico and Fiji, using a different mollusk than the one''s above.


2. Yes, there are ways to tell one pearl type from another. But unless there is a glaring characteristic, it takes years of study and training. This also goes for telling the difference between fakes (Majorcans, orient pearls) and real pearls, and color enhancements.


3. The life of a pearl will depend on the thickness of the nacre and how well the pearls are cared for.


4. The biggest threat to pearls are chemicals. Keep your fine pearls away from bleach, ammonia, chlorine, etc. Put your makeup, hairspray and perfume on first, allow it all to dry, then take your pearls out and put them on.

thanks for this information.

I read today something interesting, that pearls can yellow and dry up by sitting in jewelry box for years and not being worn. They live, breath by interaction with our skin. My moms pearls are so yellow, left them sitting for years, locked away, afraid to touch the memories... but according to what I read that''s what happens if they are not interacting with living breathing skin.. Is this accurate information?

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks for the links BEG. I hadn''t found Pearl 101, it was very informative.

Pearlie~ Thank you for answering my additional questions. I didn''t know that makeup and perfume could possibly harm pearls.

 

[pearlie]

As far as pearls ''needing'' contact with skin, I really think that''s just a myth. But it sounds good and makes the purchaser feel good about wearing their pearls. I do tell my customers to wear their pearls often, but more to get them to wear pearls with anything rather than saving them for special occasions.

Now pearls do need humidity. So if you store your pearls in a safe, keep a glass of water in there with them, in order to keep the enviornment humid.

There could be several reasons for pearls yellowing and cracking or drying out. One of the biggest offenders is hairspray, which is a laquer that will coat the pearls and yellow them over time. Our moms and grandmoms used to be pretty heavy handed with the hairspray. Also, at that time the pearls most often worn were thin skinned akoya, resulting in nacre that would chip, crack or peel with daily wear.

If you''re a smoker, it is both bad for you and for your pearls. Years of exposure to cigarette smoke can also discolor pearls.

Today the better quality pearls (freshwater, akoya, south sea) have a much thicker nacre. Freshies, for example, are all nacre. This results in a more durable pearl, basically.

But still, no hairspray, perfume, household chemicals, etc. Anything caustic that can coat or be absorbed by the pearls. And don''t smoke, it''s nasty. It stains your teeth, your fingers and your pearls.

 

[glitterata]

It''s my impression--and I hope an expert will correct me if I''m wrong--that pearls are typically whiter today than they were several decades ago. At least, when I see old pearls they often have a creamier tone than new ones. I don''t know whether that''s because people preferred creamier colored pearls back then, whether they bleach pearls to a brighter point today, or whether pearls get yellower with age (or some combo of factors).

 

[pearlie]

Hi Glitter,

your impression may be correct. And it probably is a combination of factors. Cultivation techniques, post harvest treatments, consumer preferences can all lead to different trends in pearl colors, just look at the population of "chocolate" pearls.