Introduction
Ever wondered how pearls became one of the rarest gems worldwide? A variety of pearls are found around the world, enclasped in specific species of oysters. Since ancient times they were worn by royal women to show nobility and elegance in their appearance. Every type of pearl holds significance or has a specialty in it.
Pearls have been a symbol of love for generations. Men gift pearl bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces to the women they love the most to express their feelings. With the rise in demand for pearls, many businesses have been established worldwide focused on farming pearls. Visit a highly reputed jewellery shop to buy pearl jewellery for sale in New York.
History of Pearls
Long back in history, the pearl was considered the “Queen of Gems.” In those days, pearl necklaces comprising matching spheres were an extremely invaluable treasure and the most expensive jewellery in the world. In the 1900s, when the Roman empire was at its peak, Roman general Vitellius financed an entire army by selling one of his mother’s pearl earrings.
The origin of pearls is still a debated topic, but according to the book ‘The Book of the Pearl’, written by Frederick Kunz in 1908, an ancient fish-eating tribe at the coast of India found pearls oysters while looking for food. Nevertheless, the pearls are mentioned in every historical book written in different countries, such as in Indian mythological books, Chinese scripts dating back to the 23rd century and Egyptian books dating back to 4200BC.
Composition of a pearl
Despite its elegant appearance, a pearl is a hard shinning object found inside a living mollusc. The pearls are formed when crystalline calcium carbonate is deposited in concentric layers over a foreign object stuck inside them. They come in different shapes and sizes: round, oval, circle, button, teardrop, and baroque.
Types of Pearls
Pearls’ shapes and sizes are affected by the oysters they are cultivated in and the oysters vary based on geographical location, nature and water they live in. Here are the 5 well-known types of pearls found around the world.
- Akoya Pearls
The Akoya pearls are world-renowned for their luxurious radiant glow and typically come in white colour with silver or golden undertone. They are found in Pinctada fucata martensii saltwater oysters found on the colder coastal waters of Japan, Vietnam and South China. Japan has been the lead producer of Ayoka pearls producing high-quality specimens in the world. The Ayoka pearl size ranges from 2mm to 9mm, with high-quality specimens reaching up to 10mm. - Freshwater pearls
They are found inside freshwater mollusc and are the most commonly available pearl worldwide, but a finer specimen can still fetch a hefty price. Freshwater pearls are mostly cultivated in China and neighbouring regions and grow from 2mm to 12mm. They primarily come in the shade of peach, cream, white and lavender-pink. They are often dyed in different colours to offer more variety. A freshwater pearl dyed in black is known as Peacock pearl because of its violet appearance. - Tahitian pearls
Tahitian pearls are harvested from the black-lipped oyster found in the coastal waters of French Polynesia. They are the only black pearls globally and are rarer than white pearls; therefore, they fetch a higher price. In addition, Tahitian pearls are the only pearls that do not receive any colour treatment. Black pearls range 8mm to 15 mm in size. - South sea pearls
South sea pearls are the largest and expensive variety of pearls found in the world. Popularly found in the coastal area of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, including the infamous “coral triangle” (An area famous because of sharks and pirates). They range from 8mm to 20mm in size and larger pearls fetch a hefty price.
- Baroque pearls
Pearls are categorized based on different factors such as shapes and sizes. The two main categories of a pearl are traditional pearls and Baroque pearls. Traditional pearls come in perfectly round shapes, whereas baroque pearls come in various colours and have unique shapes.
Quality grading of pearls
The pearls grading is a system to identify the quality of the pearl. It has four categories in grading, A, AA, AAA and AAAA, where AAAA is the highest quality pearl and the most expensive.
Difference between natural, cultured, freshwater and shell pearls
- Natural pearls
A natural pearl is formed when a foreign object naturally enters the mollusc’s mantle, and in response, the mollusc secretes ‘nacre’ (protective substance made from crystals and organic matter) that builds up to form a pearl. Unfortunately, natural pearls are rare to find. - Cultured pearls
The cultured pearls are formed when a pearl farmer puts a graft inside the mantle of a mollusc. The majority of the pearl used to make jewellery are cultured pearls. You can easily buy cultured pearl jewellery in New York. - Freshwater pearls
The freshwater pearls come from the oysters raised in lakes and ponds. The pearls formed by freshwater oysters are not as round as saltwater pearls; therefore, they are less expensive. In the past two decades, farmers used different types of mussels and lowered the number of grafts inserted, resulting in improved quality of pearls at a lower cost, making it the best choice for jewellers. - Shell pearls
Shell pearls are made from the inner line of oyster shells and are also known as the ‘Mother of Pearls.’ The shells are grounded, shaped, coloured and coated with natural nacre and a protective coating to give it lustre. They are beautiful pearls that vary in quality and are inexpensive compared to saltwater pearls. In addition, manufacturers of pearls adhere to strict standards ensuring high-quality pearl jewellery.
Conclusion
You can gift pearl jewellery to your dear ones to show love and affection towards them. Surprise your favourite person with a pearl necklace, bracelets, pendant, rings or earrings and feel the joy of giving. Pacific Pearls international is one of the leading pearl jewelry providers in USA. They meticulously focus on price, design, quality and service. To buy pearl jewellery for sale in New York, visit pacificpearlsinternational.com.
