Pearls in History    What is a Pearl    Valuing & Grading Pearls     Caring for Pearls  Pearls in History Pearls have fascinated humankind for thousands of years and the love affair between mankind and pearls is as old as documented history. Perfected by nature and requiring no art to enhance their beauty, pearls were naturally the earliest gems known to man. Archaeological evidence indicates that almost 6,000 years ago in the Persian Gulf region, people were often buried with a pierced pearl resting in the right hand. Japanese tradition holds that the practice of Ama divers may be 2000 years old. Ancient Chinese literature refers to pearls as originating in the brain of a dragon, and being so lustrous as to be visible from a thousand yards. Cleopatra waggered her lover, Marc Antony, that she could give the most expensive banquet in history. He accepted her bet. During the dinner Cleopatra took one of her pearl earrings, which were extremely large, rare and valuable (at that time supposedly worth the value of 15 countries), crushed and dissolved it in vinegar, and drank it. Marc Anthony conceded that she won the wager. Ancient Greeks refer to pearls being produced by small shell fish and used to make necklaces of great value, and tell us of Gaia, Mother Earth being born as a pearl out of an oyster. The Romans considered pearls a great treasure and used them in triumphal processions. Pliny records that in 61 BC at the triumphal procession of Pompei, there were 33 crowns of pearls and numerous pearl ornaments. The emperor Caligula loved pearls so much that he decorated his favourite horse with a pearl necklace and wore slippers embroidered with pearls. What is a Pearl 'A Pearl is a living gem, and each pearl is a miracle of nature.' A pearl is formed by layers of translucent mother of pearl or nacre, which is what gives a pearl its unique iridescence. It takes thousands of very thin layers of nacre to make a single pearl and it is the evenness of these microscopically thin pearly layers that will differentiate a pearl worth thousands of pounds from another worth a few pennies. In any case, it is a remarkable gift of nature that a living oyster produces such an exquisite work of art. Natural Pearls Before the depletion of natural pearl beds in the 18th and 19th centuries all pearls were natural, the product of chance without any human intervention, whose beginnings lie in a grain of sand, the larva of a worm, or a speck of coral. With no shell sphere as its nucleus natural pearls are rarely round or uniform. Therefore roundness and size are integral to the value of a natural pearl. Today natural pearls are exceptionally rare and only seldom seen at auctions in New York or London.   Cultured Pearls A cultured pearl is the result of human assistance in a natural process. The first cultured pearls were grown some 700 years ago in China by cementing a core to the wall of the oyster shell. Favourites were small lead sculpures of little Buddhas. At the beginning of the 20th century, though depletion of natural oyster beds resulted in a significant scarcity of pearls around the world, demand for the gems remained high. Japan responded by channeling incredible energy into the development of modern pearl culturing techniques.Kokichi Mikimoto, shortly after he succeeded in culturing a perfectly round pearl, told the world: I would like to adorn the necks of all the women of the world with pearls.' He seemed to be dreaming of an unachievable dream. In fact, by the 1920s he was marketing his pearls worldwide.    Akoya Pearls White, round, lustrous gems, Akoya pearls are grown in the Pinctada fucata oyster species. These Oysters are cultivated mainly in the cool to temparate saltwaters around Japan, China, and Korea (Japan being the largest and China the second largest producer of Akoya pearls). This temperature allows the pearl to develop highly uniform mineral crystals resulting in brilliant luster. Thus, many experts believe Akoya pearls have the highest luster of all types. The Akoya shell is no bigger than the palm of a hand and only one pearl grows in the Akoya oyster. Its pearls generally grow from 2mm to 9mm, or very rarely 10mm, the average size being between 6mm and 7mm, and the cultivation period takes between eight months and two years. Most farmers wait at least one year in hopes of a larger pearl. The colors of Akoya are rose, silver/white, cream, gold and grey/blue.   South Sea Pearls South Sea pearls are grown in the warm, pure waters of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand in the oyster species Pinctada maxima of which there aretwo varieties, the Silver Lipped and the Gold Lipped Oysters.  These pearls and their shells are the largest and the rarest grown. It takes twenty to twenty-four months to grow the pearl and there are many complications that can cause them to die. South Sea pearl sizes range from 9mm to 20 mm, the average size being 13mm, and their colors include silver, silver/pink, white, white/pink, white/gold and gold. Tahitian Pearls Tahitian pearls are cultured and grown in the Pinctada Margaritifera Cumingi oyster species or Black Lipped Oyster found throughout its native waters of French Polynesia. Only 1 in 10,000 of these oysters produces a pearl and because of this rarity, they cannot be mass produced.  It takes 22 to 26 months for a pearl to grown and the size range from 8 – 18 millimeters (average size is 9-10mm), but there are some extremes. The largest Tahitian ever found was 25 millimeters! Tahitian pearl colours include peacock (the most popular), black/black, black/grey, silver/grey, black/rose, black/blue, black/green and aubergine. Freshwater Freshwater pearls grow in a mussel species Hyriopsis Schlegeli. The mussels are not rare and are mainly found in rivers, lakes and ponds in China and Japan, and also in Europe, Russia and America. They are propagated in water tanks and ponds. There are only a small number of oysters seeded with nuclei. Most pearls are obtained by simply grafting a number of mantle tissues from another mollusk. Pearl sacs then form around the mantle, which will eventually disappear. The pearl then grows up to any possible size, depending on the number of years the oyster is left in water. In this case, the pearl produced has no nucleus inside. A Freshwater mussel can produce up to 50 pearls at a time. China now produces Freshwater pearls in enormous volumes (close to 700 tons per year). It takes approximately three to four years to reach the size of 7mm. For larger pearls, the farmer has to wait even longer. After harvesting the pearls, the mussel is placed back into its environment without a new grafting and will produce pearls again in a few years. Freshwater pearls have an endless variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Keishi Pearls The word 'Keshi' means 'poppy seed' in Japanese and these pearls are also sometimes referred to as seed pearls. There is considerable controversy as to the classification of whether Keshi pearls are natural pearls or cultured pearls. It is impossible to determine the difference in the laboratory. As a basic rule, if the oyster has been seeded by human intervention and an additional pearl is created through the provocation and is therefore called a “Keshi” pearl and is 100% nacre. They are generally small in size and their shapes vary widely. Keshi come in a wide variety of colours and tend to have a high lustre. Most common today are the South Sea and Tahitian Keshi pearls. Biwa freshwater pearls were cultivated in Lake Biwa in Japan from 1914 to the mid 1970's. Biwa was one of the first freshwater culturing sites and pearls from this area were noted for their high quality. However, production has now stopped due to pollution problems, and also because of competition from cheap Chinese production. The Chinese first produced a rice-shaped inferior quality, then step by step improved production to create better quality and smoother surfaces. Cost of labour is very low in China and this put the Biwa producers out of business. Imitation Pearls Simulated pearls are completely man made from a variety of materials. They are commonly manufactured from beads of glass, plastic, or polished shells that are coated with a varnish that traditionally was made from ground‑up fish scales but most recently from reconstructed mother of pearl. Valuing & Grading Pearls Cultured Pearls are organic gemstones formed by nature therefore no two pearls are exactly alike. A variety of factors go into determining the quality and price of a pearl. There are 7 Value factors which determine the value of a pearl and, they apply equally to Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian and Freshwater pearls. Luster The most important factor is luster, which is light reflected from the pearls surface. When you look at a group of pearl strands or loose pearls, your eye is naturally drawn to the one with the highest luster. For cultured pearl experts, luster is perhaps the most important indicator in evaluating cultured pearl quality. Luster is what separates the inferior pearl from the superior and the ordinary from the extraordinary.   Nacre The next factor is nacre coating. Nacre coating can affect luster and can also affect the durability of the pearl. A pearl with thin nacre coating can have nice luster, but one with a thicker coating will have better luster. Nacre coating in Akoya pearls is usually one-half to one MM in thickness. In South Sea and Tahitian pearls it can range from .8 to 4MM in thickness. Freshwater pearls that are nucleated with only a mantle piece are composed entirely of nacre because during the cultivation period the mantle piece disintegrates leaving only nacre. For this very reason, Fresh Water Pearls are becoming increasingly precious especially in the larger sizes.   Surface Imperfections If there are 2 pearls of equal quality the one with the fewest imperfections on the surface will be more valuable. Here are examples of a range of cultured pearl surface quality. The pearl aon the left has a damaging pinhole.  Beside it is a pearl with a damaging chip and crack.  Next are non-damaging bumps and pits, then non-damaging wrinkles and finally a blemish-free pearl. Wavy or rough surface skin will also decrease the value of a pearl. Think of good-quality pearls and you’ll likely think of smooth surfaces. In fact, surface is the second most important aspect in evaluating a cultured pearl after luster. Surface quality refers specifically to the abundance or absence of physical blemishes or flaws. When evaluating surface (the trade uses such terms as blemish, spotting and cleanliness), remember that cultured pearls are grown by live oysters in nature. As such, there are many uncontrollable forces that affect the surface. Shape Shape is the next determining factor. All things being equal, the rounder the pearl the more valuable. Other shapes are baroque which is very irregular, drop shape, button shape and oval shape. The pearl with the most luster and fewest surface imperfections in any shape will be the most valuable. Size  If you have two pearls that are equal in luster, nacre, surface imperfections shape and color, the larger one will be more valuable. There can be exceptions and the exceptions are for pearls that are unusually large for a pearl type. For example: a 10MM South Sea pearl is not considered large or rare but, a 10 MM Akoya pearl is. In this case, if both pearls were of similar quality, the Akoya pearl would be more valuable than the South Sea pearl. Matching For pearl necklaces the overall look is very important, regardless of the quality of the individual pearls. The more uniform and aesthetically pleasing two or more pearls look together the more time was spent matching the pearls. The time required to match pearls, which is some cases can be many years, is reflected in the cost. Caring for Pearls Queen Elizabeth I was probably the greatest pearl lover of all times, with more than 3,000 pearl-beaded gowns, almost 100 pearled wigs and chests filled with pearl strands and pearl jewellery. Five centuries later many of Elizabeth's pearl treasures and also the diadems, jewellery and sceptres of other royal houses remain in excellent condition. Precious pearl museum pieces from as long ago as 300 BC still retain their lovely lustre today. Common sense care can assure that today's pearl jewellery also becomes tomorrow's heirlooms.  Proper care of pearls is not difficult, and it is merely a matter of remembering that these gems are organic by nature, grown in water from the living cells of a living creature. Like the oysters which formed them, they require moisture but because they usually are worn on a silk string which will deteriorate when wet, the pearls will need to be re-strung more frequently if they are taken for a swim in salt or fresh water. Never expose pearls to chlorinated water. Like their “organic” owners, pearls are prone to damage from pollution and injury. They can’t stand the heat, and they should definitely stay out of the kitchen. What to Do Store pearls separately from other jewellery in a cloth bag or jewellery pouch. Storage in slightly damp linen will help to prevent pearls from drying out in low-humidity atmospheres including central heating. Apply cosmetics, perfume and spray products first, before putting pearl jewellery on. Remove spills immediately if pearls come in contact with food acids. Use a soft cloth moistened in water to wipe them down and then dry with another soft cloth. Wipe pearls after wear, using a soft cloth. Re-string pearls regularly for the sake of the pearls as well as to avoid a broken string. Make-up, powder and grime will form a soft, gluey paste on the string, attacking both the silk and the pearls. Replace individual pearls when a competent pearl stringer recommends it. Pearls which always lie against the neck when worn will absorb acid from the skin and eventually lose lustre as well as their spherical shape. Avoid safety deposit boxes in bank vaults over a long period of time to prevent Dehydration from being wrapped in an air tight environment. However, remember Pearls must be worn. The grain of the skin improves their lustre and pearls that are not worn will loose their beauty!