Make Sense Of Pearl Jewellery – Learn Their Roots
If you’re thinking of buying some beautiful pearl jewellery, whether it’s a pearl necklace or you want to buy pearl earrings, chances are you’ll find it hard to know where to begin due to the vast pearl ranges out there. With this in mind, here is a useful guide to help you along the way and give you some background into the world of pearls.
Tell Me About Tahitian Pearls – Are They All Black?
This might surprise some, but Tahitian pearls aren’t grown in Tahiti and they’re also not black. Called “black” because of their exotic dark colours, Tahitian cultured pearls can also be grey, blue, green and brown. And they’re grown in the lagoons of small islands that are part of a group known as French Polynesia.
Cultured Vs Natural Pearl Earrings
Natural pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a parasite, makes its way into a pearl-producing animal such as an oyster or mollusc. In order to shield itself, the oyster will over the parasite in an organic substance called nacre, which then creates the mother of pearl we know today. It takes time for the nacre layers to build up, but when the newly-formed pearl is retrieved, it proves that it is worth the wait.
When it comes to cultured pearls, they are formed in the same way, but with man’s input rather than nature’s. A technician will place the irritant in the oyster and then place it back into the water. Once this is completed, pearls will then get made into jewellery and people like you and I can buy pearl earrings.
Should I Buy Saltwater Or Freshwater Pearls?
Many people would say that the quality of cultured freshwater pearls are better value than the saltwater versions. Due to improvements in culturing techniques, freshwater pearl farmers are producing beautiful, round, lustrous pearls that are a vast improvement over the wrinkled, rice-krispie-shaped gems that typified the freshwater pearl crop of the not-so-distant past.
If you’re a pearl fan, you can buy freshwater coloured pearls in many different variations and these can vary from cream to pink. One of the most popular pearl options at the moment is lavender. White pearls are bleached to enhance their natural shine. Black freshwater cultured pearls are treated with dye or heat to produce their inky colour.
You definitely get more value for money with freshwater pearls. You can buy pearl earrings in any colour you like, as long as you have the cash to splash.
