What are artificial pearls called?

Natural pearls (wild) – pearls formed naturally in mollusks without human intervention. It can be river, sea or oceanic. As its name suggests, natural pearls are a phenomenon that is entirely the result of the work of Mother Nature. Natural pearls are formed as a result of the entry of a foreign object – a nucleus, a grain of sand – into the oyster shell. The presence of a foreign body causes a protective reaction in the oyster, serves as an irritant, and it gradually covers it with layers of pearly matter. After several years, a pearl is formed, which, provided it combines the ideal color, iridescence, shine, texture and shape, will acquire enormous economic value. If we cut a natural pearl in half and look at the section under a microscope, we can see that the core – the foreign body that gave rise to the formation of the pearl – is now almost invisible, and the pearl matter covers it in layers from the center to the outer surface.
There is currently a worldwide ban on wild pearl fishing. Natural pearls are practically never found in nature today, and their price is very high. It is for this reason that most pearls that are called “natural” in jewelry stores are actually cultured pearls. Cultured pearls (river, sea, ocean) – pearls obtained by artificially initiating its growth due to the introduction of a nucleus (seed) into the body of a mollusk by a person. Attempts to culture pearls were first made in China in the 1913th century, and these experiments were then taken up and improved by the Japanese, who began producing pearls in 5. The method of producing cultured pearls is to artificially induce the production of pearl matter by an oyster by introducing a man-made foreign body into its shell. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the core accounted for 90% of the total size of the pearl, but today it forms more than XNUMX% of its diameter. Due to the growing demand for pearls, many cultivators are significantly reducing the time it takes for a pearl to form in an oyster to one year, requiring a minimum of three years to properly form. The result is pearls that are inexpensive, but of low quality: with a thin layer of coating, a large core diameter, they are easily oxidized and have defects on their surface. Imitation pearl – synthetic core coated with paint. To create the core, cheap materials such as plastic are usually used, which are coated with 4-5 layers of chemicals. These substances do not have the same iridescent shimmer and strength as real pearls; very often beads obtained by this method have defects and irregularities, their color is unnatural, and the price is low. Organic pearls – Majorica pearls Majorica pearls have the following characteristics: Rainbow glow (pearl shimmer). This is characteristic of pearls, when when a beam hits the surface of a white pearl, a characteristic iridescence of rainbow colors appears. The more intense the shine, the higher the value of the pearl. Shine. The metallic sheen is similar to the sheen of satin fabric emanating from the surface of the pearls. Texture. This is the uniformity of the surface and the perfectly spherical shape of the pearl. This characteristic is very important, since the value of a pearl is reduced if its surface shows scratches, marks, cuts, discolored spots and general unevenness. Any imperfection of a pearl sharply reduces its quality. Color. Pearls can come in various colors and shades. Perfection. This is the surface quality of the pearl, the degree of matching of the pearls. The value of a pearl depends on the combination of these characteristics. Majorica pearls combine the perfect color, iridescent shimmer, shine and texture of a pearl. Strength. Unlike natural pearls, which are too capricious for everyday wear, “Majorica pearls” are highly durable and resistant to external destructive factors, such as sunlight, sea water, cosmetics, and perfumes. The characteristics of “Majorica pearls” do not change over time, and their lifespan is much longer than that of any other type of pearl.
Majorica jewelry uses all forms of pearls that exist in nature: round, baroque, mabe, teardrop. Dear customers, our store in St. Petersburg in the Nevsky Atrium shopping center is closed! We are working at a new address: Vladimirsky Prospekt, 19, Vladimirsky Passage shopping center, Dostoevskaya metro station, Vladimirskaya metro station, 1st floor, Central Gallery, boutique 1G2. Share
More about artificial pearls Jewelry made from natural pearls has always been an indicator of the owner’s wealth. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the only source of obtaining this beautiful stone was the shells of wild pearl oysters. Mining the mineral was a dangerous business; finding a smooth, large pearl was considered a great success and a rarity. Until the emergence of pearl farms in China and Japan at the end of the nineteenth century, wearing pearls was the privilege of only wealthy gentlemen. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, natural but human-cultured pearls have become widespread. By planting a particle in the shell of a pearl oyster, Chinese and Japanese farmers grow stones of the required size. The process is long, the “ripening” time for pearls of various diameters lasts from 2 to 12 years.

How did the first artificial pearls appear?

What should those who want to get a stone that is no different from the real one in appearance, but quickly and with the least financial cost, do? At all times, there were tricksters who counted on a wide consumer who would turn a blind eye to the origin and content, being satisfied with excellent external data. Great demand for pearls has given rise to a new supply. In the 17th century, Parisian shopkeepers discovered that if a glass bead was crushed with ground fish scales, it would become very similar to a real pearl. A big breakthrough in the technology of producing artificial pearls took place under the leadership of German engineer Eduard Hugo Hosch. He was inspired by the idea of ​​​​creating a plant while in Paris. Having patented his technology, the enterprising engineer went to the island of Mallorca and settled in the city of Manacor, starting to make expensive jewelry.

Top quality artificial pearls

• a bead made of cloudy glass or porcelain is fixed on a special bracket;
• the ball is immersed in an adhesive paste of mother-of-pearl and resins;
• the bead is taken out, dried for 40 minutes, then thoroughly polished, the operation is repeated several times;
• irradiated with ultraviolet light.

The whole process consists of many main and auxiliary actions. Dyes can be added to mother-of-pearl baths, resulting in amazingly beautiful beads of various shades. Moreover, shiny pearls from Mallorca are not afraid of perfume, traces of lipstick, or sweat. It is stronger and more durable than natural, and looks 100%!

What kind of cultured pearls are produced in Mallorca today?

Mallorca pearls are the brand of the most expensive imitation of natural stone. White, pink, gold and black beads of various sizes are skillfully combined in jewelry with other fashionable materials. Since the 19th century, the production of artificial pearls has been the main working specialization of the island’s inhabitants.

Majorca pearls is a brand known all over the world that has proven that even fraud can be made into art!