What color should pearls be?

Buying beads made from natural pearls is very simple. All you have to do is go to a jewelry store or pick up a piece of jewelry on the online store’s website. But will the pearls be of high quality? How will pearls be worn, how will they look with a dress? How can you not be disappointed later? To avoid doubts, it is advisable to start choosing a necklace with basic knowledge of assessing the quality of pearls. It’s not difficult at all.
It doesn’t matter whether you decide to choose freshwater or river pearls for your jewelry. Let’s consider the quality factors of pearls.

Glitter of pearls.

It is the intensity of the pearl’s shine that we will pay attention to first of all.
Luster is the most important feature of any pearl; the unique beauty of the entire piece of jewelry depends on it. Beautiful iridescence makes a pearl precious.
Black pearls have virtually no shine, but magically glow like a small full moon against a dark background. If other evaluation coefficients are equal, a brighter, stronger shine determines a higher price.

Pearl color.

The desired shade of a pearl necklace is selected individually to match the color of your eyes and skin (we apply pearl strands to the back of our hands and determine the winning color). Cultural traditions and fashion trends can have a decisive influence on the choice of pearl shade.
Natural color is assessed by depth and saturation: the stronger and more expressive it is, the more expensive the decoration. An exotic color or unusual shimmer also increases the price of pearl jewelry.
All types of pearls have a wide range of colors from white to black. Most often, pearl shades are soft, muted.

Pearl shape.

The choice of shape is a matter of individual preference or popular trends.
Basically, the external outline of a pearl depends on in which part of the mollusk’s body it was formed.
The most perfect and expensive is the ball shape. Exceptions are pear-shaped, oval, baroque pearls with a good layer of mother-of-pearl. These types are accompanied by a high price, which increases from the symmetry of the configurations.
The perfect spherical appearance and unique features of Baroque pearls are equally a delight for connoisseurs.

Pearl size.

The size of pearls in beads is selected based on age, status, characteristics of the figure and height, and the price of the jewelry.
All things being equal, size matters. The larger the pearl, especially spherical ones, the higher its price.
Most cultured pearls in the world (sea, river) are up to 10 mm in diameter. And if the same parameters are natural (“wild”) pearls, then they need to be assessed as rare (premium sector with an appropriate cost).

Surface quality.

Pearls with a clean surface free of blemishes such as stains, scuffs, scratches, or natural dents will be much more valuable than those with a few blemishes.
Pearls are an organic “stone”, a creation of nature, so they always have errors, even if we cannot see them with the naked eye. This does not affect the integrity of the pearls.
Serious scratches, clearly visible on the surface, can affect the durability of pearls, although such low quality products are rarely found on sale today.

General form. Harmony.

We visually evaluate how well the pearls match in a pair in terms of size, color, and brightness. The difference in diameter of two Akoya sea pearls in earrings or studs should be no more than 0,15 mm (i.e., the match must be as accurate as possible). And for the option with pearls from Tahiti or the southern seas, the difference is permissible of 0,5 mm.
For Akoya sea pearls, the pearls must be of equal size along the entire length of the beads or bracelet, and almost perfectly matched in appearance. Beads made from South Sea or Tahitian pearls are often knitted from pearls of different cross-sections with a discrepancy of several millimeters (increasing towards the center).
For beads made of freshwater pearls, a decrease in diameter towards the clasp and some irregularity of individual pearls in the product are allowed. This factor does not affect the cost of river pearls, and there are no strict criteria for making pearl beads. *The article belongs to the site http://www.feliki.ru/. Full or partial copying is possible with the permission of the site and the mandatory placement of an active link to the main page. If you liked this article, leave your comment and share your opinion! Pearls are highly valued by gemologists as a precious stone and are used in the jewelry industry. Pearls are highly valued by gemologists as a precious stone and are used in the jewelry industry. From a mineralogical point of view, it represents the growth of aragonite and conchialin on foreign particles in the shells of mollusks – both sea and river. In some countries, pearls are grown by inserting a bead into the cavity of an oyster. You will learn from this article how natural pearls differ from artificial and cultured ones, as well as how this stone is used.

Characterization

Hardness	2,5-4,5
Density	2,7 g / cm3
Main deposits	Japan, China, Australia, Venezuela Russia.

Pearl – a stone of organic origin, in the form of large grains or balls of white, yellow or black color with a variety of tints and shades. A pearl develops from a tiny grain of sand or particle of other substance trapped in the space between the shell and mantle of a freshwater mollusk. The protective mechanism is triggered, and the particle is covered with several layers of nacre – an organic substance impregnated with mineral salts. The word “pearl” came to Russia from China. It was formed from the Chinese “zhen-zhu” through the Old Russian “zenchug”. In England, Germany and France, pearls are called “pearl”. And from here, by the way, the word “nacre” came from – “mother of pearls.” The largest selected pearls in Ancient Rus’ were called Burmite grain, small ones – seed pearls. In the Black Sea, near Feodosia (formerly the city of Kafa), Kafim pearls were mined. Pearls from the Persian Gulf were called oriental or “oriental” pearls – they were the most valuable type of pearl. Other names for the mineral and its varieties:

• Skaten (pearls mined in fast freshwater rivers)
• Magarit (ancient Greek name)
• Pearl grain (small freshwater pearls)
• Beads (small freshwater pearls weighing 50 mg, diameter 3 mm)

There are three types of pearls based on their origin: natural, artificial and cultured. Natural pearls are formed without human intervention. It has always been expensive. In ancient times, 4-5 g of pearls were equivalent to 50 g of gold.

There are two types of pearls: sea ​​and river, these stones are similar in their characteristics, although there are a number of differences. Freshwater pearls are produced by freshwater oysters. Sea pearls are found in the shells of various sea mollusks.

Saltwater pearls are harvested mainly in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, as well as off the coast of Sri Lanka and Japan. Freshwater pearls are mined in Germany, Russia, China and North America.

Paragon is a sea pearl, shaped like the silhouette of an animal, person or object. Paragons have always been credited with miraculous powers. They were set in gold and decorated with precious stones. Large natural paragons are a rarity.

Each nation attributed its own history of origin and special properties to pearls: for example, the ancient Greeks were sure that mother-of-pearl stones were the frozen tears of nymphs. And they were almost right. A special genus of pearl mussels acts as nymphs.

When a foreign body, such as a grain of sand, gets inside the shell, the pearl oyster perceives this as an injury and begins to “cry” with pearlescent tears, enveloping the foreign object with them. This is how pearls are born. Over 2–3 years, the oyster grows a 5 mm layer around the object.

To grow a medium-sized pearl, it takes 3-4 years, a large one – 12 years, a giant one – more than 200. The largest stone is recognized as the “Pearl of Allah”, which was extracted from a giant mollusk that weighed 3 tons and lived 450 years. The weight of the pearl was almost 7 kg.

High quality pearls with a beautiful luster are called “mature”, while low quality pearls are called “immature”. Here, the thickness of the mother-of-pearl layers, the degree of development of the conchialin layers and the pattern of the stone itself play an important role.

Color

Pearls are usually white in color, sometimes cream or pink. There are also yellow, green, black and even blue pearls. Blue pearls are very rare and have high value and appeal due to their rare blue or lead-gray hue. In general, experts distinguish about 120 shades of pearls. The most common is silver, the rarest is greenish-blue.

The color of pearls depends on the type of water and the geographic location where the pearl mussels live. Each pool is characterized by pearls of its own shade. Pale pink pearls are mined off the coast of India, yellowish pearls are mined in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka, and soft and golden brown pearls are mined off the coast of Panama. Mexico produces reddish brown and black pearls, Japan white and light greenish pearls, Australia white and silvery white.

The Bahamas have light pink pearls, California has pink, dark brown and black pearls, and the Persian Gulf has soft cream pearls. The best black pearls, including cultured ones, come from Tahiti.

These photos show what color a pearl stone is:

There is a certain limitation and biological choice in the fact that most Europeans perceive pearls as exclusively white. It turns out that we instinctively choose pearls of the shade that is closer to our skin color. Therefore, Europeans usually prefer white pearls, the Japanese – yellow, and Africans – brown and black.

When a European wears jewelry with colored pearls, it is a sign of extravagance and love for the exotic. Pearls of different colors have their own prices: hot pink and black are considered the most expensive, and yellow is the cheapest.

Form

Pearls can come in different shapes, and it is the shape that plays an important role in its evaluation. For pearl necklaces, the roundness of the beads is important, but keep in mind that while perfectly round pearls are prized, they are extremely rare.

Pearls are divided into round, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical pearls can be pear-shaped, teardrop-shaped, oval or flattened. Round is the rarest and most expensive. If you want to buy a high-quality string of pearls and save a little, pay attention to irregularly shaped pearls.

This thread will be much cheaper, but you will still be able to enjoy the beauty of pearls. The so-called baroque pearls are considered the most original. It can be of various bizarre shapes. It is almost impossible to find two identical pearls and each should be considered a work of art.

The weight of pearls is determined by its unit – a pearl grain, which is equal to a quarter of a carat.

The sizes of pearls can range from very small (about the size of a pinhead) to very significant (for example, the pearl of the Spanish King Philip II, weighing 134 carats, found off the coast of Panama). The largest pearl weighing 450 carats (1800 grains) is kept in the Geological Museum in London.

The British National Museum houses an 80-carat pearl. The beautiful pearl “Pilgrim” (or “Pelegrina”), found off the coast of India, gained worldwide fame. The weight of this pearl is 28 carats (the size of a walnut), the shape is perfectly spherical.

The Regent pearl, kept in the State Diamond Fund of Russia, is considered one of the most beautiful and valuable pearls in the world. Previously, a round shape was considered ideal, but today designers have legalized the irregular shape. It is naturally found in smaller and brighter freshwater pearls.

Imitation pearl

Cultured pearls are a human creation. High-quality imitation of pearls became possible with the advent of dyes containing natural mother-of-pearl. It is extracted from fish scales and shellfish extracts.

Expensive jewelry uses hollow glass balls as a base, the outside of which is painted several times with mother-of-pearl, and the inside is filled with wax. This technology gives artificial pearls all the properties of natural ones – shine and strength.

Cheap jewelry uses plastic; unfortunately, mother-of-pearl comes off quickly. To distinguish a high-quality imitation from a cheap fake, bring the pearl to your mouth: if you feel cold, then the bead is made of glass, if it is warm, the inside is plastic.

Cultured pearls

Currently, not only the search for natural pearls is underway, but also their cultivation on an industrial scale (especially in Japan). Cultured pearls are no different in properties from natural ones. The difference is that a foreign body is placed in a mollusk shell by a person, and not by chance.

The first culture of artificial pearls began in China in the 1910th century. Today, almost all pearls used in jewelry are cultured. In XNUMX, the process of growing pearls was patented in Japan. The first person to grow pearls and begin this process was Kokichi Mikimoto.

The procedure involves surgically inserting a round bead into the cavity of the oyster. These oysters are then placed in baskets and returned to the sea for a period of one to three years. The longer oysters are at sea, the more layers of nacre are deposited on the surface of the foreign body, which means the greater the likelihood of obtaining a high-quality pearl.

From the outside, this procedure may seem quite simple, but, according to statistics, about 25% of oysters with implanted foreign bodies die every year. In general, the process of growing such pearls is very expensive.

Using

Pearls are one of the first decorations. Already in the history of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire there are references to this mineral. It is known that the inhabitants of Babylon mined pearls in the Persian Gulf. It is mentioned in the ancient Indian “Vedas”: during initiation into Brahmins, a pearl was placed around a person’s neck as an amulet that protects from evil.

Ancient Indian warriors decorated their shields with it, thus giving themselves strength. It is known that about 3000 years ago in Ancient China, pearls were given as gifts to emperors and their wives. In some states there was a law according to which pearls could not be worn by people not related to the royal family.

This gem is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of purity, chastity, high dignity and wisdom. Thus, in the Holy Scriptures, the Kingdom of Christ is likened to a precious pearl, which a merchant buys after selling everything he had.

Jesus Christ allegorically forbids his disciples to throw pearls before swine, that is, to enter into disputes about the sacred truths of the Gospel with stubborn, unbelieving and blasphemous people. In 1544, the tomb of the daughter of the Roman commander Flavius ​​Stilicho (36-480 AD) was opened. 53 pearls were preserved in the grave along with gold. They were dull, crumbling peas.

The queens loved this stone very much. So, Cleopatra had a huge box with pearl jewelry, and Semiramis wore seven strands of pink pearls. Greek and Roman women wore pearls so that the stones would protect them from unrequited love. In addition, it was believed that pearls gave shine to their eyes.

The mineral was used as decoration for medieval portraits, and women’s dresses were also embroidered with it. In the 16th century The best collection of pearls was collected by Queen Catherine de Medici, from her it passed to Mary Stuart. Catherine II’s favorite piece of jewelry was a unique black pearl necklace.

In Europe, the rarest pearls adorned church altars. In the XI-XII centuries. pearls have firmly entered into the everyday life of the inhabitants of Russia. They used it to embroider ceremonial royal and boyar clothes, festive folk costumes, sundresses, sleeves and collars of shirts, kokoshniks, and pearl threads were woven into braids.

The pearl industry received special development under Peter I. In Rus’, preference was given to pure white pearls. To this day, a string of pearls is considered one of the most elegant pieces of jewelry. Unlike other precious stones, pearls do not require cutting or polishing – they are immediately inserted into the frame. Jewelry with pearls is incredibly beautiful.

The main criteria for the quality of pearls are shine, thickness and quality of the nacre layer (top layer), color, smoothness of the pearl surface, shape and size. The main factor that determines the quality of a pearl is the thickness and quality of the nacre, which affects the durability of the pearl. When buying pearls, it is also very important to pay attention to the shine – it should be intense.

The pearl should seem to glow from within, and not just shimmer like artificial pearls. The color of the pearls is no less important. Try the pearls on yourself (put them on your neck or face) and make sure that their color is in harmony with the color of your skin and hair. Ask if the color is natural – this is especially true for colored pearls (gray, blue, black).

The rarest and most beautiful white pearls have a pink tint. Cream-colored (ivory) pearls are less expensive because they are more common. The price of a stone largely depends on the intensity of the color. So, pearls of darker shades will cost more than the same pearls, but a little lighter.

When purchasing pearls, pay attention to the fact that the surface of the pearls should be smooth, without depressions, tubercles, ribs or other physical deformations. Black, discolored or chalky spots are considered serious defects. The most popular pearl color is white. If you look at a pearl under direct light, you can see several shades of other colors.

This effect is called iridescence (rainbow internal glow). Such iridescent pearls are always in price. In addition to iridescence, overtones—an admixture of a different color—are valued in pearls. Of course, a grayish or yellowish overtone will not decorate white pearls, but pinkish, lavender and golden shades are highly valued.

When purchasing a necklace, carefully examine the pearls along the entire length of the string. They should be approximately the same size, shape, color and iridescence. Check whether the pearls are the right size: if the threads at both ends are small, then in the middle there are large ones.

For irregularly shaped pearls, pay attention to the iridescence and color. Freshwater pearls of various colors on one string look quite interesting. The baroque pearl necklace looks amazing thanks to the different shapes of the beads.

Pearls are one of the most fragile gems. It can be scratched very easily, damaged by chemicals and even sweat. It should be stored separately from other jewelry in a soft box.

Pearls should be strung on a silk thread, with a knot between the beads. The knot prevents the pearls from touching each other and wearing out prematurely, and if the thread breaks, the pearls will not fly apart. The quality of a pearl necklace largely depends on how well you take care of it.

Pearls are afraid of too much moisture and direct sunlight. Try to avoid any chemicals as mother of pearl is calcium carbonate which is highly soluble. If your pearls are really dirty, take them to a jewelry shop for cleaning.

Wear any pearl jewelry after using perfumes and cosmetics. You should not keep pearls in a place that is too wet or too dry, or in sunlight. Once every two years, and if the necklace is worn constantly, then more often, it is recommended to re-thread the pearl beads onto a new thread.

Natural and artificial pearls deteriorate over time. The average lifespan of a pearl is 250-500 years, then it loses its shine and is easily ground into powder. To make your jewelry last as long as possible, take care of it. Pearls contain 2% water, so dry and hot places are contraindicated for them: they can dry out, become cracked and lose their shine.