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Where Do Pearls Come From?

February 22, 2011 By
Pearls

Pearls are made naturally by molluscs such as oysters, clams and mussels. The pearl is formed when an irritant such as a grain of sand enters the mollusc shell. The mollusc wraps the grain in multiple layers of a translucent substance, giving the pearl its iridescent shimmer.
Pearls come in a variety of colours. There are normally white but can also be tinted in other colours; these are cream, pink, yellow, green, blue, brown, purple or black.
There are saltwater and freshwater pearls.
Saltwater pearls are formed by oysters in the ocean, usually in protected farms in lagoons. Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian are the three main kinds of saltwater pearls.
Akoya pearls, from Japan and now China, are small and consistently round.
South Sea pearls are large and range in colour from white and cream, to silver, pink, lavender and gold. Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Papua New Guinea and the Philippines are the main regions for cultivation.
Tahitian Black pearls are rare and therefore expensive. They are cultivated in the lagoons of French Polynesia and they come not only in black, but also in silver, grey, green, orange, gold, blue and purple.
Freshwater pearls are formed by freshwater mussels. They are popular because of the range of colours currently available, including lavender, pink and peach. China is today’s largest source of freshwater pearls, and cultivators there are constantly seeking to innovate and achieve the highest quality.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST, MOST EXPENSIVE PEARL EVER RECORDED?
The largest and most expensive natural gem-quality pearl ever recorded is the Arco Valley: a white irregular-shaped (baroque) pearl weighing 115 g, measuring 79 x 41 x 34 mm. This marvel in white, with pink and yellow overtones, has a thousand-year history. It once belonged to
Genghis Khan’s grandson, the Emperor Kublai Khan, who gave it to the Venetian adventurer, Marco Polo. History is hazy as to what happened to it after Marco Polo’s death, but it is documented in the 20th century as the property of an Austrian aristocratic family, the Arco-Valleys. In 2007 a collector from the United Arab Emirates offered $8 million for this amazing gem.
Another baroque beauty, the Hope Pearl, weighing 90 g and measuring 5 cm x 10 cm, with a hue of white at one end and greenish gold at the other, is now owned by the British Natural History Museum.
In 2001 Burmese officials reported the discovery of a natural saltwater pearl believed to be the biggest in the world. It is said to weigh 169 g and have a diameter of 6.2 cm. It was discovered in an oyster bed off the southern coast of Burma. No appraisal value has ever been disclosed.
1990 saw the discovery of the biggest natural Ear Shell mollusc pearl ever found. Known as the Big Pink Pearl, it is an irregular shape but weighs nearly 100 g. In 1991 it was valued at $4.7 million.

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All About Pearls

January 17, 2011 By
Pearl
Pearl

Pearl

If diamonds are considered as a woman’s best friend, then pearls are definitely one of her closest friends. Seen as the best way to look stunning while pure, beautiful while sweet, and gorgeous while nice, pearls can up a woman’s physical looks by a hundred percent. The charm and beauty that a single pair of pearl earrings can lend to the wearer is beyond priceless, and women all over the world have learnt to realise that.

The Making Of Pearls
Pearls are made by shelled mollusks. The colour of the pearl formed depends on the type of mollusk, the position of the product in the shell, the water quality and the genetics of the animal.

Saltwater pearls are produced by inserting a mother-of-pearl bead nucleus (from a clam shell) into the oyster, adding a mantle tissue (epithelial cells of another oyster). The mantle tissue would create a sac around the bead, and the oyster will coat this sac with the pearly substance called nacre.

Freshwater pearls are typically made in the same way. The only exception is that freshwater pearls don’t require a mother-of-pearl nucleus. The freshwater oyster can proceed to producing the nacre, even without the nucleus. One added thing, too, that is possible is that putting a lot of mantle tissues would lead to the production of more freshwater pearls.

The Largest Pearl
The largest pearl that was recorded is the Pearl of Lao Tzu, found in the Philippines in 1934. This pearl is produced by a giant clam. Since it does not come from an oyster, the surface of the Pearl of Lao Tzu is rather porcelain-like. It is not artificially made, it is naturally produced by the giant clam.

The Most Expensive Pearls
Natural pearls are considered to be the priciest pearls in the world. One particular example, the Baroda pearls, were priced at 7 million dollars. But, natural pearls are very rare, and they often end up in the hands of collectors.

Cultured pearls are more numerous. In fact, most of what you would see on any jewelry store display are cultured pearls. South Sea pearls are the most expensive cultured pearls. They’re followed by Tahitian pearls, and they are produced in the French Polynesia. If they’re produced outside of the French Polynesia, those pearls are called black South Seas. Grown (primarily) in Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia, the Akoya pearls are the third most expensive pearls in the world.

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