Pearl: What is it?

Pearl: What is it? Pearl is probably the only gemstone that is used in jewelry as it is, without cutting. There are no two identical pearls in the world, they all are unique. In China, it is called gjen-dju, In India - "manjara (the flower), Greeks and Italians call it "margarites", English, German and French people call it "pearl", Russians - "gemchug" (is it derived from English "gem" or from Chinese "gjen-dju"? Who knows...) Pearl is a gem and in the same time - a biologically creates substance, produced by a mussel. These mussels are of different types, both freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater species live in the zones with mild climate, populating fresh (and clean!) springs, rivers and lakes of North America, East Asia and Far East. Due to the pollution, their number have dropped dramatically, so at the moment five of these species are protected by law. As for the saltwater ones, about 10 species, they live in tropical seas: the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Ceilone (Shri-Lanka), Australia, Japan and Venesuella. How is the pearl produced? The natural (real) pearl is formed if the tiny grand of sand, or some other irritant, gets into the body of a mussel, or between its body and a shell. It can also be a reaction to the parasite. Pearl is simply a reaction of the mussel, an attempt to isolate the foreign object, to cover it with the mother of pearl (perlmutter), the same matherial that covers the inner side of a shell. With time, an object of spherical or irregular shape is formed. If you cut the pearl, you will see the core (the original grain of sand) and the rings - thin layers of aragonite (calcium carbonate), glued together with an organic glue - conhioline - produced by a mussel. The time that it takes to create a pearl, its color and other details is directly related to the outside conditions, like the temperature, quality of water and awailability of nutritions. The colot of a freshwater pearl is white, pink or mauve. Saltwater pearl can be black, white, yellow or gray. The size on a pearl of an average quality can be between few millimeters and the size of an egg of a pigeon. Extraction of natural pearl Freshwater pearl have beed known for centuries all around the world, from natives of North America to Russians. Russians, by the way, had the technology of extracting pearl without causing extensive harm to a population of mussels. All they used was... three baskets. The first basket (one without the bottom) they were using to take a closer look at the bottom of the river, edges of the basket "filtering out" the waves. When the mussel was found, they were placing it to the second basket, full of water. When the second basket was full, Russians were placing the mussels to the second basket, with the heated (not boiling! just warm) water. In the warm water, the mussel was opening its shell, and the catcher was able to take a look inside, without taking it out from the water. If there was no pearl inside, the mussel have been returned to the river. Speaking of Russian pearl. It is worth mentioning that in Russian Carelia it was silver-white or silver-blue, while in Lapland it was pink and sometimes black with metal tone. Most of this pearl have been sold to the Northwegian merchants, not to the Russian tsar. It was supplied either to the Europe or to the king of Northway. More to the south, the saltwater pearl was much more popular. The best quality was supplied from Persian Gulf, Red Sea, India and Japan. The one from the Persian Gulf was valued the most. Some little amount is still catched in Persian Gulf. Catching the natural pearl is a difficult and dangerous occupation. Catchers are collecting the mussels from the bottom of the sea in the special bag. Aboard their boat, they use a special knife to open the mussel, if lucky, they'll find one pearl in 30-40 mussels. Of course, after such a barbaric procedure, all 40 mussels die. Sometimes the fortune smile at teh catchers, and they find 2-3 pearls in one mussel, however, to find a high quality one, you need to go through thousands of mussels. Besides - where can we find that much, considering our ecological situation? Next: Artifficial Pearl Pearl home History and legends Pearl - what is it? Artifficial Pearl Cultivated Pearl Classification of Pearl Pearl: price estimation Buying Pearl Pearl: taking care Online store on Amazon

High price range  pearl jewelry

Terminology and FAQ: fashion pearls Fasion may, to some extent, influence the price of a pearl jewelry. For example, it he particular type (color, origin...) of pearl is new to the market, it may cost more. pearl hair pin As pearl may have almost any color, it is not difficult to find the pin to match any hair. Just keep in mind, that pearl does not like the hair cosmetics, so you should apply cosmetics FIRST, and only then to put pearl jewelry. buy a pearl necklace On this site you will find links (just click the image on the site's hearer) where you can find a large selection of the pearl jewelry online. giving a pearl necklace Here you will find all the necessary information on how to choose pearl jewelry, how to make sure pearls match each other, for example, in a necklace, and so on. pearl and ribbon jewelry To find a particular type of jewelry, click the image on the title of this page, and type the search phrase in the "Search box", for example, "pearl and ribbon jewelry". majorica pearl necklace Keep in mind, that different types of pearl can be easily mistaken for other types. On this site you will find some valuable hints on how to distinguish, for example, Majorica pearls from the freshwater one. south sea shell pearls The South Sea is one on the areas where pearls are being grown and harvested. This pearl is a saltwater one, and considered to be a good quality. bracelet engraved love pearl In the online store (you may click an image on this page's header), you will find thousands of pieces of pearl jewelry, rings, engraved bracelets, necklaces... You may search the store by price, type of pearl, and many other parameters. keshi black pearls Keshi pearl can be almost any color, its luster is usually exellent. It is so-called core-less pearl. If you do a search, for example, for "keshi black pearls", keep in mind that sometimes it is spelled as "keishi". bracelet earring pearl pearl platinum As was already mentioned, pearl can be almost any color. It can make a perfect match with such a "strict" material as platinum, allowing to create jewelry sets with necklaces, earrings and bracelets that macth very well. jewelry necklace pearl pearl platinum Keep in mind, that the choice of color is to some extent the mater of your personal preferences. For example, if you want pearls with platinum, you would most likely look for white or silver pearls, but nothing prevents you from choosing black, or whatever else your good taste suggests. black fragrance pearl When you searck for pearl jewelry, keep in mind, that sometimes this term (pearl) is used for commercial brands other than pearl. It is up to you to decide,it the pearl jewelry matches the "Pearl" perfume. cleaning pearl jewelry On the page Pearl: taking care you will find some very important tips that will help you to extend the life of your treasure. freshwater pearl chandelier earring Freshwater pearl is traditionally considered cheaper than the saltwater one, but novadays its quality is comparable, and often it takes an expert to distinguish. The shape (round, drop, oval...) and size varies, allowing to create any jewelry, from simple earrings to elaborated chandelers. faux pearl pendant necklace Necklaces are probably the first thing that comes to mind when we think of the pearl jewelry. On this site, you will find information on the rather simple rules that allow to make a perfect pearl set for a necklace. non cultured pearls You need to keep in mind, that non-cultured, wide pearl is very rare and it is way more expensive than a cultured one. If you buy it without a certifficate, beware of the fraud. mikimoto cultured pearls Mikimoto is one of the most respected companies selling pearl to the market. Their quality standarts are very strict, and the very word "Mikimoto" is a synonym for a "quality". costume pearls necklace Check our online store for pearl jewelry from different suppliers, and of different types. pearl ring womens Pearl rings are very beautiful, and are among womens faworite jewelry. You have keep in mind, however, that of all the jewelry, rings are impacted by the environment the most, so if you plan to do laundry or house cleaninng... You better take it off. pearls by the strand When you buy pearls, by the strand, separately, or as part of a set, you will do much better if you see the certifficate. This rule seems so obvious, and we have repeated it so many times, but it is IMPORTANT, especially if you are not an expert. wholesale gold and gem stone jewelry The online store we link to (click on the image on the site's header) have frequent wholesale events. Usually, the discount is good enough, and the quality, too. buy bracelet pearl For example, let's say you want to buy a pearl bracelet. First, go to our online store :) Then, perform a search, specifying "bracelet pearl" as a search criteria. Even if you prefer to buy offline, by visiting a "real" store, this search will give you some important information on WHAT is available and HOW MUCH does it cost. Then you can use this information, to protect yourself from high prices you often see in the offline stores. honora akoya pearls Akoyan pearl is among the best, and the most expensive. To find out exactly why, look through this site, the information is "spread" between chapters. You will also find some tips that will help you to distinguish between akoya and other, cheaper, pearls. handcrafted pearl earring As each pearl is unique, handcrafted jewelry is common in this area, especially if the pearl's shape can inspire the artist to create something unusual.