THE MOST ANCIENT GEM
Pearls, a mineral extracted from the shells of certain types of bivalve mollusks, the so-called pearl mussels, are considered the most ancient gemstone. This is the only gemstone that does not require treatment.
If we talk about the origin of pearls, then a pearl is formed inside a mollusk shell as a result of a foreign object (grain of sand, etc.) getting there; the mollusk perceives this foreign body as an injury and begins to envelop the foreign object “seed” with nacreous layers, which are an organic compound consisting from calcium carbonate and conchiolin (horny substance). In general, pearls are a sign of shellfish disease. If the mollusk is healthy and nothing bothers it, it will not produce pearls. The presence of a pearl in a shell is often indicated by its distorted shape.
Even in pre-biblical times, people endowed pearls with such traits as chastity, dignity, spirituality and beauty. Historians claim that pearls were first used as jewelry in the 40th century BC (on the Mesopotamian peninsula). The Persian king was the first owner of a pearl necklace, and it was kept in a sarcophagus for 2,500 years before it came to the Louvre. In the history of many states, pearls have been a symbol of power and high social status.
CHINA
The rank of the official was marked with a certain ball. The balls were made of turquoise, ruby, carnelian, jade, sapphire, coral, and they were attached to the headdress. The official of the highest position was the owner of a ball of pearls. Only the emperor himself could wear pearl beads, and on his small round cap there were twelve perfect pearl beads.
INDIA
Back in the 15th century BC. The Indians loved excellent pearls. In the sacred ancient Indian books they write that when a person was initiated into the Brahmas, they put a necklace of large pearls around the neck, which served as a talisman and protected against failure. One legend says: Krishna presented his daughter as a wedding gift with a magnificent deep-sea pearl, and since that time pearls have forever remained the main wedding attribute in India.
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME
Historians like to tell a story about Queen Cleopatra that involves pearls. One day Cleopatra made a deal with Mark Antony. The bet was that Cleopatra would give her favorite the most expensive dinner. At the end of the dinner, Mark Antony was preparing to celebrate his victory, since the dinner, although it was plentiful, consisted of simple, cheap dishes. Cleopatra unexpectedly raised a glass to the well-being of Mark Antony and threw her largest, most expensive and most luxurious pearl into the wine (according to other sources, vinegar). After the pearl had completely dissolved, the queen drank the wine, and victory was hers. Since that time, this dinner with Cleopatra has been considered the most expensive in the history of mankind.
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans) emerged from a sea shell, and drops of water from her beautiful hair formed into beautiful pearls. For the Romans, pearls were the main treasure. Pearl merchants held an honorable rank in the Roman Forum. The sacred temples of Venus and Jupiter were decorated with pearls. It was customary to give pearls to beloved gods and children.
RENAISSANCE AGE. EUROPE.
During the Renaissance (14-16 centuries), in all the portraits of the rulers of that time and the highest nobility you can see luxurious jewelry made of rare pearls - Anne Boleyn, Marie de Medici, Mary Stuart. In the 16th century, the owner of the best pearls in Europe was the Queen of France, Catherine de' Medici. As historians write, Queen Elizabeth I of England had a special passion for pearls, and she always had several strings of pearls hanging around her neck. Pearls were used by the ruling class as the main decoration at weddings, tournaments, and coronations.
European kingdoms banned the wearing of pearl jewelry by commoners. The nobles were also against the wearing of pearls by people of non-noble origin. But little by little, pearls are becoming so popular that large sections of the population are also beginning to use them as an adornment to their outfits.
The 17th century was called the century of pearls. Not only sea pearls are becoming popular, but also river pearls. A fashion arose for unevenly shaped pearls, which began to be called baroque.
In the 20th century, thanks to Coco Chanel, pearls became an element of elegance and taste. “Pearls are always right,” a fashion trendsetter will once say, who believed that pearls go with any clothes, but she herself preferred to wear a string with white pearls on a black sweater or black dress.
RUSSIA
In Rus', pearl fishing has existed for a long time. The first mentions of pearls are found in books dating back to 1161. The Russian rivers Don, Volga, Dvina, Ladoga, Onega and numerous small northern rivers were full of pearls with a special cold northern lights, but of an uneven shape. In Russia, it was believed that uneven pearls bring misfortune, and round pearls bring happiness. Therefore, merchants preferred to bring overseas, evenly shaped pearls. Despite the uneven shape, pearl fishing in Rus' acquired such a scale that in 1712, by a special decree, it was prohibited for private individuals to conduct this fishery. The church received a monopoly on the extraction and processing of pearls in Russia, and monasteries began to organize the fishery. By the beginning of the 18th century. Pearl resources in Russia were depleted and fishing ceased. Due to the damage that was caused to the habitat of pearl mussels in Russia, at the moment only a small colony of fruiting mussels remains in Karelia, the Kuril Islands and the Amur.
THE BEST TYPES OF PEARLS
Depending on the place of origin, pearls can be either sea or freshwater. According to the method of origin, natural and cultured pearls are distinguished.
The quality and brilliance of a pearl are affected by calcium and minerals, which are found less in fresh water than in sea water, but due to environmental problems, the quality of sea water is also deteriorating and good sea pearls are becoming increasingly difficult to find. In addition, since 1952, the extraction of natural pearls has been prohibited throughout the world. At the moment, almost all pearls on the world market are cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are natural pearls, the only difference from natural ones is that the core enters the oyster or mussel with the help of a person, and not by accident. All other conditions for the formation of a pearl are completely natural.
SEA PEARL AKOYA
Akoya is the Japanese name for Pincatada fucata sea oysters, which live in the cold waters near the Japanese islands and in the South China Sea. Due to the low temperature of sea water, 10-15 degrees lower than the temperature required for other types of pearls, the oyster takes longer to envelop the core of the pearl with a nacreous layer and this nacreous layer is very thin - a maximum of 1.5 mm, but its brightness is unrivaled. The period of “growing up” is from 12 to 36 months. The average lifespan of an Akoya oyster is 7 years; only at 3 years is it capable of producing nacre. Oysters grow no more than 7-8 cm and “give birth” to small pearls - 2mm-10mm. An oyster can only be used to grow pearls once.
According to experts, Akoya pearls have a regular round shape and the most beautiful and brightest nacre. Experts call such mother-of-pearl “mirror”; White, pink and cream shades predominate.
SOUTH SEA PEARL
South Sea pearls are formed in large tropical Pincatada Maxima clams off the coasts of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula and other Pacific countries. Shells of this species produce the largest pearls - 20-22 mm, but it is not the size that is of commercial value, but the nacreous layer, which is considered one of the thickest (from 2 to 6 mm). This is due to the long period of pearl cultivation - the average period is 4 years. A healthy oyster can be used to grow pearls up to 4 times.
South Sea pearls are called the king of pearls and are characterized by a delightful matte luster. Experts, describing the shine of this pearl, use the expression “satin” and “silky”, in contrast to the Akoya variety, covered with “mirror” mother-of-pearl. The colors of South Sea pearls are dominated by white, silver, pink and golden shades. Despite the decent quality of this type of pearl, it has minor defects: spores and bulges associated with its long period of formation in the oyster.
BLACK PEARL OF TAHITI
Tahitian pearls are grown off the coast of French Polynesia. Tahitian pearls are formed in a sea oyster of the species Pinctada Margaritifera (Black-Lipped Oyster), which is twice the size of an Akoya oyster. Pearls range in size from 8.5 to 20 mm and can be found in shades of blue, grey, green and purple. The thickness of the mother-of-pearl layer of Tahitian pearls is 2-3 mm. Pearls of this variety can have either a smooth or uneven surface. Experts value primarily the shine and color of the mother-of-pearl layer of Tahitian pearls.
Oysters are caught in places specially permitted by the authorities, after which they are released into small lagoons, where they are kept throughout the long period of pearl cultivation. Tahitian oysters have a low survival rate, but they have one special feature - they are able to produce mabe pearls - hemispherical pearls that form not in the soft body of the oyster, but on the inside of the shell.
FRESHWATER PEARL
Currently, China is the largest producer of freshwater pearls. Chinese Freshwater pearls (fresh water pearls) are cheaper due to the fact that the freshwater mollusk is much larger than the sea shell - thanks to modern technologies, the diameter of pearls can reach up to 13 mm. Also, each mollusk is capable of simultaneously growing up to 20 pearls. When growing freshwater pearls, a nuclear-free method is used, that is, the mantle of another mollusk is introduced into the oyster, and it dissolves during the growth process. The growth period of a freshwater pearl lasts from 5 to 6 years. The main advantages of freshwater pearls are a wide range of colors: white, champagne, lavender, pink, orange and milder growing conditions - this type of pearl is more resistant to temperature fluctuations.
In Chinese margaritas, mussels are grown in nets in rice fields, and to ensure that the pearls are sloping and have a smooth surface, they are periodically turned over by hand.
Natural, cultivated, artificial
Incredibly delicate, magically beautiful pearls are so popular in the world that the shortage of their natural reserves began to be felt at the beginning of the 20th century. To satisfy the growing aesthetic needs of the fair half of humanity, men have learned to grow cultured and synthetic pearls. Today, pearls of divine beauty are grown in industrial conditions.
What is the difference between cultured pearls and natural pearls?
What are artificial pearls?
Natural pearls
Natural pearls are formed in the shells of mollusks. It is also called wild pearls.
A grain of sand, larvae of small insects or other foreign body of the smallest size gets into the shell of a mollusk. Inside, the walls of the shell are covered with a mollusk mantle, which has many small nerve endings. They instantly react to a foreign “object” and, as a reaction of a living organism, a substance is released, which is nothing more than the well-known mother of pearl. This is how a tiny pearl grain is first born, which after a few years turns into a full-fledged pearl.
How long does it take for natural pearls to grow and mature?
The growth rate of a pearl is influenced by many different factors - it depends directly on the type of pearl mussel, its age, place of growth (sea, fresh water), and the state of the environment.
A pearl oyster is a mollusk shell. The largest pearls mature in young pearl oysters. With age, the pearl oyster's mantle becomes depleted, and small pearls mature in the shell.
Pearls grow fastest in the first year – 2.3 mm. In subsequent years, pearls grow more slowly - no more than 0.38 mm per year.
Sea pearls are 2 times larger than river pearls. This is due to the richness of the biochemical composition of sea water. But river mollusks are fertile - several pearls ripen in them at the same time.
Cultured pearls
Cultured pearls are not artificial pearls. These are natural pearls grown in a mollusk shell in natural conditions with the help of humans. So-called “cultured” pearls.
Currently, there are incomparably fewer natural pearls on the jewelry market than cultured ones. For example, the American pearl market is 80% cultured pearls.
This happens because natural pearls grow very slowly, and there are more and more people who want to admire them and decorate themselves. Humanity is growing in number, and people's needs are also growing. Therefore, cultured natural pearls are most often used in jewelry.
The process of growing cultured pearls is multi-stage, extremely complex and delicate. Cultured pearls are grown for 3 to 12 years. In rare cases, faster - which depends on the type of mollusk.
An implant is inserted into the mantle of the pearl oyster Pinctada martensi - an artificially carved, tiny ball of mother-of-pearl. Then the shells are lowered into the sea, securing them on special hanging nets. To the appearance of a new irritant, the living mantle reacts by releasing a pearlescent composition, which gradually and very slowly covers the foreign body inside the shell. On average, cultured pearls take 7 years to grow. Some of the largest plantations are located today on the coast of the Sea of Japan.
A cultured pearl has a perfectly round shape. Almost its entire thickness is made up of the ball itself - 75–90%. The layer of nacre that the pearl oyster secretes is usually 1 mm.
What determines the quality of cultured pearls?
Mainly, it depends on the time of pearl ripening. The longer it matures inside the shell, the thicker the layer of mother-of-pearl grows, which preserves the pearl in all its glory for many decades. Six-month-old pearls have a fairly thin nacreous layer that wears off quickly. High-quality cultured pearls are considered to be those that have been growing for at least 2 years.
Once cultured pearls are recovered from the depths of the sea, they are first drilled and then dyed in various colors. But not always. It depends on the properties of certain mollusks. The most popular pearl color after classic white is pink.
Cultured pearls in China and Japan
It’s hard to imagine, but the art of cultivating natural pearls is at least 800 years old! The Chinese were the first to cultivate pearls back in the 13th century. They discovered that pearls are formed from foreign bodies trapped in the shell, and began to try to grow them themselves.
Craftsmen carefully opened the shells with bamboo sticks and placed tiny balls of clay or copper, or pieces of wood inside. The shells were then tightly sealed and immersed back into the sea. The pearl harvest took several years to arrive.
One of the most amazing inventions of Chinese masters is the “pearl Buddha”. Copper or lead Buddha images of the smallest size were placed in the mollusk shell, which was then displayed on the ripened pearl.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Chinese technology was patented by enterprising Japanese and they began mass production of this most valuable natural mineral. Today Japan occupies a leading position in the world in the cultivation of cultured pearls. The country has a powerful industrial sector.
Japanese craftsmen cut out a small piece of living tissue from the mantle of a pearl mussel, wrap a ball of various materials in it, then place it in the mantle of the shell of another mollusk, making a neat cut. The pearl matures naturally over several years. Moreover, this process is quite difficult to influence. Recently, they have learned to grow pearls of a certain shape, size and color.
What kind of pearl you will get can only be determined after the shell has been completely opened. After this procedure, the process of growth and maturation stops. It is simply impossible to know in advance what the size of a ripe pearl will be and what shape it will be. Often the mollusk rejects the foreign ball inserted into it immediately after insertion, and the result of the work turns out to be zero. So pearl production has a very certain percentage of commercial risk. Not a single specialist, even the most experienced, will undertake to predict what the percentage of defects will be in each batch of cultured pearls. In practice, on average, only one out of ten pearls meets the required standards, which cannot be called a high “yield”.
Today, cultured natural pearls cost 10 times less than natural ones. Moreover, the price very much depends on whether the pearls are freshwater or saltwater. Growing freshwater pearls is much easier. Up to 7 pearls mature in one growth cycle! Whereas in marine mollusks, in most cases, only 1 pearl is born per cycle. This is why freshwater pearls are cheaper.
In recent years, the Japanese pearl industry has been in the lead and supplied up to 100 tons of cultured sea and freshwater pearls to the world market.
But the catastrophic tsunami in 2011 in Japan destroyed most of the pearl farms, making the Chinese the leaders in pearl cultivation in the world. It should be noted that Chinese pearl farmers have worked very hard and long towards this success. They began to study Japanese advanced cultivation technologies 50 years ago, diligently mastering the experience of their colleagues. For a very long time, Chinese pearls were not quoted on the jewelry market, since they were largely inferior in quality to Japanese ones. Today, Chinese pearl farmers have caught up with the Japanese and become the leaders in pearl farming in the world. But Japanese pearl culture traditions are too strong to disappear. Industry is gradually recovering. Japan maintains its leadership in terms of pearl size. The fact is that in Chinese waters, due to climatic conditions, it is impossible to grow pearls larger than 7 mm in size. And if the size of the pearl exceeds 8 mm, then its cost increases significantly. This fact allows Japanese pearl farmers to maintain a leading position in this category.
Akoya cultured pearls are one of the most popular varieties of cultured pearls in the world. It is grown in large volumes on Chinese and Japanese pearl farms, as well as in small quantities on Vietnamese ones. Akoya pearls have a distinctive feature - a rather intense metallic luster. In order for Akoya pearls to reach their maximum possible brilliance, they are harvested in late autumn - early winter. This is the optimal harvest time for this oyster variety. It is noteworthy that these are the smallest pearl oysters. An even more amazing fact is that up to 5 pearls can mature in this tiny shell at the same time! Not every large oyster can ripen such a harvest. In addition, she grows the fastest - only 8 months. Here she is, little Akoya.
Akoya is a well-known and long-loved classic in the pearl market.
Popular shades are white, cream, pink. Metallic silver pearls are very beautiful and popular. But most often oysters give birth to yellow, brown, greenish and blue pearls. Perfectly round Akoya pearls are widely used in the jewelry industry - pearls from 5 to 9 millimeters in diameter are excellently selected for necklaces and bracelets.
Artificial pearls
Artificial pearls are imitation pearls created in a factory.
The mollusk shell plays absolutely no role in the creation of synthetic pearls. The entire process is carried out by humans. At the same time, there are separate technologies for creating artificial pearls, which use exclusively natural ingredients - mollusk shells and its components.
It is curious that artificial pearls began to be produced back in the 15th century. In those days, Roman pearls, which were glass balls with paraffin poured inside, were very popular.
A little later, glass pearls were coated with a special “pearl essence”, which for a long time was made from sparkling fish scales. Today, mother of pearl is extracted directly from mollusk shells.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the ancient Indians mastered the skill of creating artificial pearls. They used clay balls as the core. A special composition of mica and natural mother-of-pearl, which was extracted from the inside of mollusk shells, were used as a mother-of-pearl coating.
Today, the core of artificial pearls is made from a variety of materials - plastic, alabaster, glass, etc. Pearls are cut from pink coral and some varieties of hematite. Depending on the technology and place of production, there are many varieties of artificial pearls.
In the 20th century in the United States of America, a method of multiple coating of beads with varnish was invented - Shell pearl. Synthetic pearls, popular all over the world, are still produced using this technology to this day. The high quality of this variety is evidenced by the fact that it is used in production by the Chanel jewelry house. It feels much nicer to the touch than glass pearls, and is also much better quality and more durable. And in terms of the number of shades, it has no equal, in principle, among all types of pearls. These are hundreds of truly luxurious shades: from classic glossy to modern “acid” ones. Shell pearl is based on a core cut from a natural mollusk shell. The average diameter of such a ball is 10 millimeters. The coating is made from natural mother-of-pearl, which is initially crushed to a powdery state and then mixed with a special binder. The result is a pearl emulsion made from natural mother of pearl. Multi-layer indelible Shell pearl coating is a guarantee of many years of pearlescent shine. Such artificial pearls are in no way inferior in appearance to the beauty of wild natural and cultured pearls. In addition, its composition is almost completely identical to the composition of real pearls. The only visual difference between Shell pearl is the incredible smoothness of the surface. The structure of wild pearls is noticeably porous.
Another of the most common and famous varieties of artificial pearls is “majorica”. Many layers of natural mother-of-pearl are applied to the alabaster ball. Spanish technology is so advanced that this type of synthetic pearl is almost impossible to distinguish from natural pearls with the naked eye. The technique was developed and honed on the Spanish island of Mallorca over 120 years. The founder and developer of this coating technology, German emigrant Eduard Hugo Hosch, dreamed of achieving complete external similarity between artificial pearls and natural ones - and he succeeded! Currently, synthetic Majorica pearls are sold in huge quantities all over the world and are distinguished by their excellent mother-of-pearl luster, ideal round shape and affordable price. Interestingly, under electric lighting, artificial pearls are distinguished by an unusually beautiful light refraction effect.
Which pearl is better?
Natural wild pearls are a rarity on the jewelry market today. This does not mean that absolutely all pearls offered to customers are artificial. In the vast majority of cases, jewelry is made from cultured pearls - these are also natural pearls, the quality characteristics of which are no worse than the real (wild) ones. Only its cost is several times lower. Real natural pearls are quite expensive - depending on the size and color, the cost can be tens of times higher. Currently, small-scale mining of natural pearls is carried out in Japan, in the Gulf of California. Moreover, out of 100 mollusks, only 5-10 pearls of decent quality can be found. Today, wild natural pearls are on the verge of extinction. Which, in turn, deals a powerful blow to the ecological system of the sea as a whole. To find 1 pearl you have to kill up to 100 mollusks! This is why hunting for wild pearls has virtually ceased throughout the world. Cultured pearls are no worse, cost less and do not destroy nature. It is so identical to the wild one that it is simply impossible for a non-specialist to distinguish it from the natural one. The natural “wild” origin of pearls is evidenced by a slight, barely noticeable surface roughness and other factors.
Pearls have long been a symbol of beauty and purity. They are a modern classic and these days there are many varieties of pearls that you can choose from for your jewelry.
1.1 Types of pearls - natural and cultured
Pearls are formed when an irritant (such as sand) gets inside a mollusk's shell, and the mollusk reacts by creating layers of nacre around the irritant.
rice. Cross-sectional diagram of natural and cultured pearls
In natural wild pearls, the irritant usually comes from the water, while in cultured pearls, people put a seed (nucleus) inside to start the process.
rice. Cross-section of natural (top) and cultured (bottom) pearls
1.2. Types of pearls – Tahitian, Akoya and South Sea pearls
Pearls can grow in both sea and fresh water. Saltwater pearls differ in origin - Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls and South Sea pearls.
Sea pearls
Pearl of Akoya
This cultured pearl is grown in Chinese and Japanese waters (mainly in Southern Japan). Akoya pearls are round, the color of the natural shades of this type of pearl can be warm and cold from blue, cream to soft pink. The size of pearls varies from 2 to 11 mm. The most famous brand that sells these pearls is Mikimoto and, as a rule, these pearls are used in jewelry, because... Akoya pearls command a premium price (due to the low survival rate of Akoya oysters and the difficulty of cultivation).
rice. Akoya pearl sizes
Southern pearl
This pearl is grown in the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia. These are the largest of all pearls, their size ranges from 9 mm to 20 mm. The color of pearls can be cream, white or golden, and this depends on the color of the nacre of the mother shell. Shapes of southern pearls: round, teardrop-shaped, baroque, tablet, round with characteristic grooves.
rice. The color of southern pearls depending on the color of the shell
Tahitian pearls
Despite the name, it is not produced exclusively in Tahiti; it is also grown on several French Polynesian islands. The size is usually between 8mm and 16mm; These pearls are naturally colored in ranges of blue, purple, green and gray, but they are collectively known as black pearls because... The Tahitian pearl comes from the black-lipped oyster. Currently, Tahitian pearls are considered the most vibrant, popular pearls on the market.
rice. Variety of flowers and black lipped oyster
Freshwater pearls
This type of pearl is usually grown in rivers, ponds and lakes - and predominantly in China. Many of the pearls are white and typically resemble Akoya pearls in both size and shape. However, they can be made in different shapes and come in a variety of pastel colors.
Also, pearls may differ in luster, size, shape, color and surface of the pearls.
rice. Variability of pearls
2. Pearl shapes
rice. Variety of natural pearl shapes
There are a wide variety of pearl shapes, the most valuable of which is the ideal spherical shape.
rice. Traditional Russian names for pearl shapes
rice. Unusual shapes of pearls: top (from left to right) baroque, blister, soufflé, keshi, kasumi; bottom (from left to right) conk, akoya, abalon, melo, co hog
Baroque pearls
Baroque is the general name for pearls that have an original shape, regardless of their place of origin. In addition to its unusual shape, Baroque is distinguished by its ribbed surface, reminiscent of sea waves on sand. Each pearl is unique, so the demand and price for them remain consistently high.
Pearl blister
Sometimes the growth of a pearl occurs on one of the inner sides of the oyster shell, which leads to the fact that a nacreous layer does not form at the site of growth. These pearls are also called bubble pearls due to their unusual appearance.
Pearl soufflé
Translated from French, souflle means “to inflate” and this accurately reflects the technology of obtaining pearls - after removing the formed pearl from the oyster, the pearl bag is “inflated” - a special material is placed inside, which stretches the bag, swelling with moisture. The pearls turn out to be of impressive size, because... the oyster continues to deposit nacre around the new core.
Pearl Keshi
Translated from Japanese, “keshi” means “grain”. Such pearls are formed when the oyster rejects the main nucleus (seed); the oyster does not accept the implant internally, but despite this, a place remains in the pearl sac where the natural process of growth of layers of nacre occurs. Pearls come in a variety of colors - white, pink, grey, black and many more, and due to their mother-of-pearl composition, they are extremely glossy and shimmery. It often comes in unusual shapes; the flattened shape, similar to a flower petal, is especially prized.
rice. Difference between the formation of classic pearls and keshi pearls
Kasumi pearls
Real Kasumi pearls are grown in Japan at Lake Kasumi-ga-ura. The distinctive features of these pearls are their bright shine, variety of colors, large size (up to 2 cm) and teardrop shape.
It is one of the most counterfeited types of pearls at the moment.
Abalone pearls
It is one of the rarest types of pearls, as this mollusk is difficult to cultivate. Mining is mainly carried out in the USA and Mexico, but can also be found in Japan, Thailand, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is valued for its incredible range of colors, and the brighter the color, the more expensive the pearl; the shape of the pearl also affects the price (the smoother, the more expensive, since most pearls have the shape of a horn or fang.
Non-pearl types of pearls
Conch pearls
These are Caribbean pearls that are predominantly pink in color and look like small stones. Conch pearls are not cultivated because... Conch clams die when the shell is opened. The shape of pearls is usually regular - oval or spherical, and the color range has a variety of shades, among which the most valuable are pink-purple pearls. Conch mollusks do not produce nacre, so the pearls do not have an iridescent sheen, but this does not spoil them.
Pearl melo melo
These pearls of the sun can be found in the habitats of the huge melo melo sea snails - Thailand and Vietnam. It cannot be cultivated and is very sensitive to sunlight - with prolonged exposure the color fades, so it is recommended to wear pearls only in the evening. The palette consists of shades of orange, yellow, red and brown, among which the first is the most valuable.
Pearl co hog
Among all the “non-pearl pearls” it is the most matte. The color palette of cohog is not very extensive - white, gray, brown and black; however, the rarest and most valuable is the purple/lilac version.
rice. Classification and description of the main forms of pearls
3. Pearl value and quality classification
The most difficult aspect of choosing pearls is grading. Unfortunately, there is no standard or recognized system for grading pearls. Although, Tahitian pearls are somewhat different, since export and grading are under the control of the French Polynesian government.
In international practice, the quality of pearls is designated by the letters: C, B, A, AA, AA+ and AAA. The highest quality is designated as AAA.
rice. table of pearl characteristics depending on quality
rice. How does the luster of pearls differ depending on quality?
Contents of the article
PEARL, organogenic calcareous nodules formed in the body of some bivalve marine and freshwater mollusks - pearl mussels. Pearls are traditionally classified as precious stones. They are products of abnormal growth of the mollusk mantle. Pearls consist of calcium carbonate - the mineral aragonite, in exceptional cases - calcite; they necessarily contain conchiolin - an organic substance of the protein type. Conchiolin cells form the framework of the pearl - a thin mesh, in the small cells of which (not visible to the naked eye) microscopic crystals of aragonite are deposited. The average chemical composition of pearls: CaCO 3 – 91.72%, conchiolin – 5.94%, water – 2.23%; loss on ignition 0.11%.
The name “pearl” comes from the Chinese “zhen-zhu”, transformed through the Old Russian “zenchug”. In Russia in the 18th–19th centuries. pearls were often called pearls (from the German Perlen and the English Pearl, a derivative of “nacre” - slightly distorted from the German Perlmutter, “mother of pearls”).
The shape of the pearl is round, often drop-shaped or pear-shaped, ellipsoidal or irregular, bizarre (“baroque pearl”). Size from a few millimeters to a few centimeters (very rarely larger). “High-quality” pearls reach sizes of more than 3 mm, “beads” – 3–2 mm, “pearl dust” – less than 2 mm. The largest pearl, found in the Philippines in 1934, was oval in shape, measuring 24 x 16 cm and weighing 6.4 kg.
If the pearl does not grow in the mantle of the mollusk, but directly grows onto the inner surface of the shell valve, then at the point of attachment it does not have a nacreous layer; Such pearls are called “blister” or “bubble pearls” and are less valued. Unlike round or baroque pearls, which do not require any processing other than drilling through holes, blister pearls are usually processed for insertion into rings, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry. The color of pearls is varied: white, pink, cream, black, bronze, brown or pastel shades of lavender, blue, yellow, green, mauve. In the jewelry trade, pink, cream, white and black pearls are preferred. It is believed that a pearl takes its color from the inner nacreous layer of the shell, or more precisely, from the area of the nacreous layer near which it was formed, i.e. The color of the pearl depends on the type of host mollusk. In addition, the color of pearls is influenced by the temperature and composition of the water, the health of the mollusk and even the nature of the food that it digests.
The pearl is built from several thousand thin concentric layers of aragonite and conchiolin. A peculiar iridescent shine, delicate shimmering iridescence of rainbow colors on the surface of the pearl, giving it a unique charm, constitute a special property of mature Orient or “chandelier” pearls, for which it is mainly valued. This property is due to its multilayer structure, the phenomena of reflection and refraction, diffraction and interference of light on the translucent surface of the pearl. The shine of black pearls is metallic. The hardness of pearls is 3.5–4 (same as aragonite). The average density of natural pearls is 2.685.
However, many natural pearls do not reveal any traces of foreign irritants when cut. It is assumed that in such cases the core was of an organic nature, but after the precipitation of calcium carbonate began, it decomposed, leaving no traces.
Oriental sea pearls are the most highly valued, while freshwater pearls are less valuable.
In the USA, in Iowa, there is a center for the production of mother-of-pearl buttons based on regular catching of freshwater bivalves of the genus Unio in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Their shells serve as material for buttons. This is a very labor-intensive trade. To find a pearl suitable for sale, it is necessary to open tens and hundreds of kilograms of shells.
The world's best pink and cream pearls come from the Persian Gulf, where they grow in small pearl oysters Pinctada vulgaris. This mollusk is rarely larger than 8 cm in diameter. Pearl mussels, found off the northern coast of Australia, produce beautiful silvery-white pearls that are larger than Gulf clams. Australian pearl mussel Pinctada maxima sometimes reaches a diameter of 30–36 cm. The main business of pearl fishermen in Australia is collecting shells for mother of pearl.
Other famous places for pearl mining are Sri Lanka, Venezuela (Columbus found pearls along its shores), Tahiti, the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar and the Gulf of California in the USA. Each region is characterized by a certain type of pearl (in particular, a specific color). High quality pearls from the Persian Gulf determine the maximum price level for any natural pearl.
Freshwater pearls were once found in England and Ireland; the Romans brought it from the British Isles. Currently, freshwater pearls are mined only in Germany (Bavaria) and the USA. The northern and northwestern rivers of the European part of Russia also previously abounded in pearls. Since ancient times, pearls have been highly valued in Rus'; They used it to embroider women's clothing and headdresses (sundresses, kokoshniks, etc.), vestments of the clergy, and sometimes the robes of nobles, decorate icon frames, bindings of handwritten church books, church utensils, etc. Particularly valued were sloping (i.e. round) pearls from Kafa (the ancient name of Feodosia in Crimea) - Kafimsky (great, great), which were brought there from the East. Pearls were held in high esteem in Ancient Rome. Pliny the Elder (77 AD) placed it in second place in the hierarchy of precious stones after diamond and before emerald. In the medieval East, where red stones were especially valued, the first place, naturally, was given to the ruby, followed by diamond and pearl (also before emerald). Currently, natural pearls are among the most expensive jewelry stones.
Unfortunately, pearls do not last long. After 150–200 years, pearls “get sick”, i.e. it becomes dull and cracks due to conchiolin drying out, losing its iridescent shine and thus losing its main dignity as a jewelry stone. However, pearls are known that have retained their brilliance and beauty, despite a very respectable age - 300-400 years or more (such pearls were found during archaeological excavations of the city of Pompeii, buried under volcanic ash during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD).
Cultured pearls.
In 1894, the Japanese perfected the 700-year-old Chinese art of pearl farming and began producing cultured pearls. To do this, into the parenchyma of the pearl oyster mantle, which carries out secretory activity (secretion of calcium carbonate and conchiolin) Pinctada martensi an artificially carved small mother-of-pearl ball is introduced. This irritant is left in the body of the mollusk, which is then returned on a suspension to the Sea of Japan. After 7 years, the mollusk is removed from the water and the finished cultured pearl is extracted from it. It has a perfectly round shape. Its main part (according to measurements, in a typical case, 75–90% of the total linear diameter of the pearl) is a nacre ball, around which the pearl oyster deposits a layer of nacre approx. 1 mm. Once drilled, cultured pearls are dyed to give them the desired hue, such as pink, which imitates the color of natural Orient pearls from the Persian Gulf. Mass production of Japanese cultured pearls began in 1915, but it was not until after the end of World War I that they entered the world market. Nowadays such pearls cost about 10 times less than natural ones. Japan supplies the market with up to 100 tons of cultured pearls per year. Over 80% of pearls traded on the US jewelry market are cultured pearls. The density of cultured pearls is 2.75 ± 0.03, i.e. it is noticeably heavier than natural. Its difference from natural pearls is clearly visible on x-ray photographs. The Japanese grow not only saltwater, but also freshwater pearls “Biwa” (the name comes from Lake Biwa on Honshu Island, where they are cultivated), as well as blister pearls (“Mabe”).
