The History and Mystery of The Pearl

Natural pearls continue to be one of the rarest and most precious gems on earth. Since ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished, yet unique perfection. The Latin word for pearl literally means “unique.”

Because they are tiny organic miracles, many superstitions have surrounded the unusual gems. The Chinese believe that pearls are a symbol of great wisdom and were created by oysters catching raindrops as they fell in the sea. Pearls are said to bring wealth, long life, and help to those who wear them. Another common belief is that they ward off evil.

The history of the discovery of pearls dates back hundreds of centuries. Mention of them has been found in ancient texts all over the world. As far back as 2300 B.C., Chinese records indicate that pearls were highly valued an

d often given to royalty as gifts. The Indians claimed in ancient Hindu texts that the God Krishna discovered the first pearl. In Rome, pearl jewelry was a treasured jewel and was only allowed to be worn by those above a certain rank. Although the Egyptians first used mother-of-pearl as a decorative jewel, the use of the pearl itself was not discovered until a fragment of the oldest known pearl jewelry was found in the tomb of a Persian princess who died in 520 B.C.

The first pearl trade began in the Indian Ocean thousands of years ago and reigned for nearly 4000 years. Because pearl oysters live deep in the ocean, gathering them was a hazardous and sometimes fatal task. For this reason, the duty of pearl diving was given to slaves, whose lives were thought of as more expendable than the higher class. Sharks, jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures were terrifying but common obstacles for these divers.

Thanks to advancements in pearl cultivation, growing, and harvesting, pearls are not limited only to royalty and the extremely wealthy. Today, you can wear the same beautiful pearls that were once restricted to kings and queens!

White Akoya Pearl Double Strand Necklace

US Retail Value: $ 444

ShangBy Price: $ 111

Name That Length!

Necklaces come in all different shapes sizes and lengths. When you are talking pearl necklaces, however, each different length has its very own name! Below are the different names for each necklace length so that you can update your pearl shoppin' lingo!


Collar - This type of necklace consists of several strands of pearls worn snugly around the neck.




Choker - A choker is 14 to 16 inches long and lies at the collarbone.





Princess - A princess length necklace is 18 inches long and rests below the neck.






Torsade - These necklaces are made up of several strands of pearls twisted together.








Bib - Bib necklaces consist of several strands of pearls lying below the neck. They are similar to collars, but longer.







Matinee - Matinee length necklaces are in the range of 20 to 24 inches.









Opera - This length of necklace is in the 30 to 36 inch range. An opera length necklace is generally worn for formal occasions but can be worn doubled for a less formal look.








Rope - Dramatic rope necklaces are the longest length, longer than 36 inches. They can be worn full length, knotted, doubled, or with a shortener.









[Photos outlined in black courtesy of www.pearlparadise.com]

Shopping Wisely: Learning to Distinguish a Quality Pearl

In addition to knowing all the types of pearl that exist, it is crucial, when shopping for pearls, that you understand all the different factors that contribute to their value.

There are six different factors that contribute to the value of a pearl: Luster, Nacre Thickness, Shape, Surface Texture, Size and Color.

LUSTER

Luster is one of the easiest things to look for while shopping for pearls. It is defined as the state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss. Pearls are unique and beautiful because of their reflective quality. When you see a high quality pearl, it has a glow that seems to come from within. What gives the pearl its radiance is the transparency of the nacre. The more transparent the nacre, the more brilliant and reflective the pearl. Higher quality pearls will have a deep luster. Lower quality ones will have a more dull sheen.

High quality Akoya pearls have the highest luster of all the different types of pearls.

COLOR

Color is the second factor that contributes to the quality of a pearl. Although the dominant color of the pearl comes from what is reflected on its surface, the deeper reflected light draws the inner color from the pearl. This color is called the overtone.

White pearls with pink or silver overtones are generally the most valuable, making them the most expensive. .

The most desirable dark colored pearls are black with green or blue overtones

When shopping for a strand of pearls, the most important element to look out for when it comes to color is that each pearl matches perfectly or nearly perfectly. Pearls matched closely in color and size make them more valuable.

SURFACE TEXTURE

The highest quality of pearls are perfectly round with a smooth surface, very few surface imperfections, such as wrinkles or large pits, and pretty coloration.

SIZE


The unit of measurement in the world of pearls is the millimeter. Pearls range in size from 1mm to 20mm. The average pearl size ranges from about 6mm to 12 or 13mm. The bigger, rounder and more brilliant the pearl, the higher the value.

SHAPE

Pearls come in all different shapes and sizes. The most common shapes include ringed, baroque, drop, off-round and round. The rounder the Pearl, the more valuable and expensive the pearl will be.

THE GRADING SYSTEM

Pearl value are graded on a scale of AAA to A, with AAA being the highest quality and A being the lowest. All of the above factors contribute to the grade of the pearl. According to "The Worlds Largest Pearl Information Source," Pearl-Guide.com, this is some of the criteria on which the grading is based:

• AAA: The highest-quality pearl, virtually flawless. The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 95% of the surface will be free from any type of defect.

• AA: The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 75% of the surface will be free from any type of defect.

• A: This is the lowest jewelry-grade pearl, with a lower luster and/or more than 25% of the surface showing defects. In many cases, if the pearl is being mounted into a piece of jewelry, it can be mounted so that the defects are hidden -- thus providing a lovely jewelry piece at a lesser price.
  

Getting to Know the Different Types of Pearls

If you are shopping for pearl jewelry, it is helpful to know what different types of pearls exist and the value of each type. In this post I am going to explore all of the different types of pearls, where they are cultivated and cultured, and why some are more pricey than others.

Cultured pearls can be placed in two broad categories: freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls.

FRESHWATER PEARLS

Freshwater pearls generally come from lakes, ponds, rivers and other bodies of freshwater and are found more commonly in mussels than in oysters. The majority of all freshwater pearls come from China. Because of the way that they are cultured, freshwater pearls are composed almost entirely of nacre which leads to their high luster and quality. These pearls cover the widest range of options for pearl buyers in size, shape and color. Less than 2% of freshwater pearls are perfectly round, making them individually unique.

SALTWATER PEARLS

Saltwater pearls are formed in oysters and are primarily cultured in the waters of Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia. There are three main types of saltwater pearls: Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea.

Akoya Pearls

Akoya pearls are considered the classic pearl. They were the first type of pearls to be cultivated around the turn of the 20th century, making them the first mass produced pearl. They are small in size and are almost all round or nearly round, making them a good pearl for matching when creating a strand of pearls. The Akoya pearl is either white or cream in body color with rose, cream, silver or ivory overtones. Black Akoya pearls can also be produced through a technique called irradiation. They are high in luster and the prices of Akoya pearls increase dramatically with the increase of their size.

Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian pearls are prized for their large size, their exotic, naturally dark colors and their rarity. They can be brown, gray, blue, green and purple as well as black. They come in sizes ranging from 7mm to 15mm, which is large on the scale of pearl sizes. Tahitian pearls can never be mass produced. This is due to the pearls not surviving the process of cultivation, the oyster’s rejection of the small object inserted during the cultivation process, and/or the sensitivity of the oyster to changing climatic and ocean conditions.

South Sea Pearls

Like Tahitian pearls, South Sea pearls are some of the rarest and most valued pearls in the world. They are distinguished predominantly by their large size and are generally the largest cultured pearls on the market, with the average diameter measuring about 13mm. South Sea Pearls are usually white or silver colored, but they can also come in shades of yellow or blue-gray with pink or green overtones. They are rarely ever treated post harvest and are valued for their unique, natural color.

Mabe Pearls

Mabe pearls are hemispherical shaped pearls that are grown against the inside of the oyster’s shell. Their shape is different than that of a round pearl because they are not grown within the tissue and are cultured using a tiny hemispherical shaped object instead of a round one. These types of pearls are rarely found in nature and are almost always created using human aide. Mabe pearls are often high in luster and are beautiful for rings and earrings.

Where do Pearls Come From?

Pearls are one of nature’s most beautiful and unique wonders. Most jewels are mined from the earth but pearls are found inside LIVING creatures. They are the result of a biological process. Although they are most commonly found inside oysters, pearls can also form inside other mollusks such as clams and mussels. They can be formed in both saltwater and freshwater. Where they are formed can alter their appearance in many different ways but I will be discussing the different types of pearls in my next post.

Oysters are a bivalve organism. This means it is made up of two parts, or valves that are attached by an elastic ligament that allows for the mollusk to open and eat. The mantle is a (delicious) organ in the mollusk that produces its shell, made of a material called nacre, using minerals from its food.

Pearls are actually the mollusks’ way of protecting itself from foreign objects. The formation of a pearl begins when a foreign substance/object slips in between the mantle and the shell, irritating the mantle. Various types of irritants include organic material, parasites, or damage to the mantle that is displaced inside the mollusk’s body. The mantle covers the irritant with layers of nacre (the material it uses to create its shell) and a pearl is eventually formed!

Pearls can be formed naturally or can be cultured with human aide. Naturally formed pearls of good quality are very rare and are extremely expensive. They are usually sold as collector’s items or are used as the centerpiece in unique jewelry. A fun and interesting historical pearl fact I came across while reading about rare natural pearls alleged that Cartier purchased the landmark Cartier jewelry store on Fifth Avenue in New York City with $100 cash and a double strand of matched natural pearls! The pearls were valued at $1 million dollars.

Cultured pearls are formed when the pearl harvester either implants a shell bead into the mollusk or cuts a small slit in the mantle tissue. The pearl then forms just as does a natural pearl. The pearl is then removed after about 6 months or more and made into jewelry. Then, customers can visit ShangBy.com and shop for this pearl jewelry right at the source for great prices!

White & Silver Freshwater Pearl Necklace

US Retail Value: $80.00

ShangBy Price: $20.00

Welcome to The Stone Story!

Welcome to my blog “The Stone Story“! My name is Stephanie and I work for a live online shopping website called ShangBy.com. If you are not familiar with ShangBy, here is a little information about our company:

• Founded in the summer of 2006 in Austin, TX by visionary Steve Bell, ShangBy brings shoppers to international markets around the globe through frequent live web casts and eCommerce.ShangBy combines cutting-edge, live video/audio internet streaming with outstanding, local retailer relationships to offer customers a strong commitment to high quality products and exceptional customer service. Experience this revolutionary new way to shop internationally - paying local prices on unique items just like being there.
  
  Currently, customers shop the jewelry, silk and cashmere market retailers of Shanghai, China. Future shopping destinations being considered are Thailand, India, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Brazil.

  Where in the world would you like to shop, without leaving home?
  Email us at shopglobal@shangby.com

• How to Shop Live: Visit ShangBy.com and call 1-800-Pearl-51 during one of our scheduled events and let our personal shopper Claire guide you through the ShangBy live event shopping experience with ease! Our retailers are happy to display their unique inventories and even customize jewelry to your exact specifications upon request. Once you have filled your shopping cart with items, bargaining directly with the retailer is encouraged, as it is custom in the Chinese culture!

Working for ShangBy has peaked my interest about the facts, history, and beliefs surrounding each of the different stones used to create our fabulous jewelry. The purpose of my blog is to share with you my fun and interesting research about different gemstones and pearls and helping to make you a wiser pearl and jewelry shopper in the process!

Since pearls are our most popular jewelry, I will first explore the creation of the pearl, different variations of pearls, pearl quality, and the history and beliefs surrounding the pearl!