A Pearl Of A Gem |
Of all the attributes considered in judging pearls, luster is the most desired. Perfectly round large pearls are eagerly sought, but scarce.. The largest was found in 1934, weighed 14 pounds, and was found in the Phillipines. Prior to the 20th century, divers harvested pearls from the bottom of the ocean, and checked each oyster, but the odds of finding a worthwhile one were against them. The pearls used in jewelry today are cultured by placing a nucleus or tiny bead into oysters and waiting a year for gradual layers of nacre to build up. The bead is usually made from a freshwater mussel shell and polished.
The culturing process was patented in Japan from 1907 to 1916 and developed by scientists at Tokyo University. The original cultured pearls in Japan are known as akoya pearls. China also followed in producing them. The United States began farming freshwater pearls in the 1960's, and the product was featured in 1985 in Mational Geographic Magazine. Abakine us also used to produce cultured pearls.
A perfectly round pearl is only one of eight pearl shapes. The others are button, pear shaped, oval, baroque, semi-round, drop, and circled. The button style is used in fashioning necklaces or earrings, as is the semi-round, since the shape can often be disguised. Pearls come in various colors: cream, white, yellow, pink, silver or black. They can also have an added tone when examined more closely.
Natural pearls of high quality are in demand but seldom found. They are sought in the waters off of Australia and Bahrain, A pearl is judged by the shape, condition of the surface, color, luster, and shape. The surface should be without spots or bubbles which are caused in the layers of nacre. Akoya pearls are larger than freshwater pearls, and Tahitian pearls even larger. The larger the pearl, the more nacre, and therefore the better luster. Pearls are x-rayed to determined their status, natural or cultivated, and are classified as graduated or uniform.
The length of pearl necklaces is also classified as a choker, a collar (against the neck), a princess (reaching the collarbone), a matinee (lying just above the breasts), an opera (reaching the breastbone), and a pearl rope (longer than an opera),
In Revelation in the Bible the twelve gates are described as "pearly gates" and the reference to pearls is also referred to in the writings of some religions. The kings of Maabar said 104 prayers to idols daily, and wore a necklace of 104 pearls and 104 rubies. The necklace were passed from generation to generation.
There are also synthetic pearls made of coral, conch, mother of pearl, or glass, covered with a fish scale product. These get dimmer in time and also do not have the smooth luster or weight as authentic ones.