About Pearls
Pearls have been a source of fascination for centuries. They have been considered the most magical and feminine of all gems and are the only one created by a living organism. Pearls emanate a certain warmth and glow not found in other gems, due to their unique beginnings.

Pearls were created when a foreign body of some sort, such as a grain of sand or a parasite, found its way into a pearl oyster. The oyster reacted by coating the irritant with layer upon layer of the pearly substance known as ‘nacre’, that gives the pearl its unique appearance and iridescent beauty. This unique relationship gave birth to the natural pearl.

The cultured pearl was created as a way of guaranteeing a steady supply of pearls and satisfying the demands of the consumer. Cultured pearls are formed with a helping hand. In this case, humans rather than nature introduce the irritant: a bead or nucleus is inserted into the oyster by a technician to create a pearl which turns out every bit as natural as one that originated in the wild.

Due to the rarity and high price of natural pearls, cultured pearls feature predominantly in jewellery stores. Side by side, it is very difficult to tell the difference between a natural pearl and a high quality cultured pearl with the naked eye.

Pearls are composed of between 82 – 86% mineral (calcium carbonate), 10 – 14% organic binder and 2 – 4% water. They are very soft and can be chipped quite easily.

Pearl Party Australia pearls are mainly Akoya Pearls and occasionally Fresh Water Pearls from Southern China. Akoya Pearls are considered the classic amongst the cultured pearls.

 

Taking Care of Your Pearls
It is important to care for your pearls properly. Pearls are relatively soft and can be affected by make-up, hairspray, perfume etc. It is best to put your pearls on after applying makeup. Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth away from other hard jewellery to prevent scratching of your pearls.

Depending on the amount of wear, your pearls will need to be re-strung every 1 – 4 years. Make sure when being re-strung, only silk thread is used and the string is knotted between each pearl. Individual knotting will prevent all you pearls from falling off should a break occur and also prevents the pearls rubbing against each other.

If you care for your pearls properly, they will retain their lustre and be beautiful for generations to come.

 

Valuing Pearls
The most important factors taken into consideration when valuing pearls are luster, colour, shape, surface and size.

The most important indication of a pearl’s quality is lustre. The lustre of a pearl refers to the glowing appearance of its surface, and is judged by its brilliance and ability to reflect light. A pearl with a high lustre will be very shiny and show reflections like a mirror while a pearl with poor lustre will appear very milky or chalky.

Lustre is determined by the quality of a pearl’s nacre – its transparency, smoothness and overall thickness. Factors affecting the quality of the nacre include the cultivation place, the health of the mother oyster, the length of time spent in the oyster, pollution and the type of oyster used. Only strong layers of nacre can produce deep lustre.

Pearls present a whole palette of colours to choose from. Light coloured pearls are produced in shades of white, pink, silver, gold and blue, while dark coloured pearls range from peacock green and aubergine purple to all the shades of grey.

Above all, a pearl’s colour is a question of personal taste. Although some shades are especially rare or popular and therefore highly valued, such as rosy white, silvery white and pale gold, the colour of a pearl is certainly not an indication of its quality.

The pearl is the birthstone for June, and also the anniversary gem for the Third or Thirtieth Wedding Anniversaries. Recognised as the emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, pearls have also come to symbolize a happy marriage.

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