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As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms.
That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.
Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer.
There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution.
It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.
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Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Pearls
Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.
Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.
Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.
A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.
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Now the next generation is involved and they have western educations. So when I order my beads I get what I asked for and they are venturing into new designs that are taking on pearl beads their traditional competitors head on - the Venetians! Czech glass beads have been around for centuries, evolving in designs and techniques to create mini works of freshwater pearl jewelry art in glass. The changes in designs seems to come in waves, often connected with social change. The current new batch of designs is no exception with the opening up of the Czech Republic..
I have been working with the delicious Czech lampwork beads for years now to design my own lampwork beaded jewelry and have watched how their designs have evolved, especially since the liberation from communist rule.
When I first started importing Czech glass beads for my business I would find cultural differences confusing. I would order pink beads and be sent blue beads. So I'd call up (overseas call) and say I got the wrong ones and they would say "oh, do not worry about it, you got blue beads. We're not making pink ones at the moment... yes, yes, we have a back log of freshwater pearl bracelet orders for pink beads but we're making blue." I would be stunned but I slowly figured out that it was a hang over from the communist era and that I had to make do. It did teach me to be more creative in some ways and a little less fixed, to be more flexible.
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Holistic Properties- is for mind/body/soul connection to the higher spiritual self. Is said to lessen anxiety, create overall body/mind relaxation and changes darkness to light/ negative to tin cup pearl necklace positive, also called ‘night stone’
Folklore- Known by the Romans as a strong aphrodisiac. In the Middle ages it was used to twisted pearl necklace keep the arms and legs in good health and release the soul from envy, fear or error.
Semi-Precious Gemstones and Their Properties Continued
Lapis Lazuli – from the Latin, ‘lapis’, which means stone, and from azul (Arabic) meaning blue.
Description- a bright blue metamorphic rock, composed of minerals such as lazurite, sodalite, pyrite and calcite. The best quality lapis lazuli have a potent dark blue with small areas of silver pearl necklace white calcite and metallic pyrite.
Characteristics of the Gem- The intense dark blue stone is somewhat soft, 5.5 on Moh’s scale. Luster is vitreous to oily and crystal structures vary depending on the mineral composition.
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CZs were originally developed by the Russians, for their space program. They were developed as an alternative to pearl strand wholesale diamonds that were used in the optics of their lasers. CZs have a refractive index, dispersion and hardness so close to a diamond it's uncanny. So what is the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia? Why is cubic zirconia (CZ) quickly becoming more popular as a desirable substitute for diamond? Gemologists can agree that CZ comes closer than any other gem material to matching the characteristics of biwa pearl a diamond.
Most people, even trained gemologists, cannot tell the difference between diamond and CZ, with the naked eye. Moreover, to the untrained eye, CZ looks identical to a good quality diamond. However, under closer inspection, CZ appears to blister pearl have slightly less brilliance (or sparkle) than a diamond, and more fire, or flashes of color.
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