Tagged with 'Cultured pearls'

2011 is the 50th anniversary of the first successful experiment to grow cultured pearls in French Polynesia.

Jean-Marie Domard, a Frenchman who had studied pearl grafting at the farm of Mikimoto, located the first Tahitian pearl farm at Hikueru, an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago situated approximately 750km from the capital of French Polynesia. Hikueru, which was visited by the famed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, was a perfect breeding ground for the black lipped oyster.

Despite their name Tahitian pearls are confusingly known as 'black pearls' as a result of taking on the colour of the black lipped Pinctada margaritifera cumingii oyster. These pearls are formed though in many exotic colours such as silver, grey, pistachio, peacock and aubergine.

Initially the industry believed these incredible colours to be the result of a post-culturing treatment.

Following confirmation by the laboratory of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) that the colour was indeed natural, the first production of cultured pearls from French Polynesia began to be marketed successfully in the US and Europe during the 1970s.

Amongst the most beautiful pearls in the world, Tahitian pearls are farmed today in warm saltwater lagoons, mainly throughout French Polynesia. No pearls are actually cultured in Tahiti itself, with the main farms being as far as 1500km away on remote atolls and islands. Their locations are chosen for their reefs that provide protection from tides, access to free flowing warm water and environmental purity.

Combined with classic round and baroque shapes, these colourful pearls have become highly fashionable and sought after. Whether made as a choker necklace, a unique multi-coloured pearl necklace or with the simplicity of a Tahitian pearl pendant or Tahitian pearl earrings, these pearls perfectly match the exotic surroundings of their source.

Since the invention of a technique for culturing pearls in the early part of the 1900s, the Akoya cultured pearl industry in Japan has been located in the Southern part of the country and towards the Pacific Ocean.

These areas include the Mie Prefecture in Honshu, the Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku and the Nagasaki and Kumamoto Prefectures in Kyushu. Ago Bay, in the Mie Prefecture, is one of the best known locations.

The site of a typical saltwater pearl farm is carefully selected for its environmental characteristics. Farmers look for small, well protected bays and inlets, which will protect the oysters and provide a rich flow of nutrients.

Most of the estimated 500 farms are still family owned businesses that farm pearls from an average stock of around 200,000 oysters each, although there are also a number of larger farming companies with over several million molluscs.

The pearl industry in Japan has enjoyed strong growth over the years but has recently suffered major setbacks from environmental algae blooms and competition from Freshwater pearl and also Akoya pearl production in China. The recent devastating tsunami hit the North East of Japan and the majority of pearl farms in the South were physically unaffected, although the economic impact may be felt for some time to come.

The word keshi or keishi means ‘poppy’ in Japanese. This pretty word perfectly captures the shining lustre, orient and baroque shape of Keshi pearls, which lend themselves to distinctive jewellery.

Keshi are thought to form naturally in a saltwater oyster, as a piece of trapped tissue, shell or a micro-organism causes the growth of a baroque pearl. With no implanted bead nucleus, they are composed entirely of nacre and this gives rise to their beautiful shine.

In recent years with the growth of the cultured pearl industry, Keshi pearls have been produced in saltwater oysters by accident when the inserted nucleus separates from its tissue implant. The term Keshi is also widely used by producers of Chinese cultured freshwater pearls to describe baroque pearls that are produced spontaneously in the mussel after the first harvest of pearls.

Let us know what you think.  We hope you like them !

The industry of diving for pearls largely disappeared with the invention of a method for producing a cultured pearl in the early 20th century.

Although a romantic notion, pearl diving was an arduous experience. Natural pearls were gathered by pearl divers that would manually search the beds of oceans, lakes and rivers, perhaps finding only 3 or 4 quality pearls for every ton of oysters brought to the surface. Modern diving suits were unavailable, with divers in the Persian Gulf descending on weighted wooden platforms and baskets up to 40 times a day.

The rarity of natural pearls pushed divers down to depths of up to 20 metres requiring two to three minute breaths for each dive. Divers would suffer from decompression sickness, the cold waters and deep-sea pressure.

Japanese pearl divers, also known as Amas, have a thousand years of diving tradition working on Akoya pearl fisheries and farms. Their trade was passed down the generations from mother to daughter as women were considered better able to hold their breath and endure the cold longer.

Ama divers started to work at the age of eleven, even still diving in their sixties or seventies. They provided for their families while their husbands kept the house and brought up the children. Ama divers still work today, but primarily now for the tourist industry.

On modern day pearl farms, pearl divers work from boats and offshore inspecting oyster baskets that are suspended in water. Over the course of 18 to 24 months divers may check on an oyster's health, recovering the oyster for cleaning and eventually harvesting of a pearl.

The fascination with an image of the pearl diver hunting for pearls will likely persist for many years.

6. What size of pearls to choose?

It is more difficult and more expensive to produce a larger cultured pearl, particularly above 11mm in diameter. Some oysters such as the Akoya oyster are physically unable to produce a pearl that are larger than a certain size.

Each additional millimetre of diameter can significantly increase the rarity and value of a pearl, so it is important to think about the right size of pearl for you and the overall look of the jewellery. A pearl size between 7mm to 9mm is highly popular for a classic necklace, whereas a larger pearl size above 11mm can be much more of a statement luxury item.

If you are considering jewellery and prices from different retailers, make sure you compare the size of the pearls.

7. What shape are the pearls?

Pearls come in an astonishing diversity of shapes that can be classified as spherical, symmetrical or baroque. Perfectly round pearls form a small proportion of annual cultured pearl harvests and are more expensive.

Freshwater pearls, in particular, are unlikely to be round due to the method of culturing these pearls. Near round and symmetrical button freshwater pearls typically are more common and not as expensive. Baroque pearls are found in irregular shapes that can make them individual and exquisite, often showing a rainbow of colours on their surface.

Choose a shape of pearl that fits the jewellery design and your budget. If it is the look of a classic round pearl that you wish for, check first that they are indeed round.

8. Is the surface of the pearls marked?

A beautiful pearl, like a diamond, is a rare and expensive gem. Minor markings or spots on a pearl are quite normal and contribute to their character. Most buyers of pearls understand that a pearl may have small variations in surface, emphasising their individuality. More significant scratches, cracks and holes on the surface of pearls will impact their value and lifetime, even causing a pearl's nacre to break or peel.

Ask an experienced jeweller if you are considering buying pearls that are heavily blemished.

9. Don't forget the necklace length and the clasp

The price of your pearl jewellery will depend on the number of pearls used and the quality content of any metal that is designed into the jewellery such as silver, gold vermeil or 9, 14 and 18 carat gold. For centuries, pearls have also been matched in jewellery with precious and semi precious stones such as diamonds, agate, onyx and amethyst.

Always compare the length of a strand of pearls, understand the hallmarking of a metal and the precious or semi-precious stones used.

10. Does your retailer understand pearls ?

The diversity of pearls makes it a puzzling task to match pearls together for jewellery. This may often require access to a large stock of pearls. The better the pearls are matched based on size, shape, colour, lustre and surface quality, the more likely the jewellery will be balanced and beautiful.

Look for a specialist retailer with a reputable knowledge of pearls. Trade associations such as the NAJ can be helpful sources of information in finding a good local or online jeweller.

Here are the first 5 of ten simple questions to ask to help find the right piece of pearl jewellery for you.  The second 5 questions are here.

1. Are the pearls natural, cultured or imitation?

Natural pearls are real pearls formed in wild molluscs living in their natural habitat without any human intervention. Their rarity has made natural pearls highly valued and a collector’s gemstone. Cultured pearls are also real pearls, but are grown after a pearl farmer has stimulated the development of the pearl in the mollusc. Cultured pearls are iridescent gems that can be worn and enjoyed every day. Fake pearls are made with a coated glass bead and are fun accessories, but do not have the same organic or luxurious feel of natural and cultured pearls.

Most pearls sold in shops or online will be cultured or imitation pearls. Pearls that are described as being natural will generally not be.

2. Are the pearls freshwater or saltwater cultured pearls?

The majority of cultured pearls available in the fashion market today are Freshwater pearls and are produced in volume in freshwater mussels, mostly in China. Saltwater cultured pearls are produced in a different variety of oysters, chosen for their quality, size, shape and colour. Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls are saltwater pearls. Fewer saltwater pearls are produced each year and their cost is more expensive than that of freshwater pearls.

If the origin of the pearls is not specified, or if the price is comparatively low, then assume the pearls are freshwater or imitation pearls.

3. What is the quality grading of the pearls?

Unlike the diamond industry that uses the GIA’s International Diamond Grading System (the 4Cs), there is no single accepted industry grading system for pearls. Beware of product descriptions that grade a pearl as AAA+ or AAAA as these have no real accepted meaning. Many factors will influence the value of a pearl and some of these are listed below.

Ask your retailer how a pearl is graded and assess their level of knowledge and expertise before buying pearls.

4. Are the pearls dyed?

The colour of a pearl will reflect the type of mollusc that the pearl was cultured in, but may also be as a result of certain dyes, treatments and enhancements. A Freshwater Pearl might be dyed black or peacock so as to mimic the natural colour of a black Tahitian Pearl. A colour treatment may be used to disguise the poor quality of a pearl’s lustre or surface. Pearl jewellery, in which the colour of the pearls is uniformly matched, will possibly be dyed.

Ask your retailer if the pearls have been treated for colour as many dyes will fade or change colour over time.

5. How sharp are the reflections in the pearl?

The intensity of a pearl’s reflections is known as lustre and is absolutely unique to pearls, different to any other gemstone. When grading pearls, highly valued pearls will have a mirror-like, sharp and shiny lustre. Poor quality pearls without lustre will be dull, opaque and lifeless.

Lustre is one of the most important reasons for the differences in price between one pearl and another. Look for pearls within your budget that have the best lustre, as these will complement your skin and the face more beautifully.

When the sun is shining, the sea turns a petrol green colour and with that magnificent skyline, there can be few better ways to get to work in the morning or places for buying pearls.

For the last four days, Hong Kong has been host to the largest Spring Jewellery Show in Asia, with more than 30,000 buyers and suppliers attending from around the world – a record attendance despite recent times.

In pearl terms, Hong Kong has grown to be one of the most important pearl trading centres in the world and this is one of the key dates in the annual calendar for buying pearls. It is hard to comprehend the size of the pearl industry until confronted by more than 10,000 square metres of pearls for sale at this Jewellery Show.

The new season’s freshwater pearls from China are available to the market for the first time and prestigious pearl famers such as Robert Wan from Tahiti and Paspaley from Australia offer their pearls at auction to a select specialist group of buyers.

Pearl prices are beginning to rise again. Demand for these incredible gems is increasing, particularly from customers in India and China, whilst production over the last two years has been reduced as pearl farmers have weathered the global crisis.

This is particularly true of larger Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls and higher grade quality pearls are in much shorter supply now. With minimum lead times of 18 months to over 3 years for farmers to increase their pearl harvest, it is likely that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, especially for the premium grade pearls.

It is a good time to buy pearls and we will have many beautiful pieces of pearl jewellery to show you at Winterson over the coming months.

The origin of Mother’s Day and its actual date varies depending on each country, but the sentiment is in essence the same. It is a day to to thank our mothers for their love and support.

As Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States said, “All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel Mother”.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which will be the 3rd of April this year. Historically called Mothering Sunday, it was a day taken off work by young servants in order to visit their mothers and family.

This year, why not treat your mother with a gift for Mother's Day that she can cherish and love.

Pearls with their beautiful colours and shining lustre make an ideal Mother's Day present. At Winterson we have selected a Mother’s Day Gift Guide to pearl jewellery to help you choose a pearl necklace, earrings, bracelet or pendant that is sure to make her smile.

The shape of a cultured pearl is determined by several factors when the pearl is developing inside the mussel or oyster. The most important of these are the shape of the nucleus used by the pearl farmer and the position of a pearl that is grown in the mollusk.

Gemmological experts at the GIA describe the shape of pearls using three categories.

1. A spherical pearl has a round or near round shape. This is the classic pearl shape. Perfectly round pearls can be quite rare, particularly with Freshwater pearls that tend to be near round as they are not grown around a bead.


2. A symmetrical pearl has a regular shape so that, if it is sliced in half, each half is a mirror image of the other. These pearls can have an oval, flattened button or drop shape.


3. A baroque pearl has an irregular and non-symmetrical shape. Pearls are described as semi baroque if they are not quite symmetrical.

Certain pearls also have grooves or ridged rings around their entire circumference and these pearls are referred to as circled.

The value of these pearls can vary widely, with a round pearl being generally considered the most valuable shape of a pearl. Perhaps traditionally this was because pearls were considered to be a symbol of the moon. But today, rarity and perfection are key drivers of value in a cultured pearl. For these reasons we would recommend that you buy pearls from a recognised pearl specialist.

Is shape a good guide to pearl quality? Not entirely. We love the quality and look of baroque pearls. Whilst not as valuable as round pearls, they can still make a highly individual and unique piece of jewellery.

There are also other important factors you should consider when buying pearls such as Lustre and Surface.

A natural pearl is a real pearl formed in a wild mollusc living in its natural habitat and without any human intervention. Cultured pearls are also real pearls, but the pearl farmer stimulates the development of the pearls in the mollusk.

Natural pearls have been collected and used in jewellery for centuries. Until the introduction of techniques for culturing pearls in the early 20^th century, the world’s main natural pearl fisheries could be found in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mannar Straits between India and Sri Lanka, and off the coast of California.

The image of a diver searching for pearls in azure blue tropical waters is a symbolic one, as today there are few fisheries left due to over-fishing, pollution and competition from the cultured pearl industry.

In response to increasing demand and limited supply, the value of rare natural pearls has been rising steadily over the last ten years.  A natural pearl necklace can be priced at between 100 and 10,000 times the value of a cultured pearl necklace of the same size, weight and lustre.