Pearls

Pearls are always right for the bride. There are three kinds of pearls: natural, cultured, and imitation. Natural pearls are formed when a foreign object (usually a grain of sand) enters the body of the oyster. The oyster protects itself by secreting layers around the irritant for two or three years. Natural pearls of good quality are extremely exceptional. It goes about 50-60 oysters on one pearl, and the quality is often not good enough. Natural oriental pearls are caught on pearl banks in the Persian Gulf, in India, Sri Lanka and outside Burma, and natural freshwater pearls are caught in USA, Scotland and Austria. Cultured pearls are formed with the same process as natural pearls, but humans insert the foreign object into the oyster instead. Most cultivated pearls are formed in Japan. The method still used today, originates from the Japanese men Mise and Nishigawa. It takes about two to three years to cultivate a pearl.   Pearls exist in many different colours. From white, yellow, golden, pink, blue and black and almost all scales in between. The pink/blue is considered to be the most excellent, and of course the most expensive. The price increases the thicker shell. Remember, it is the pearl’s colour and shine that counts. There are three groups of cultivated beads: Pearls formed in the Akoya oyster Pearls formed in the South Sea Pearls formed in fresh waters Imitation pearls are made by glass, plastic, and wax dipped in a solution of pearl essence.   Take good care of your pearls - Keep your pearls in a jewellery box wrapped in a cloth of linen - Unthread your pearls sometimes - Clean you pearls with a cloth of linen - Never put your pearls in a cold place, they can crack! Is the pearl natural or imitated? A natural pearl is rough to your teeth, and an imitated smooth. Natural pearls are cool to your skin, while imitated are oily. A natural pearl’s surface is not damaged if you scrape it with a knife.

 

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