Pearls: There's Nothing Like the Real Thing!
- Roxanne Coffelt
- Sep 10, 2016
- 4 min read
Most people really don't know much about pearls. I used to be the same way. Until I moved to China, that is. One of my earliest experiences after moving there was when the other tai-tais (wives) took me to the pearl shop. I was hooked. First I bought some jewelry. Then I would pick out some pearls and have them strung however I wanted them. In the end, I would just buy strands of pearls. I love visiting the pearl market. It's better than Christmas!
There are different ways to classify pearls: by the type of mollusk they come from, by whether they are wild or farmed, by shape, even by region. There are also many different types of faux pearls. No wonder there is so much confusion! So I thought I would try to demystify some of these terms and help to clear up some common misconceptions.
Pearls in the Wild! (Or down on the farm): Finding a pearl in the wild is probably a little bit like finding wild horses. They're out there, but they are rare. Most pearls come from pearl farms. In nature, a pearl is created when some damage is done or other irritant gets into the shell of the mollusk (an oyster or clam). The mollusk coats the irritant with smooth,
luminous nacre, which becomes the pearl. In pearl jargon, the term natural pearl refers to a pearl that is found in the wild. Since they are rare, they are also very expensive.
The vast majority of pearls found on the market today are cultured pearls. These come from a pearl farm. The pearl farmer inserts a piece of shell into the mollusk to cause it to create the pearl, usually around a spherical bead. The cultured pearl is still a real pearl, it's just that man encouraged the mollusk to make the pearl (kind of like breeding horses!)
"Where do you come from, baby?" (Is Michael Jackson's PYT playing in your head now? If it is, you just gave your age away!) There are two main categories that tell us where a pearl comes from, or more specifically, what type of water they come from. Pearls are classified as either freshwater or saltwater. So obviously the saltwater pearls come from mollusks (oysters) that live in salt water. These are also known as sea pearls. Pearls that come mollusks (clams) that live in freshwater lakes are known as freshwater pearls.
There are other names as well that refer to where a pearl comes from. South Sea pearls and Tahitian pearls come from the south seas, which makes them a kind of saltwater pearl. Australian pearls, another type of saltwater South Sea pearl, naturally come in a gold color. Akoya pearls are a type of cultured pearl that come from Akoya oysters, saltwater mollusks that live off the coasts of Japan and Eastern China. Biwa pearls are not technically biwa pearls unless they come from Lake Biwa in Japan, which means they are a form of freshwater pearl.
Spheres, Diamonds, Crosses Sticks and Squares: Pearls don't always come out perfectly round. Freshwater pearls, instead of being perfectly round, will often look a little squashed. Round saltwater pearls will often get a little point on them, like a fat little rain drop.
Pearls that are not round are called baroque pearls. Keishi pearls are flat and round, and though they are cultured pearls, they are a result of something that went wrong in the culture process -- they weren't made on the round bead somehow. Stick-like pearls are often called biwa pearls but they usually aren't technically biwa pearls, because they don't come from Lake Biwa (see above.) A blister pearl forms attached to the shell, so it will be a lump with a shell backing. Lately they have been coming out in some unusual shapes. Sometimes they have a little help. Pearls that have shapes that aren't natural are a result of a shape being inserted into the mollusk instead of a spherical bead.
All the colors of the rainbow... Freshwater pearls only come in a white or a pale peach/pink. If they have any other color, they are either dyed or irradiated to give them that color. In addition to those colors, Tahitian pearls can naturally come in a black (dark gray) or kind of peacock color, and Australian pearls come in gold.
The value of pearls depends on a few things: Size, shape, surface quality and luster.
The highest quality pearl is perfectly round, with no blemishes and a very high, reflective luster. All things being equal, a larger pearl will be more valuable. Also freshwater pearls are more affordable than saltwater pearls. However, even though baroque pearls are not as valuable, they can be very beautiful in jewelry. I love using baroque pearls because they look organic and real.
There is no industry standard for grading pearls, and there are multiple grading systems. The Hanadama system (originally for Akoya pearls) uses an A - AAA system, with AAA being the highest. The Tahitian system uses A through D, D being the lowest acceptable grade for jewelry. Be suspicious of sellers claiming to have AAAA or AAA+ graded pearls, because these grades don't exist in any commonly used grading system.
Don't be fooled by imitations! These pearls are not real pearls: Swarovski pearls, shell pearls, faux pearls, glass pearls, bathed pearls, Bohemian pearls, mother-of-pearl pearls, Roman pearls. To tell if a pearl is real, examine it. Real pearls have weight, imitation pearls are often, but not always, light. Real pearls will often have minor flaws, and they will not be identical. Each one is unique. Imitation pearls are very slick if you rub them together (or on your teeth.) Real pearls feel a little gritty, although the higher quality the pearl is, the harder the grit is to feel. With a little practice, you will soon be able to tell the difference.
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