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Past Pearl Education Articles

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AKOYA CULTURED PEARLS

Because of the relatively small size of the mother oyster, which grows to only about 7cm or 8cm in diameter at maturity; these pearls are correspondingly smaller. Generally, they range from 2mm to 9mm or very rarely, 10mm. First cultivated in Japan, the Akoya has been the traditional cultured pearl for almost a century. more

South Sea Pearls

South Sea pearls can be quickly identified because of their large size. Generally, they range from 9mm to 17mm in diameter. Only in very rare cases do they grow larger.

The South Sea pearl is a noble pearl and tends to have a very strong and healthy nacreous coating around the implanted mother-of-pearl nucleus. It is this thick coating that helps keep its natural color, luster and beauty. This allows it to be worn with pride from generation to generation.

South Sea pearls are generally worn in a completely natural state as they come out of the oyster; they need no artificial enhancement or coloring whatsoever. That is why they are treasured as “The Queen of Pearls and the Pearl of Queens.”

A look at the Birth of Australian Cultured Pearls

Pearls from Silver Lips

1959 article recalling the early days of South Sea pearl culture.

In the 1950's, Australians established their first commercial pearl farm. The farm was established at Brecknock Harbor. This is about 250 miles north of Broome.
The farm was assisted by a Japanese contingent in providing culturing technology and know how. The bay was renamed Kuri Bay in honor of the man leading that Japanese team - Tokuichi Kuribayashi. Today, it is the oldest and largest farm.

Posted Monday, Nov. 23, 1959

The northwest coast of Australia is one of the most desolate spots on earth. The nearest city of any size is Perth (pop. 376,000), some 1,450 miles to the south; mosquitoes and crocodiles infest the mangrove swamps; 12-ft. sharks cruise the lonely bays. In that unfriendly land, at remote Kuri Bay, a syndicate of Australians, Americans and Japanese called Pearls Proprietary Ltd. is turning out a product that has the world's jewelers agog. The product: fabulous pearls as big across as a 25-cent piece of gem quality so fine that a Manhattan jeweler recently sold a choker of Kuri Bay pearls for $100,000.

January 2 1960

Kuri Bay, Western Australia, c.1956. Courtesy of Paspaley Pearling Company

Past Pearl Education Articles Unusual Pearls Pearl Farming around The World

LUSTER: PEARL'S PINNACLE

For cultured pearl experts, luster is perhaps the most important indicator in evaluating cultured pearl quality. Luster is what separates the inferior pearl from the superior and the ordinary from the extraordinary. Luster is what many experts term the heart and soul of the sea-grown gem.

On the Surface

When the oyster yields a smooth, blemish-free pearl, it's a triumph of nature and one mark of high quality.

Think of good-quality pearls and you'll likely think of smooth surfaces. In fact, surface is the second most important aspect in evaluating a cultured pearl after luster.

Surface quality refers specifically to the abundance or absence of physical blemishes or flaws. When evaluating the surface of any pearl (the trade uses such terms as blemish, spotting and cleanliness), remember that cultured pearls are grown by live oysters in nature. As such, there are many uncontrollable forces that affect the surface. more

Shape

This is a category where you could drive yourself crazy. I might look at a pearl and say it looks oval shape. You might look at the same pearl and say it looks more barrel shape. Who is correct? For the sake of simplicity we will designate 3 categories for shape. They will be Round, Semi or Off –Round and Baroque.

Please download and print this very short guide.

We know that many sales people in jewelry stores are not comfortable when it comes to pearls. They know their diamonds, but pearls are a different animal. The following is a quick review of what you need to let your sales staff know to give your customers confidence in your pearl knowledge. This guide is in .pdf format.

Shape

Treatments and Artificial

It is a known fact that cultured pearls are bleached, polished, artificially stained and dyed, irradiated and coated in order to improve their appearance. The fact develops into a problem if no one talks about the treatments. There are no fixed boundaries between what is necessary and tolerable (for instance cleaning and polishing the pearls after harvesting) and what is deception. Also, not all methods used can afterwards be recognized.

pdf version best for printing and distributing to store personal

PDF

The Fabulous Freshwater Pearl

This Pearl Perspectives will take a look at the tremendous changes taking place in the world of freshwater pearls.

The colors of freshwater...

One of the most interesting trends in the Pearl Market today is the continued emergence of fabulously large freshwater pearls. The Chinese freshwater farmer continues to produce larger, rounder, more colorful, and more lustrous pearls. The very best of these rival South Sea in size. It takes six to seven years to produce a freshwater pearl 12mm or larger. The gem quality pearl is quite a rarity a lower percentage of freshwater pearls produced are breathtaking gems but the quantity of freshwater is far greater than any other type of pearl. The farmer is getting more patient letting the mussel to lay down more nacre and grow larger. More

The Fabulous Freshwater Pearl

This Pearl Perspectives will take a look at the tremendous changes taking place in the world of freshwater pearls.

The colors of freshwater...

Kokichi Mikimoto

In 1907, two other Japanese independently applied for a patent over a technique for producing a spherical pearl in a pearl oyster. One, Mr T. Mise was a village carpenter; the other, Dr Nishikawa was a science graduate. One lived on the north island of Japan, the other on the south island.’ The story is certainly strange as the two men did not know each other and had never met. Yet within a week of each other, they both submitted patent applications for a method of producing cultured spherical pearls. And the technique in both applications was identical.

Mikimoto then took the process to glory, but the patent for the technique and principles was granted to Dr Nishikawa, to be jointly owned by Mr Mise.

But how did Dr. Nishikawa and Mr. Mise discover the secret of pearl making? To answer this we need to go to Australia.

WILL THE REAL ORIGINATOR PLEASE STAND UP

The Golden age of Pearls and Wine

Pearls are like wine; if you understand wine you can understand pearls.

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