|
Pearl is par excellence the
feminine gem, symbol of love, happiness, affection, generosity; for the western
ancient peoples it represented the pureness and for the Romans evoked love and
pleasure. There are many legends inspired by pearls: for the Eastern peoples
they represent wisdom and the ancients explained their origins by means of a
delicate and magic interpretation: when the moon, queen of the night sky,
spreads its sweet silver light over the earth, pearl-oysters leave the seabed
to rise up to the billowing waves and they let themselves gently swing, thus
becoming impregnated in a bond of love of night dew and pure moon rays, and
from this union pearls are born! Although it would be nice to believe in this
legend, let's try to understand where they really come from, where they are
formed and the reasons for the thousands of differences of these real miracles
of nature.
Pearl Creation
While most jewelry is fashioned from precious metals and stones buried deep
within the earth, a pearl is one of the few jewels that is created within a
living creature; an oyster. Pearls are currently cultivated by inserting a tiny
foreign substance into the mantle of the oyster. Upon insertion, the oyster
engages in a natural biological process of releasing nacre material that
surrounds the foreign substance and protects the oyster's environment. Numerous
layers of secreted nacre material result in the creation of a beautiful natural
pearl.
Pearl Types
Oysters are capable of producing a number of different pearl shapes, ranging
from off-round baroque to tear-like drops. A perfectly round pearl is the
rarest shape for an oyster to produce, and is thus the most valuable in a pearl
harvest. Pearls also come in an assortment of colors and styles depending on
which region of the world they come from.
Freshwater Pearls are cultivated in artificial water pools and usually
originate in Asian countries such as China. The Pearl Source only offers
freshwater pearls of the highest grade quality with superior luster and
overtone. On the other hand, South Sea pearls are cultivated in natural ocean
lagoons in countries such as Tahiti, Australia and the Philippines.
South Sea pearls include golden
pearls which derive from Indonesia or the Philippines. Indonesian
golden pearls are usually lighter in color and lower in quality. Pearl dealers
will often times buy them because of their lower cost and dye them to achieve a
richer more vibrant golden color. Golden
pearls from the Philippines have a rich dark golden overtone which is
completely natural and allows for exceptional luster. The Pearl Source only
imports the highest quality rich golden pearls from the Philippines and
guarantees that they are 100% natural and have never been artificially enhanced
in any way. The Pearl Source also offers beautiful Australian white pearls that
are unique within the South Sea region. Australian pearls are known for their
rich satin luster and creamy white colors which derive from the tropical waters
of the South Sea. Lastly, South Sea pearls include French Polynesian
Tahitian pearls , which are also known as black pearls. Pearls from
Tahiti offer the widest variety of colors ranging from basic green or gray
pearls, to exotic peacock, lime, blue, copper, bronze, or even purple
overtones. Although such colors and overtones are rare and uncommon, The Pearl
Source is known for specializing in creating exquisite necklaces with these
exotic colors.
Pearl Sorting
The Pearl Source imports all our pearls directly from the pearl farms of their
native origin. The pearls go through a rigorous sorting process which separates
them by size, shape, and grade quality. Our on-site pearl experts personally
inspect and match every pearl to create some of the most unique and elegant
pearl necklaces and jewelry available anywhere.
|