Gemologists classify pearls - natural or cultured - as colored stone. But pearls don't have much in common with other gems that share that designation. Pearl is a nacreous, organic gem formed in the body of a mollusk. Mollusks can be on-shelled or two-shelled, or they can lack a shell altogether. One-shelled mollusks include abalone and conch. Mollusks with two shell include clams, oysters and scallops. Some non-shelled mollusks are squid, octopuses, and slugs. One some mollusks can produce pearls or pearl-like gems. In fact, of the approximately 800 two-shelled mollusk species in the world, fewer than 20 produce pearls. Pearl-producing mollusks can live in fresh water or salt water.
Mussel is a pearl producing two-shelled freshwater mollusk while Oyster is a pearl producing two-shelled saltwater mollusk. There are three different types of saltwater cultured pearls: Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls and South Sea pearls. Though they share many of the same characteristics, they can look vastly different or remarkable similar. Each comes from a different kind of oyster.
The Akoya oyster ( Pinctada Fucada) is the main oyster used in saltwater pearl culturing in Japan and China. Most of Akoya cultured pearls are white or cream, and some have hints of rose ( pink) overtone. The Akoya oyster produces cultured pearls in the size, colors and shapes most people imagine when they think of pearls - white spheres ranging from 3mm and 9mm. The Akoya oyster is relatively small, so it doesn't usually produce a cultured pearl larger than 9mm. And if it does, it's very valuable.
The black-lipped oyster ( Pinctada Margaritifera) is native to French Polynesia and is farmed there and in the Cook Islands. It produces Tahitian cultured pearls in colors like peacock, green, metallic gray, aubergine purple, bronze, brown and grayish blue. The oyster can grow as large as 30cm ( 12inch) in diameter, sometimes weighing up to 5kg
( 11lbs). Tahitian cultured pearls have only been on the market since 1970s, but their impact on the jewelry industry is nearly unparalleled. Tahitian pearls range in size from 8mm to 17mm.
South Sea cultured pearls come from one of the world's largest mollusks.
The oyster Pictada Maxima was originally fished off the coast of Australia for its beautiful mother of pearl shell lining. One hundred years later, it produces the most valuable large South Sea cultured pearls. Pinctada Maxima is farmed in Australia, The Philippines, and Indonesia. South Sea pearls range in size from 9mm to 17mm. While South Sea cultured pearls occur in other colors, silver, white and gold are the most common.
Freshwater pearls are cultured in mussels belonging to the family Unionidae. Most of the freshwater pearls are farmed in rivers and lakes of China. Only a small faction of the total number of freshwater cultured pearls come from United States, Vietnam and Thailand. Freshwater pearl range between 2mm and 16, although the larger sizes are very rare.
Pearls are made of layers of nacre - natural substance produced by mollusks that also coats the inside of the animal shell. When it's part of the shell, this lovely iridescent material is called mother of pearl. Mother of pearl inlays are commonly used in decorative items, guitars, furniture, tiles etc.
Mussel is a pearl producing two-shelled freshwater mollusk while Oyster is a pearl producing two-shelled saltwater mollusk. There are three different types of saltwater cultured pearls: Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls and South Sea pearls. Though they share many of the same characteristics, they can look vastly different or remarkable similar. Each comes from a different kind of oyster.
The Akoya oyster ( Pinctada Fucada) is the main oyster used in saltwater pearl culturing in Japan and China. Most of Akoya cultured pearls are white or cream, and some have hints of rose ( pink) overtone. The Akoya oyster produces cultured pearls in the size, colors and shapes most people imagine when they think of pearls - white spheres ranging from 3mm and 9mm. The Akoya oyster is relatively small, so it doesn't usually produce a cultured pearl larger than 9mm. And if it does, it's very valuable.
The black-lipped oyster ( Pinctada Margaritifera) is native to French Polynesia and is farmed there and in the Cook Islands. It produces Tahitian cultured pearls in colors like peacock, green, metallic gray, aubergine purple, bronze, brown and grayish blue. The oyster can grow as large as 30cm ( 12inch) in diameter, sometimes weighing up to 5kg
( 11lbs). Tahitian cultured pearls have only been on the market since 1970s, but their impact on the jewelry industry is nearly unparalleled. Tahitian pearls range in size from 8mm to 17mm.
South Sea cultured pearls come from one of the world's largest mollusks.
The oyster Pictada Maxima was originally fished off the coast of Australia for its beautiful mother of pearl shell lining. One hundred years later, it produces the most valuable large South Sea cultured pearls. Pinctada Maxima is farmed in Australia, The Philippines, and Indonesia. South Sea pearls range in size from 9mm to 17mm. While South Sea cultured pearls occur in other colors, silver, white and gold are the most common.
Freshwater pearls are cultured in mussels belonging to the family Unionidae. Most of the freshwater pearls are farmed in rivers and lakes of China. Only a small faction of the total number of freshwater cultured pearls come from United States, Vietnam and Thailand. Freshwater pearl range between 2mm and 16, although the larger sizes are very rare.
Pearls are made of layers of nacre - natural substance produced by mollusks that also coats the inside of the animal shell. When it's part of the shell, this lovely iridescent material is called mother of pearl. Mother of pearl inlays are commonly used in decorative items, guitars, furniture, tiles etc.
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BEAUTIFUL NATURAL BLACK TAHITIAN PEARLS FROM THE REGION OF FRENCH POLYNESIA |