How to choose a pearl

For many centuries, pearls are used in the form of jewelry. Pearls were a rarity, therefore they were the property of very wealthy people and aristocracy. Pearls are considered to be a female adornment, perhaps this is due to the fact that the shape of the mollusk, within which the pearl grows, resembles female genitals. As time goes on, products made from cultured pearls are on sale, but this gem is still a symbol of luxury, prestige and good taste.

Making pearl

Natural pearls are an education that occurs during the life of sea and river mollusks. When a foreign body enters the sink (a grain of sand, a fragment of a shell, etc.), the clam begins to envelop it with nacre, and after a certain time a pearl is formed. Natural pearls are rare, its prey is dangerous, so it is valued so highly that it becomes the subject of auction bidding.

Modern jewelers mainly work with cultured sea pearls, which first declared themselves in the early 20th century. The cultivation of pearls arose in Japan and spread everywhere, where there are suitable conditions. According to the technology, an oyster or mussel implants a bead or a piece of nacre, and after 18-24 months a pearl grows in the sink. Such pearls have very few differences from the analogue of natural origin.

People have long known artificial pearls. It is obtained by applying various compositions to a ball of porcelain, glass or plastic. Initially, an artificial analogue of the jewels was made from a glass ball filled with paraffin (the so-called "Roman pearl") or covered with a fish-scale-based tool to create a pearl luster. Modern technologies allow to produce artificial pearls, in appearance indistinguishable from natural.

Variety of pearls

The general picture of pearl species is as follows:
natural, divided into several groups:

natural marine (mined in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, off the coast of Japan and Australia);
natural river (mining is carried out in China, Russia, Germany);
cultivated (by technology);
cultivated without compliance with standards (sold in the resorts of India, Thailand and China);

artificial, which is of two types - high quality (for example, pearls "majordica") and ordinary (for jewelry). Does not apply to jewelry.

All types of pearls differ in their value. So, the most valuable of the cultivated species is considered to be pearls from the South Sea. Black pearls from Tahiti are unique due to an unusually thick layer of nacre. The smallest navy pearl Keshi (Keshi) has a low price. River (freshwater) pearls are valued less than the sea, although it has brilliance and durability.

Color, shine, beauty

Due to the fact that the current market is literally flooded with pearls, it is necessary to learn how to distinguish a fake from this quality product.Testing is usually carried out in several ways:

brilliance and color;
nacre quality;
shape and size.

Natural pearls can be easily identified by shine. The natural pearl shimmers and glows from the inside. If the pearls are of high quality, then you can see that there is a difference between a bright area and a shaded one. The result is a visual illusion of the presence of a ball inside the pearl.

Natural pearls have different colors, the palette has about 120 shades. Among the expensive specimens come across pearls of black and white, bronze, green, silver, cream, gold, purple hues. What color a pebble will acquire depends on the type of the mollusk-producer, on the place of cultivation and on the age of the pearl (degree of maturity). The most rare and expensive stones are pink and blue.

More nacre, larger size

The quality of pearls directly depends on the thickness of the pearl layer. This indicator has a significant impact on the price of the product. Another important factor in determining the quality of a pearl is the condition of the surface, how smooth and evenly colored it is. The presence of chips, dents, specks and other damage greatly reduces the value of pearls.

In their form, pearls can be:

round (most often);
spherical;
in the form of drops;
fantasy outlines ("baroque");
similar to animal silhouettes or different objects(have a separate name - paragons). It is believed that such stones are endowed with special mystical properties and are natural talismans. The most common frame for paragons is gold.

The shape of pearls is best seen on a black background, then any defects will become more noticeable. In the finished product of high quality all the pearls should be the same size and lie flat. Holes must be in the center.

With dimensions, everything is simple - the larger the pearl, the higher the price. Size is determined by the diameter, it is considered in millimeters. Pearl as a smaller pearl is usually in the range of 3-11 mm, and the sea can reach 22 mm.

For jewelry, the weight of large pearls is usually determined in grains or carats. Small pearls are called grain, they are sold by weight. Large pearls are very rare. The largest gem was discovered in 1934 near the Philippines. This miracle of nature weighs 6.35 kg, looks like a head in a turban, therefore it has the name “Pearl of Allah”. Large elite pearls are usually included in the register of the state's currency reserves together with other precious stones.

How to choose natural pearls

How to distinguish natural

In order not to be mistaken with the choice, you should check the proposed pearls for its conformity. The tests are not heavy, but in the end you will be sure that you are buying real pearls.

You can throw a pearl on a smooth surface of sufficient hardness from a height of about half a meter. Natural pearls, unlike artificial ones, will begin to spring elastically.

If there is an opportunity to look through the pearl in the sun, then you can see that the natural will glow blue, and the cultured one will glow green. As confirmation that you have a cultivated specimen in your hands, are uneven holes with chips.

You can just take the pearls in hand. If at the same time you feel the coolness, it means that you are offered a natural. If you rub two pearls together, light dust appears, which confirms the natural origin of the products.

The original way to determine the naturalness is to draw a strip of pearl on the surface of your tooth. This pearl has microscopic roughness, so it will creak.

Affordable luxury

The cost of pearl jewelry in the end depends on many factors - from the origin and size to the shape and quality of the surface. Therefore, you can choose for yourself a product that is fully suitable both in price and in appearance and quality.Buy and wear with pleasure, because they say that the stone is alive and in a box can get bored and die. Try not to let this happen, let the pearls regularly show themselves and decorate your cute image.