Ever wondered how pearls became one of the rarest gems worldwide? A variety of pearls are found around the world, enclasped in specific species of oysters.Every type of pearl holds significance or has a specialty in it.
Pearls have been a symbol of love for generations. Men gift pearl bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces to the women they love the most to express their feelings. Visit a highly reputed jewellery shop to buy pearl jewellery for sale in New York.
History of Pearls
In the 1900s, when the Roman empire was at its peak, Roman general Vitellius financed an entire army by selling one of his mother’s pearl earrings.
The origin of pearls is still a debated topic, but according to the book ‘The Book of the Pearl’, written by Frederick Kunz in 1908, an ancient fish-eating tribe at the coast of India found pearls oysters while looking for food.
Composition of a pearl
Despite its elegant appearance, a pearl is a hard shinning object found inside a living mollusc. They come in different shapes and sizes: round, oval, circle, button, teardrop, and baroque.
Types of Pearls
Pearls’ shapes and sizes are affected by the oysters they are cultivated in and the oysters vary based on geographical location, nature and water they live in.
- Akoya Pearls
Japan has been the lead producer of Ayoka pearls producing high-quality specimens in the world. The Ayoka pearl size ranges from 2mm to 9mm, with high-quality specimens reaching up to 10mm. - Freshwater pearls
They are found inside freshwater mollusc and are the most commonly available pearl worldwide, but a finer specimen can still fetch a hefty price. They primarily come in the shade of peach, cream, white and lavender-pink. - Tahitian pearls
They are the only black pearls globally and are rarer than white pearls; therefore, they fetch a higher price. In addition, Tahitian pearls are the only pearls that do not receive any colour treatment. Black pearls range 8mm to 15 mm in size. - South sea pearls
South sea pearls are the largest and expensive variety of pearls found in the world. Popularly found in the coastal area of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, including the infamous “coral triangle” (An area famous because of sharks and pirates). They range from 8mm to 20mm in size and larger pearls fetch a hefty price.
- Baroque pearls
The two main categories of a pearl are traditional pearls and Baroque pearls. Traditional pearls come in perfectly round shapes, whereas baroque pearls come in various colours and have unique shapes.
Quality grading of pearls
The pearls grading is a system to identify the quality of the pearl. It has four categories in grading, A, AA, AAA and AAAA, where AAAA is the highest quality pearl and the most expensive.
Difference between natural, cultured, freshwater and shell pearls
- Natural pearls
A natural pearl is formed when a foreign object naturally enters the mollusc’s mantle, and in response,Unfortunately, natural pearls are rare to find. - Cultured pearls
You can easily buy cultured pearl jewellery in New York. - Freshwater pearls
The freshwater pearls come from the oysters raised in lakes and ponds. The pearls formed by freshwater oysters are not as round as saltwater pearls; therefore, they are less expensive. In the past two decades, farmers used different types of mussels and lowered the number of grafts inserted, resulting in improved quality of pearls at a lower cost, making it the best choice for jewellers. - Shell pearls
Shell pearls are made from the inner line of oyster shells and are also known as the ‘Mother of Pearls.
Conclusion
You can gift pearl jewellery to your dear ones to show love and affection towards them. Surprise your favourite person with a pearl necklace, bracelets, pendant, rings or earrings and feel the joy of giving. Pacific Pearls international is one of the leading pearl jewelry providers in USA. They meticulously focus on price, design, quality and service. To buy pearl jewellery for sale in New York, visit pacificpearlsinternational.com.