Pearls are a classic in jewellery design. A pearl necklace, bracelet of a set of pearl earrings will never go out of style, and last you a lifetime. But like other precious jewels, the quality, and therefore the price, of pearls can vary dramatically. There are some considerations you should make before investing in a piece of pearl jewellery.
Natural pearls are formed when a parasite burrows into a shellfish’s shell, usually an oyster, and into the mantle tissue. The shellfish defends itself by surrounding the intruder with a membrane known as a ‘pearl sac’. These kinds of pearls are extremely rare, and therefor very expensive. Cultured pearls are made by introducing a nucleus and a piece of donor mantle tissue into a shellfish. These are usually produced on farms and are the much more common. Cultured pearl jewellery therefore costs much less. Pearls come in a huge range of colours, shapes and sizes, depending on where it was grown and which shellfish created it.
It’s not only whether or not it was created naturally that has an effect on the price of a pearl. Lustre is an important factor. A pearl’s lustre is a combination of the pearl’s inner glow and surface brilliance. A good quality pearl will have a high shine and almost sparkle. Lower quality pearls will look overly white and or dull.
A pearl’s smoothness can also show its quality. A high quality pearl should be smooth all round, with no blemished or cracks. A completely blemish-free pearl is nearly impossible to find, but a pearl that’s suitable for jewellery should have blemishes that are only visible close up and not at arm’s length. The shape of the pearl is also important. Pearls are rarely perfectly round, so the more round the pearl, the better quality it is considered to be.