Freshwater Pearls:

Throughout the ages, pearls have enchanted people. In ancient times pearls became important symbols of wealth and status. Still a source of widespread fascination, pearls are now admired and worn by more people than ever before.

Pearls are a classic that never go out of style. There are some amazing shapes and beautiful colours in freshwater pearls. Pink, peach, lavender, blue, purple, red and even yellow are some of the colours currently available. At one time freshwater pearls were only white rice shaped. Advanced dyes in China now produce almost any colour imaginable.

Today, some of the least expensive cultured pearls rival the quality of the most expensive natural pearls ever found.

I prefer the rice shape, as their quality seems more consistent than the potato shape. I like a smooth finish as opposed to deep ridges. I avoid low lustre blemishes as well. I have spent many an hour sorting through strands to select the “correct” pearls for my jewellery.

It still takes a few years to grow a pearl. China has developed a system that has enabled them to produce large quantities of cultured pearls inexpensively.A pearl is a natural gem created by a living organism. When a foreign object is introduced into a mussel or oyster the animal coats the irritant with a substance called nacre, the same material with which it builds its shell. Over time, the layers of nacre build up to form the pearl. The longer the irritant remains in the mollusc, the more layers of nacre and (usually), the better the pearl.

Cultured pearls share the same properties as natural pearls. They are 100% natural, but are “farmed” with the help of man, rather than growing in the sea. The only difference is that a technician opens the shell and inserts the irritant. Nature then takes over. Expect to find irregular sizes, shapes, and grooving in these pearls. Freshwater mussels are cultivated in inland lakes and rivers.

Harvesting pearls is a time consuming process. Of the millions of oysters and mussels 'seeded' each year, only a proportion (maybe just 50%) will survive to bear pearls. Of these, many will not produce pearls of a marketable quality.

The best pearls have thick overlapping layers of nacre. Viewing its “lustre” can test this. Roll the pearl with a pen in good light - the best pearls will reflect the pen the most. A large pearl is only more valuable if it's the same quality as a smaller one. Being an organic gem, grooves, pits, or dents are expected. Freshwater pearls are popular for their colours: white, silvery-white, pink, red, copper, brown, lavender, purple, green, blue, and yellow. I love the classic cream, as it will pair with any colour outfit. The larger the pearl usually indicates a greater value but only taking into account other factors. A 7mm clean round pearl with good lustre will be more valuable than a 9mm dull baroque pearl.

Pearl Care
Special care is needed for pearls. Since they are naturally porous, it’s important to make sure they do not absorb cologne, hair spray, lotions, or make up. Oils from your skin can help keep the pearls from drying out. Pearl jewellery is often purchased in a silk or felt pouch. You should keep the pearls in this to prevent scratches. To clean pearls, don’t use any jewellery cleaners – wipe gently with damp cloth.

A bit of Pearl Trivia :

The first real cultured freshwater pearls originated in Japan. In the 1930's, Japanese farmers by Lake Biwa achieved natural colours unseen in saltwater pearls. However, water pollution today has virtually destroyed pearl production there. China now has the resources that Japan lacks: many large lakes, rivers, and a low-cost work force. The first Chinese cultured pearls were basic, until the 1990's when China revolutionized pearling. Shapes, lustre, and colours of the new Chinese pearls now surpass Biwa quality. Copying the Japanese to improve off-white and mottling, China uses mild bleach, bright lights, and heat. Natural freshwater pearls are usually odd shapes. So for more roundness, the Chinese now reshape rejected pearls into spheres, and then nucleate mussels with them. However, the word “Biwa” can now also refer to the irregular shape of any cultured pearl.

Ongoing exploration of the Americas and recently established trade routes to the East made pearls available as never before in Renaissance Europe beginning in the 1500s. The new centres of the pearl trade, Lisbon and Seville, overflowed with pearls from India, the Persian Gulf and the Caribbean. The upper classes adorned themselves lavishly in these gems, which became the symbol of wealth, status and taste in an age of splendour. Irregularly shaped, or baroque, pearls were especially admired.

At the dawn of the 20th century, people in Europe and the United States began wearing pearls for less formal occasions—a fashion that persists to this day. Flappers of the 1920s wore long ropes of pearls as they danced the Charleston. New designs in jewelry, reflecting Art Nouveau styles and the Arts and Crafts movement, emphasized irregularly shaped freshwater pearls. Imitation pearls were in vogue on hats and dresses, both in traditional Western and non-traditional Eastern styles. In addition, Japanese cultured pearls first reached European and American markets in the 1930s, although the gems did not become popular until the 1950s.

A unique sort of royalty emerged in London in the 1880s, when costermongers—street vendors selling fruits and vegetables—began decorating their trousers and jackets with rows of mother-of-pearl buttons. Henry Croft, a street sweeper, became the first real Pearly, completely covering his clothing with buttons, including hat and bow tie. Soon London had 300 Pearly kings and queens "ruling" its various districts. As street peddling has declined, the Pearlies continue to appear in full regalia at events to raise money for hospitals and orphanages.