What is a pearl?

What is a pearl?
A pearl is a calcium carbonate deposit that has collected and been formed within the soft tissue of a shelled mollusk, such as an oyster, clam or mussel. The most sought after pearls are nacreous pearls, which are produced by molluscan bivalves or clams. These come from both the sea or from freshwater lakes.
The rarity of the pearl, which is why pearls have been so valued over the centuries, has been due to the fact that fine pearls are so rarely produced in the wild, and it took the killing of many mollusks before one was found. This resulted in the creation of a method to artificially introduce an 'irritating' core or nucleus that would encourage the development of a new "cultured" pearl.
Where do pearls come from?
China is today the largest producer of akoya pearls, once dominated by Japan. Japan today does not produce akoya pearls smaller than 8 mm and it remains a large processor of China's akoya pearls. South Sea pearls are primarily sourced from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Black pearls are found in Tahiti and are very rare.

What shapes do pearls come in?
There are eight basic pearl shapes--round, semi-round, drop, pearl, oval, button, circle, and baroque. Semi-rounds are often used in necklaces, where their lack of full roundness can be hidden, while round pearls are the most valuable as they are the rarest. Pear shaped and drop pearls are often used in earrings, pendants or the center pearl in a necklace. Baroque pearls are very random in shape and are often used individually as center pieces or in necklaces.
Natural pearls are the most valuable
Natural pearls are the most valuable as they are the rarest and produced in small quantities. Cultured pearls will generally be less expensive, as they are more available, but also can be expensive depending on their fineness. Imitation pearls are the least expensive as they are produced in large quantities and are clearly not rare.

Cultured Pearl Types

Akoya Pearls:

Akoya pearls are the classic white pearl necklace and typically have the highest luster and greatest shine of all cultured pearls. Typical Akoya pearls range from 5 mm to 11 mm, with the 10 and 11 mm sizes rare finds. The most common size and the best value is between 7.0mm - 7.5mm with a sharp jump at anything 8.0mm and above. The Akoya pearl is either white or cream in body color and typically have a rose, cream or Ivory overtone; Akoya pearls may also be treated to achieve a black body color.

Freshwater Pearls:
Freshwater pearls come from freshwater mussels and are primarily produced by China. Freshwater pearls come in various pastel shades of white, black, pink, peach, lavender, plum, purple, and tangerine, depending on the type of mussel. The typical size of freshwater pearls is 2mm - 16mm with 7mm - 8mm being the most common.

Tahitian Pearls:

Tahitian Pearls come from the warm waters of the South Seas and are grown in a Black-Lipped oyster. They are the only pearl to achieve a black body color naturally and are typically very large(9mm - 16mm). Tahitian pearls although mostly dark can come in a wide range of hues, including black, gray, silver, green, blue and purple.

South Sea pearls:

South Sea pearls are saltwater pearls cultivated from the oyster, found in the South Seas centering on Northern Australia and South-East Asia including Myanmar and Indonesia. They produce 10-20 mm pearls of silver or gold color the largest of any cultured pearl. South Sea pearls are also the most expensive pearl on the market, due to thier rarity and thick nacre.

Cultured Pearl Grading Systems

As with any other item that can appear in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and conditions, a standardized system of grading must be used when purchasing or selling pearls. Only in this way can the pearl be described according to mutually agreed-upon and understood terms, so that both buyer and seller can determine a fair price.
Unfortunately, the pearl industry as a whole has not adopted a universally used standard grading system. Instead, the specific grading system used often depends upon the specific jeweler. Two major grading systems are in fairly widespread use, and used by nearly every major pearl retailer in the United States: the AAA-A system and the A-D system (also called the Tahitian system).
Even these systems, however, can become misleading if a seller uses terms from the grading system (such as "AAA"), but uses them to describe a different quality pearl than that which the system is generally understood to be describing. Or a seller could use a term not in the grading system (such as "AAAA" or "AAA+") to make it appear that the pearl is beyond even the highest standard quality -- when in reality, that seller's "AAAA" pearls are actually equivalent to the more-common "AAA" grade, and his "AAA" pearls might only be equivalent to the commonly used "AA."
For reasons such as these, it's extremely important when purchasing pearls to be absolutely certain of the meaning of any descriptive terms used by the seller. If possible, ask to see a written description of each grading term, so that you know exactly what the grade implies. Reputable jewelers will be happy to comply with such a request. Only in this way will you be able to determine if the price the seller is asking is reasonable.

The AAA - A System

This system grades pearls on a scale from AAA to A, with AAA - or commonly known as gem-quality - being the highest grade:
• AAA: The highest-quality pearl, virtually flawless. The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 95% of the surface will be free from any type of defect. The pearl will be perfectly round, and have a mirror-like luster, and a total nacre thickness (Akoya pearls only) of at least .75mm.
• AA: The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 75% of the surface will be free from any type of defect. The luster will be very high, and have a total nacre thickness (Akoya pearls only) of at least .5mm.
• A: This is the lowest jewelry-grade pearl, with a lower luster and/or more than 25% of the surface showing defects. In many cases, if the pearl is being mounted into a piece of jewelry, it can be mounted so that the defects are hidden -- thus providing a lovely jewelry piece at a lesser price. This quality has a chalky appearance and thin nacre, typically of .25mm or less. This thin nacre is due to early harvesting of the pearl.
• Pearls that do not fall into the ranking categories above are typically either sold in beading stores, or simply stripped of their nacre, which is then ground to be used in makeup and other beautifying aids.
Obviously, these grading categories are quite broad and leave room for interpretation and individual judgment. Also note that in multi-pearl pieces such as strands, necklaces, bracelets, etc., all of the individual pearls may not absolutely meet the indicated grade level. For example, a strand referred to as "AAA" must have most of its pearls as AAA pearls. However, a few pearls could have slightly lower luster or a tiny bit more surface defects. This is because matching is also a primary consideration in multi-pearl jewelry, sometimes even overriding a very strict grading of each individual pearl.

The A - D System (or Tahitian System)

This system grades pearls on a scale from A to D, with A being the highest grade. This is the system used in French Polynesia (based on a government standard there) to grade Tahitian pearls. It is therefore sometimes referred to as the "Tahitian system." To make your shopping experience easier at PearlsOfJoy.com we utilize the AAA-A system for all of our pearls.
• A: The highest-quality pearl, with very high luster with only minor imperfections over less than 10% of its surface. These imperfections are then used as marks for drill holes.
• B: High or medium luster. Surface may have some visible imperfections, but over no more than 30% of its area.
• C: Medium luster with surface defects over not more than 60% of the surface area.
• D: May have many slight defects, but no deep ones, spread over 60% of its surface; or deep defects over no more than 60% of its surface; or a combination of minor and deep defects over no more than 60% of its surface. In this grade of pearl, the luster is irrelevant. Even the most lustrous pearls will be graded D if their surface is blemished to this extent.
Pearls below D grade are considered not acceptable for use in jewelry.
Both of the grading systems described above focus primarily on the luster and surface quality of the pearl to determine its grade. But keep in mind that other factors also contribute to the quality of any pearl. One of the most important is the thickness of the nacre, which often determines how durable the pearl will be over time. The thicker the nacre, the stronger and longer-lasting the pearl (provided it is treated well, of course!).
For Tahitian pearls, the government of French Polynesia has set a minimum nacre thickness of 0.8 millimeters. Any pearls with nacre of less than that thickness are not allowed to be sold. Keeping in mind that Tahitian pearls tend to be larger than many other pearls (such as Akoyas), you can use this rule as a guideline when evaluating your own potential pearl purchases.

Cultured Pearl Care

Cultured pearls are relatively soft compared to other gemstones and precious metals. So it is important to take special care of your pearls to ensure they will remain bright and beautiful for generations to come.Cosmetics, perfume and hair spray all contain chemicals that can dull the luster of a pearl over extended periods of time. Even acids contained in body oils and perspiration can work to damage luster in the same way.Therefore, it is best to put your pearls on after applying makeup, perfume and hair spray. It is also suggested that you wipe down your pearls with the custom micro-fiber cloth provided after each use. Occasionally you may want to dampen the cloth and give your pearls a very thorough wipe down.

Always keep your pearls separated from hard jewelry items, such as metals and other gemstones, to prevent them from scratching your pearls. Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth pouch or a separately lined jewelry box.If you wear your pearls several times a week, it is best to take them back to your jeweler for re-stringing about once every other year to prevent strand breakage. When having your pearls re-strung, Pearls of Joy advises and uses only silk thread. However, nylon thread is an acceptable alternative. Make sure that the string is knotted between each pearl. Individual knotting will prevent all the pearls in a strand from falling off should a break occur. Knotting also prevents the pearls from rubbing against each other.