Saturday, August 2, 2008

The Value and Beauty of Saltwater Pearls


If you want high quality pearls that can catch everyone's attention the moment you wear them, then you should opt to wear saltwater pearl jewelries. Saltwater pearl jewelries made in big in the market during the 1930's. Since then, it has become one of the most sought after set of jewelries in the world. It was loved because of its simple elegance and captivating beauty.
Saltwater pearl jewelries are, of course, as the name implies, cultured in seawater. These are pearls that grow out from oysters. Saltwater pearls actually results from an oyster's natural process of protecting themselves from foreign materials.
Saltwater pearls are made up of aragonite (calcium carbonate), water and conchiolin. Its hardiness is around the scale of three and has a density of about 2.71 g. Saltwater pearls differ in sizes and colors. The variation largely depends on the particular oyster each pearl is being bred on as well as the exact location where the pearls are being cultivated. Because only one saltwater pearl is harvested in a single oyster, it is close to impossible to find pearls that are exactly alike in every sense.
A notable saltwater pearl with the thickest nacre is the South Sea pearl. It has a nacre coating of about 2-6 millimeters. Tahitian pearls come in next with 2-3 millimeter thick nacre coating. Akoya pearls from Japan have a half-millimeter nacre coating.
Saltwater pearls may take years to fully breed. This would be the length of time they need to be cultivated for them to be deemed as useful pieces for jewelry making. For Tahitian and South Sea pearls, it can up to 24 to 36 months cultivation time. For akoya pearls, the process is a lot faster and can take less than 2 years.
Most saltwater pearls originated from the South Pacific Sea. The famed South Sea pearls, which by far is the most popular and valuable saltwater pearls, is just one of type of saltwater pearls. Some South Sea pearls may be almost perfectly round. South Sea pearls with this kind of shape are quite rare, therefore very valuable. Other saltwater pearls may not be as perfectly round as others but they still maintain a dear price. Saltwater pearls with irregular shapes are also referred to as baroque pearls and have a lower market value.
Saltwater pearl jewelries are natural pearls. Some jewelers also modify them to add more shine and color to the pearls. Culturing saltwater pearls naturally begins with a shell nucleus that is harvested inside pearl oysters. After some time, these oysters would secrete certain calcium, also called as nacre, which would cover the shell nucleus. Thicker nacre results to a more lustrous saltwater pearl. Since pearls are organic products, they have the possibility to decay. Because nacre adds protection to decay and add durability to the pearls, it is recommended to buy pearls with thick nacre.
Saltwater pearl jewelries are truly valuable pieces. It's a timeless piece of accessory that can even pass on to other members of the family as heirloom. They are perfect gift ideas for weddings and for all types of occasions. And the best thing to do with such an outstanding piece of jewelry is, of course, to wear them!

No comments: