|
There are two main categories for pearls. |
| Saltwater pearls & freshwater pearls |
|
As you can see from the pictures on the following pages,ours don’t all look like the preconceived image of pearls. Look past the traditional, and the possibilities for accessorizing are endless.
The feel is so luxurious and the pleasure of wearing is long lasting.
|
|
Although classed as 'gems',pearls are made from the natural secretion of oyster-type, shelled molluscs. This secretion is called nacre, & is made mainly from calcium carbonate.
When a foreign particle enters the inner part of an oyster shell, skin tissue forms a pearl sac around the intruding particle and the oyster begins to isolate the foreign body, by secreting nacre. Over time, this coated particle becomes larger. The longer the pearl is left within the mollusc, the larger it will become.
|
|
Why are ours are so good?
|
The pearls we use include organically assisted pearls, Keshi pearls and natural pearls. These are all, generally considered to be high quality.
|
Crucially, our pearls are not ‘planted’ with a spherical bead.
|
 |
| Bead-core cultured pearls |
| Many of the ‘cultured pearls’ that are currently being sold, may have as little as a 0.2mm coating of nacre, over a man-made bead, which can account for up to 99% of the whole pearl. Many people are lured into purchasing cheap ‘pearl’ beads, without realising that their purchase is barely coated with nacre. This type of pearl jewellery is probably best avoided as the finish can very quickly deteriorate just by being handled. We do not sell ‘pearls’ of this type |
|
Unfortunately, the depth of the actual pearl material cannot be measured easily. The use of x-ray radiography is the surest method.
This is the reason why there can be a quite a difference in the price of pearls.
|
|
|
