Learning about Pearls
Ian likes to refer to pearls as congealed clam saliva. Technically, that's what they are. But that's not a very romantic way to think of them! Historically, pearls were thought to be an aphrodesiac. Dropped into a glass of wine, they dissolved and could be ingested by your paramour. (Not that I think that's much more romantic than congealed clam spit.)
The purpose of this page is to help you understand a little bit more about pearls. This is something I have seen my customers get confused about more often than not. The biggest source of confusion is the various kinds of pearls. Let's start by talking about the two basic classes: Real and Fake. Real ones come from shellfish. Fake ones are man-made (plastic, ceramic, resin, composite, whatever, just not real congealed clam spit.)
The next big division is Natural and Cultured. There are very few producers of natural pearls anymore. They grow all by themselves in a shellfish. Most pearls available for sale today are cultured pearls, meaning somebody put a little bit of grit inside the shellfish to make it start producing the pearl. They experimented alot over the years with all different kinds of irritants including glass, ceramic, sand, plastic. Ultimately, someone decided that the best pearl-starter is a tiny, perfectly spherical piece of clamshell. Who knew.
The last big qualifier you should understand is Saltwater and Freshwater. For purposes of modern retail sales, both are probably cultured pearls, and both are real pearls. The difference is where they are grown, and that's a mighty big difference, particularly when it comes to the price. Saltwater pearls are only grown in big bodies of salt water, only in oysters, and only one pearl per oyster. The water is colder, so it takes longer to grow the pearl. The oyster's food source is variable, and they are subject to more disease and pollution and other environmental factors that could damage the pearl or kill the oyster. Therefore, they are more expensive. Freshwater pearls can be grown in all kinds of mollusks, and in any kind of fresh water, including lakes, rivers, etc. The water is typically warmer, and it's easier to control the food source, pollutants, and other environmental factors. Moreover, you can grow more than one pearl per mollusk. Hence, they are much more affordable. The Chinese have spent a great deal of time perfecting freshwater pearl cultivation, and now they are not only cheap but also very good in terms of quality. Look for our next article to learn more about judging pearl quality.
Pearl Jewelry from JMD
Written by Jennifer R. McFadden, Joel McFadden Designs