Understanding Pearls:
Pearls are organic gems grown within oysters and a few other mollusks. Pearls are formed when a foreign object (like a tiny stone) has made its way into the mollusk's shell. The mollusk secretes nacre, a lustrous substance that coats the intruding object. As thousands of layers of nacre coat the intruder, a pearl is formed; this process takes up to seven or eight years (an oyster's useful life span). The most valuable pearls are perfectly symmetrical, large, naturally produced, and have a shimmering iridescence (called orient luster).
There are many types of pearls, including:
- natural pearls (made with no human interference),
- cultured pearls (pearls made by inserting a round bit of a mother-of-pearl into [nucleating] a living oyster or by inserting a bit of foreign tissue),
- baroque pearls (irregularly-shaped pearls),
- freshwater pearls,
- seed pearls (tiny pearls),
- Biwa pearls (a type of freshwater pearl from Lake Biwa, Japan from the freshwater mussel, Hyriopsis schlegeli),
- blister pearls (grown attached to the shell),
- black pearls (gray to black pearls),
- Mabe pearls (cultivated blister pearls), etc.
Nearly every seller has a different way of grading pearls. Here is how we grade ours.
AAA – Luster is unusually high. Nacre is unusually thick. Excellent surface with no visible blemishes. Perfectly round. Perfectly matched or graduated. This grade is rarely found in nature. If you are buying from someone who is claiming AAA grade pearls, be careful. They are rare and very expensive.
AA – Luster is high giving the pearl depth. The nacre is thick. Surface blemishes are not visible. Some may be slightly off round but mostly are round. Match is very good. With rare exception, this is the highest grade you will see.
A – Luster is Good exhibiting some depth. The nacre is medium. A few blemishes are noticeable. Some may be slightly off round by most are round. Match is good. This a good grade with much value for the price.
B – Luster is Moderate. Nacre is thin. Surface blemishes are easily seen. The shape is mostly round with some off round. Match is fair. This grade through not perfect, is very beautiful and offers the most economical value.
Why use silk? Silk is a very strong and durable material which is very difficult to break. Silk will not stretch and sag the way other materials will.
Why knot each bead? Knotting between each bead keeps the pearls from rubbing together and damaging each other. It also provides a safety in case the string breaks. They will not all fall off and go rolling across the floor.
Why use bead tips? When the silk thread is wrapped around the safety clasp, it will eventually wear through the silk and break. The metal bead tip is used to end each end of the string and connect to the clasp. The metal will not wear out providing years of use.