Freshwater pearl necklaces
The purity and magic of pearls is known from time immemorial. Pearls have fascinated human beings from ancient times. Love of pearls is mentioned in epics. Indians and Chinese had a great liking for them. In Hindu mytholgy, Lord Krishna is known to have taken pearls from the bottom of the seas to present them to his daughter Pandala on her wedding. Egyptians epitomized pearls as a symbol of wealth and power. Egyptians used mother of pearl as decoration.
Pearls are known by the source from which they come from. They are classified as
a. Freshwater pearls
b. Saltwater pearls or Akoya Pearls
What are freshwater pearls
Freshwater pearls are borne by oysters that are bred in freshwater lakes. They are similar to the saltwater pearls. The catalyst of foreign body is inserted into the mantle of the oyster instead of shell beads. When the foreign body is inserted the oyster costs the intruder with nacre which is same secretion used for shell building.
These pearls are similar to the saltwater pearls, the only difference being the seedless nature of the freshwater pearls. The size and the quality of pearl depends on the health of the oyster, the way the infant oyster is raised, ingredients in water, the temperature of water, inserting skill of workers, fertilization, disease prevention and so on.
Japanese and Chinese Pearl Industry
Due to scarcity and rareness of natural freshwater pearls, the Japanese invented the first freshwater cultured pearls. The workers would slightly open the mussels to insert live mantle tissue of another mussel into those slits. This insertion is sufficient to start nacre production. The first experiment with freshwater pearl culture was done in Lake Biwa in Japan in 1950s and the result was a reap of pearls that had the same luster and luminescence of the natural freshwater counterparts. The Japanese dominated the freshwater pearl culture industry from 1950s to 1990s. Industrial pollution and development of tourism around Lake Biwa, the production slowly started deteriorating. The Chinese on the other hand had all the resources that Japanese lacked and hence started the production of freshwater pearls. Today there are no rivals for Chinese in freshwater pearl farming. The early 1990s traditional method of pearl farming have replaced been replaced by cutting edge techniques which have been used for processing, cleaning, polishing, bleaching and drilling of pearls.
How are pearls produced
The process of pearl production is done by grafting and processing.
Grafting
Grafting is the process by which the foreign body usually live tissue of another mussel is inserted through artificial methods. Generally Cockscomb pearl mussels are used. These mussels produce low quality pearls in high volume and these pearls are called rice crispy pearls. These mussels were used during 1970s and 980s and later Triangle Shell Mussel were used to produce pearls. Though production was less the quality of pearls were substantially higher and hence production with Triangle shell mussels continued. During the process the donor mussel is selected and a strip of tissue is cut from the mantle. The tissue is then cut into 3mm squares. These tissues are then sent to the technician who performs the operation. A small incision is made on the upper valve and the tissue is inserted into the mussel. After the maximum number of grafts are performed the mussel is reversed and the same process is repeated.
Processing
The pearl harvests are purchased while the pearls are still in the shell. After the harvest the pearls are delivered to first stage factory. Here the cleaning and sorting of pearls are done based on size and shape. They are then taken to treatment factories where the pearls are treated in warm and cold chemical solution and bleached. This process is called maeshori. After bleaching the pearls are drilled and polished in cornmeal and wax. The pearls are then put into temporary strands and matched into hanks. The Hanks consist of 5 to 10 temporary strands and are sent for sale.
The Final product
Freshwater pearls are not always round or even nearly round. They are baroque in shape. Perfectly round freshwater pearls are very rare and are called freshadama by trade. Freshwater pearls are noted for their wide range of color, they can be found in white, silvery white, pink, salmon, red, copper, bronze, brown, lavender, purple, green, blue, cream, and yellow. Common colours are white, peach and lavender and the most desired colours are pastel pinks, roses and purples. The colours are due to genetics of the mussel, water quality and tissue graft.
Pearl Value Factors
Pearls vary in luster, surface quality, colour, shape, treatment and size.
Luster and Nacre
The brilliance of the pearl is the soul of the pearl. This factor decides whether the pearl is superior or inferior. The nacre plays an important role in defining the luster. Thin nacre gives low luster and the opposite is also true.
Surface Quality
Perfect pearls are not the goal of nature. But pearls with less imperfections are a proof of the pearls genuineness. A Pearl is considered more valuable that which has less imperfections.
Colour
Pearls come in all colors right from white to black. The color is a result of a combination of body color, overtone and iridescence. Pink and silver overtone pearls are priced higher.
Shape
Perfectly round pearls are the rarest and have a high price. The other shapes are oval, drop, button, circle and baroque. Symmetrical pearls are more valuable than baroque.
Size
Pearls come in size varying from 6 mm to 5 mm. Large pearls are more difficult to cultivate because of the large size of the implanted nucleus.
Different Styles of Necklaces
1. Twisted Pearl Necklaces
2. Multi stranded necklaces
3. Single Stranded Necklaces
4. Tin cup Necklaces
5. Illusion Pearl Necklaces
6. Ribbon Bead Necklaces
7. Freshwater uniform colour necklaces
8. Freshwater multi colored necklaces
9. Freshwater off round and baroque necklaces
Care for pearls
Pearls necklaces can be worn as many times as possible. After usage they should be thoroughly cleaned in water with a mild soap solution. The strands should be changed atleast once a year to avoid breakage. Whatever the reason you buy pearl necklaces be sure to keep it away from harsh chemicals so that the lustre and the shine remains the same. Pearl necklaces are a charming when worn for parties and will go along for any style. They can be also worn with business suites and create a fashion statement. Go for one today.
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