Pearl jewellery is both stunning and stylish. Whether in the form of a necklace, earrings or bracelet, pearls lend the wearer elegance beyond which any other form of jewel can offer. Pearls are a gift welcome on any occasion. For centuries pearls have been highly sought after for their beauty and rarity. Pearl jewellery is not a fad and will never lose its impact – no matter who the wearer is.
Pearls are produced in the shell of clam or bivalve molluscs. Naturally occurring pearls are very rare. They vary in size, shape and quality. The most prized pearls are perfectly round, smooth and natural nacreous. Nacreous pearls sometimes form in a mollusc after a tiny foreign object penetrates the shell. The mollusc envelopes the foreign object in a newly created pearl sac, the object could be a deadly parasite – so this is the mollusc’s natural defence against infection. The mollusc’s mantle then layers the foreign object with calcium carbonate and conchiolin. This calcium carbonate and conchiolin sphere is better known as a pearl. If you have a 100% genuine natural pearl; you should consider getting it valued and then applying for jewellery insurance, you have in your possession a very rare item indeed.
A cultured pearl is sometimes referred to as a “farmed” pearl. Cultured pearls are man-made and are created in a mollusc following the implantation of a microscopic piece of mantle. Sometimes a small bead is inserted into the mollusc to induce the creation of a pearl. Chinese Cultured Pearls™ are created by the mantle grafting method. The bead method is used in the creation of Akoya™, Black Tahiti™ and South Sea™ pearls.
Obviously, cultured pearls are not as valuable as natural pearls. Both cultural and natural pearls vary drastically in structure. An x-ray examination of a pearl can determine if it is an imitation, cultured or naturally occurring one. A natural pearl is distinguished by having many growth layers – very like the growth rings of a tree trunk. An imitation pearl has no such rings of growth. A pearl grown from a bead has a solid central core with few calcium carbonate and conchiolin layers. A mantle implant creates a pearl with a very complex centre that could not be produced naturally.
It is impossible to determine with the naked eye whether or not a pearl is natural or cultured. Though, a thorough examination by a jewellery expert using an x-ray will definitely yield a result. You will then find out if you have been wearing spheres of plastic, cultured or natural pearls.
About the author: Ashton Mapletoft frequently writes on the topics of possessions and insurance.
