A Gift from Nature

Nature is at work deep in the ocean. A tiny grain of sand finds its way inside an oyster, the oyster then protects itself with layer upon layer of a hard crystalline substance called nacre. It takes several years for this ongoing process to produce one special pearl. We have learned to imitate this process by deliberately inserting a small fragment into an oyster, the natural process takes over. These are called cultured pearls. They are the source of almost all of today's lovely pearls. The results are inconsistent so each one is evaluated based on its SIZE, SHAPE, SURFACE, COLOUR, LUSTRE, NACRE and MATCH. The size of a pearl depends on two things: the size of the nucleus that is originally implanted in the oyster and the thickness of the layers of nacre. The size of the pearl is important but even more important, in terms of quality, is the thickness of the nacre. Other factors do feed into the value... the shape. The more perfect the sphere, the better the pearl. Tiny surface marks are seen as a hallmark of nature and proof of a pearls authenticity. We tend to think of pearls as creamy white, cultured also come in shades of black, blue, golden, pink and purple. Women love pearls because of the flattering lustre and the way they reflect light, regardless of their colour. South sea pearls produce colours that are gold, silver. pale blue and silky grey.