Types of Pearls
The Latin word for "Pearl" is "Margarita," which means "that which is precious or excellent." Pearls have been used for centuries by different civilizations, Royal families, Kings and Queens, and Aristocrats. They have an ethereal everlasting beauty, memorialized for generations. Pearls were difficult to source as divers had to dive up to 100ft in the water to get them, due to which they became very precious, and Ruling Kingdoms created decrees stating only Royal families and members of the upper caste could wear them.
Unlike other stones mined from the Earth, Pearls are harvested from organisms like oysters in the ocean.
How are Pearls Formed?
When a parasite or piece of shell accidentally attaches itself to an oyster's soft inner body to protect itself from the intruder, the oyster covers the intruder with epithelial cells, forming a pearl sac. These cells deposit concentric layers of nacre over the parasite, leading to the creation of layered Pearl.
Types of Pearls
1. Natural Pearls- A natural pearl is formed accidentally without human intervention.
2. Cultured Pearls- Kokichi Mikimoto, the son of a Japanese noodle maker, created the world's first Cultured Pearl in 1893 by manually introducing an irritant into an oyster to stimulate it to form a pearl. There are different types of Cultured Pearls, depending on where it is harvested, in seawater or freshwater.
3. Freshwater Pearls- Freshwater Pearls are created using freshwater mussels in slow-moving rivers and lakes. The size of the Pearl is determined by how long the Pearl spends in the water - the longer the time, the bigger the Pearl will become. The natural colors are usually white, cream, or pastel tones of cream, peach, pink and purple. Natural-freshwater pearls (although rare) are found in almost every country. Today, Cultured-Freshwater Pearls are produced in China.
4. South Sea Pearls- South Sea Pearls have a mother of pearl bead as the irritant. They are produced in white, silver, and gold-lipped oysters, therefore the natural colors of the pearls are light, ranging from white, silver, pale pink, and light Gold to a deep orange-gold (the color of the Pearl corresponds to the color of the shell). Found in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Burma. Each oyster only produces one Pearl in its lifetime.
5. Keshi Pearls- Keshi comes from the Japanese word Keshinomi, meaning Poppy. They are named as such, as that is the usual size of the Pearl. They come in unique shapes and sizes. Keshi pearl is formed when the oyster rejects and spits out the substance – the nucleus (the seed that covers the oyster to form a Pearl) – before Pearl's final creation. The other way is when the nucleus fractures and forms two separate pearl sacs – that is, circles of nacre – neither with a nucleus. Eventually, one or two nucleus-less pearls will usually form. Keshi pearls are known for their luster and come in various colors and shades.
6. Basra Pearls- Basra originated from the trade city of Al Basrah, now in modern-day Iraq. Basra Pearls are considered the most prestigious and precious of all pearls. They are only found in the oysters of the Persian Gulf. Oil mining in that region led to the extinction of these oysters. These are rare as their luster is exquisite and, therefore, the most expensive. Basra is lighter in weight, de-shaped, and chalky from the inside. These pearls usually come drilled as they are hard.
Pearls were considered Gold and will always be. They have a classic attribute, always being evergreen and everlasting.