The ancient Chinese mythology believed that grew by absorbing the power of moonlight.
A perfectly round pearl is the most valuable and most sought-after treasure of human beings. Nowadays, most pearl jewellery are made from Tahitian pearls, South Sea pearls, Akoya pearls or freshwater pearls. In general, the South Sea pearl is most precious while the freshwater pearl is comparatively less expensive.
Pearls cultivated in different origins have distinctive characteristics. The South Sea pearl is a noble pearl and tends to have a very strong and healthy nacreous coating. Generally, they are large in size with over 10mm in diameter. Pearls with a golden champagne or light yellowish hue are mainly from this type.
Tahitian nature coloured are particularly famous and popular. However, there are in fact Tahitian pearls in other colours including aubergine, blue, pink, silvery grey, gold, purple and green.
In 1916, the Japanese developed the cultivation of pearls with the aid of scientific and technical means. The Akoya pearl was thus born. While they are often round or near round in shape, they also tend to be smaller in size with diameters ranging from 2mm to 9mm.
China is the main cultivator of freshwater pearls. The colour range of freshwater pearls is extremely wide, but the price is relatively low. The reason is quite obvious as the volume produced in China is too large for the market to absorb.
Below outlines a set of basic guidelines on the characteristics of pearls:
Size: The size of round pearl is measured by its diameter, while pearls of other shapes are measured by its shortest width. Large pearls are comparatively rare and the price is therefore, higher.
Shape: Owing to the distinctive excretion of pearl oysters, pearls are harvested in different shapes, such as round, pear shape, tear shape, oval and irregular shape. Perfectly spherical pearls are extremely rare and thus comparatively expensive.
Lustre: Lustre is the reflection of light on the pearl's surface. It is also the surface brilliancy and the best expression of a pearl's beauty.
Blemish: The degree of blemishes lowers the value of the pearl. Blemishes may include cracks, prominent flaws, patches of missing nacre and obvious discolorations.
