CULTURED PEARLS

What is a cultured pearl?

History and legends

The pearl is the only gem in the world that is organic and comes from nature.
It is the first jewel created by man and its history dates back to Neolithic times. In the Neolithic tribes, chiefs wore jewels to show their authority to the tribe.
The Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, defied Mark Antony by inviting him to the most expensive dinner in the world, and by dissolving a pearl in a glass of wine (at that time the wine looked like an acid vinegar…).
In 1500, in Venice, the market of the natural pearl was in full swing, to the point that buyers disputed its trade outside of the walls of the city.
In England, Queen Elizabeth never went out without her pearls. The pearls were on all her crowns, for they represent the divinity and the connection with the heavens.
In the time of kings, the pearl was the heavenly symbol of the divine right of royalty, a divine gift to man.

WATCH VIDEO: HISTORY AND LEGENDS OF THE PEARL

Tahiti’s cultured pearl

The pearl is the only fair and durable gem (vs. drilling diamonds). It is organic, natural, and grown with respect for the environment.
The atolls and lagoons of Tahiti in which the pearls are grown are pure, and in perfect balance with the environment.

Why is the Tahitian pearl unique in the world?

The Tahitian pearl has a very wide variety of sizes and colors.
It is made up of 90% aragonite crystals.
Tahitian pearls come from the only oyster species to produce multicolored pearls, Pintada Margaretifera.

There are important differences between natural pearls, cultured pearls, and imitations. See below video

WATC H VIDEO: CULTURED VS NATURAL VS IMITATION

How is the cultured pearl produced?

WATCH VIDEO: PRODUCTION OF THE PEARL

Quality and value of pearls

What makes the pearl very valuable?

Because of its wide variety of colors, it is very difficult to match a necklace or bracelet. The nucleus that is inserted into the oyster is a surgical GREFFE. it can be rejected…. on 100 pearls, half will be accepted and only 10% will be top quality pearls.

To determine the quality and value of pearls, five key attributes must be assessed:

Color
Shape
Size
Thickness
Surface and Shine

The Color

Color is influenced by several external factors:

phytoplankton pigmentation, which is the oyster’s main food
seawater temperature
mineral salts. For example – or + of magnesium – warm colors that will determine orient in shades of pinks to red, passing through the color eggplant.

The shape

Technicians specializing in Tahitian pearls sort black pearls into 5 shapes:

Round, Semi-round, Semi-Baroque, Circled, Baroque.

Round pearls are practically spherical with a diameter variation of less than 2%. The round pearl is the most sought after and rarest of Tahitian cultured pearls. It is by definition the most expensive. The most beautiful pearls are used to make rings and pendants. Then come the earrings and necklaces. To determine if a pearl is perfectly round, a professional tester rolls it on a table. If the pearl rolls are straight, then the pearl is round. Otherwise, the pearl is semi-round.
Semi-round pearls have a slightly imperfect sphere with a diameter rate between 2 and 5%. These pearls can also be described as almost round.
Semi-baroque pearls are divided into four shapes: Drop, button, pear, oval.
The circled pearls are characterized by regular bands, rings, or grooves that are perpendicular to a rotational axis and cover more than a third of the surface of the pearl. The circled pearls generally account for 25-30% of a Tahitian pearl harvest.
Baroque pearls are irregular and have no rotational axes.

At Tereva Colas Jewelry, each pearl is chosen, one by one, directly from the pearl farm in Polynesia.

The size

The size of the pearls is expressed in millimeters.

Tahitian pearls are usually between 8mm and 14mm.
Some pearls reach 16mm and very exceptionally 18mm.
The record diameter is 21mm.

Pearls that reach an extraordinary size of more than 14 mm are considered exceptional gems (regardless of their color).

The Surface

Pearl professionals use several elements to describe the surface of pearls:

Clean (perfect or almost perfect)
Light imperfections (either very light or light)
Moderate imperfections
Heavy imperfections

All surfaces are qualified with the naked eye. No enlargement device is used. This is not the case for jewelers who like to use a magnifying glass.

Gems quality: The Pearls have no imperfection on the surface, even before they are drilled.
Quality A: Pearls have very slight imperfections. They are completely smooth or just with one or two tiny ripples. These ripples are called notches (often hidden later by a forest hole visible to the naked eye, but limited to less than 10% surface occupancy). While these pearls also have very good luster, they are also very rare. This extreme rarity makes them very expensive pearls.
Quality B: Pearls have slight imperfections. These imperfections are concentrated on less than 33% of their surface area.
Quality C: Pearls have moderate imperfections. Imperfections are concentrated on less than 66% of their surface area.
Quality D: Pearls have quite significant imperfections (heavy). In this case, we can distinguish either rather slight imperfections but concentrated on more than 66% of their surface, or deeper imperfections concentrated on an area close to 50%.

The Government of Tahiti does not normally allow the export of D-grade pearls, but they can be sold locally.

The thickness of the Tahitian Mother Pearl

The thickness of the mother-of-pearl affects the durability and beauty of the cultured pearl. Tahitian pearls have a reputation for having thick mother-of-pearl. This is due to their long gestation period within its carrier oyster. According to the official classification, a Tahitian cultured pearl must have a thickness of mother-of-pearl covering at least 80% of the surface of its nucleus. Pearls with a small mother-of-pearls are rejected.

Important facts…

Jewelers use only round pearls because a round pearl is easier to pierce than a baroque or a circled. Historically, women have always look for perfectly round pearls. Beware that the majority of round pearls are false as it is very difficult to find a round pearl in nature…

Today, women seek not only purity and beauty, but increasingly look for authenticity, ecology and the environment are very important criteria in responsible consumption. As a result, the circled pearls, baroque or semi-baroque, are increasingly popular.

Important Note about our online store

Pearl’s colors can vary depending on available stock. Note: each Pearl is unique, which allows you to customize your jewel. All models presented are available with the interchangeable system TEREVA COLAS in a special order. Contact us for a quote.

All models in this website presented are available in 14k/18k yellow, white, pink gold, and stone settings possibilities (precious stones, and semi-precious) special order. Contact us for a quote. A 50% deposit is required for the making of gold jewelry and any custom-made order.
Guarantees: 1 year on manufacturing defect
A Certificate of authenticity for pearls and precious stones is provided with the purchase of each piece of jewelry
Payment terms: cash or Visa / Master Card/PayPalPrices are subject to applicable taxes.
Custom jewelry: a 50% deposit is required upon approval of the quote. Depending on the complexity, the jewelry will be delivered within a maximum of 30 business days from the time the deposit is received.