Pearl Information

We use freshwater pearls, which are cultured in China. They are colored by special laser-techniques. Cultured pearls result from a small irritant (usually a natural shell bead) implanted into living oysters or mussels. The oysters or mussels secrete a substance called "nacre" which bonds to the irritant. The resulting layers of nacre form the pearls.
  
                 .  inside of a 9 mm black pearl  
                                                     with a small irritant in the center.
                   
As cultured pearls are organic gemstones formed by nature, no two pearls are exactly alike. For a beaded pearl necklace it is important to use pearls which look alike as much as possible. For our design jewelry we prefer naturally shaped pearls which are good matching but not necessarily round and not exactly alike. 
 A variety of factors go into determining the price of pearl jewelry. 
Some characteristics that determine cultured pearl costs are:

Luster:
Luster is the glow of the pearl and its brilliance to the human eye. The longer the pearl is left in the oyster to grow its nacre casing the higher the luster.

Surface condition:
The fewer the natural markings or spots on the pearl’s visible surface, the more expensive the pearl.

Shape:
The more spherical (rounder) and symmetrical the pearl the more valuable it will be. Baroque pearls (any unusually shaped and asymmetrical pearl) can be very attractive and are usually less expensive than round pearls.

Color:
Pearls are available in a rainbow of colors, for example, pinkish (often called rose), silvery white, greenish white, creamy, golden, gray, cognac and black. Color enhancement is considered the norm for both colored and white base pearls. Color consistency effects value; however, current fashion trends and color demand conditions also effect pearl prices.

Size:
Pearl diameter is measured in millimeters. Generally, the larger the pearl, the more rare it is and the more valuable.

Matching:
For pearl necklaces the overall look is very important, regardless of the quality of the individual pearls. The more uniform and aesthetically pleasing two or more pearls look together the more time was spent matching the pearls. This time to match pearls is reflected in the cost.

Rarity:
Because pearls are not cut or polished when removed from the oyster or mussel, certain sizes, qualities and colors may from time to time be in scarce supply. Overall health of pearl growing oysters and mussels effect pearl size and quality availability.