Gem Profile- Pearls

by Judy Ellis

Pearls - Creation, Cultivation and Care
Saltwater and Freshwater

Just recently we talked about Mother of Pearl and the different types of mollusks or invertebrates we use for Mother of Pearl. Last year about this time Rose also wrote an article on the historical uses and value of Pearls. This week, we'll go a little deeper into the world of pearls and talk more about their creation, cultivation and care.

What are Pearls?

In nature, pearls are created very rarely. They form when a foreign object enters a mussel or oyster, causing the animal to coat it with nacre.

Humans have cultivated pearls on farms to replicate this process. These farms are located in saltwater bays, where oysters are suspended on ropes beneath floating docks. Water temperature is constantly monitored, and oysters are raised or lowered to maintain optimal conditions.

The oysters are fed a precise mixture of algae and nutrients to stay healthy. Once a year, they are removed, their shells cleaned and treated with an anti-fungal solution, and then returned to the water to continue growing.

Pictured: A pearl being extracted from an Akoya pearl oyster.

Cultivation:

Millions of oysters are nucleated every year with surgical-like precision, but only a small percentage actually create a pearl with many succumbing to disease or environmental problems like red tide, or too much freshwater being trapped in the bays.

It takes between 10 - 18 months to develop a pearl, the longer the oyster is left in the water, the larger the pearl becomes.

Each year only about 20% of the oysters actually create pearls suitable for market.

Today there are nearly 2000 oyster farms in Japan creating these beautiful gems using the method developed over 100 years ago.

Pictured: Pearl Nuclei from Toba Pearl Island, Japan

Saltwater Pearls:

South Seas Pearls are a type of saltwater pearl produced by the white-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster. They grow over 2-3 years and are exceptionally beautiful and rare.

The Pinctada maxima is a wild oyster collected by divers at depths ranging from 10 to 80 meters. In places like the Philippines, some divers free dive without equipment to harvest mature oysters.

Once healthy oysters are found, they are isolated in bays, nucleated, and returned to the bay floor to grow. After several months, the oysters are X-rayed to ensure the nucleus has not been rejected.

If the nucleus is intact, the oyster continues to grow the pearl for 2-3 years. After harvesting, a new nucleus can be inserted, and healthy Pinctada maxima can be nucleated up to four times during their lifespan.

Pictured: Pinctada maxima oyster

Another type of pearl is the Tahitian pearl, produced by the black-lipped Pinctada margaritifera.

These oysters are large almost twice the size of those used in Japan-and create dark-colored pearls often called "black pearls," with an almost metallic luster.

Tahitian oysters are raised on farms from youth to maturity and are cultured in the same manner as South Seas pearls.

Ring of Tahitian Pearl and A black pearl and a shell of the black-lipped pearl oyster. The iridescent colors originate from nacre layers.

Freshwater Pearls:

Freshwater pearls are cultivated similarly to saltwater pearls, but using freshwater mussels instead of oysters.

Archaeological sites throughout the Mississippi River basin and the Eastern United States show that native inhabitants valued pearls for adornment and trade.

Explorer Hernando De Soto recorded in the 1540s that Native Americans wore pearls "as big as filberts." In 1857, the "queen pearl," a large, perfectly round pink freshwater pearl from New Jersey, was discovered and eventually sold to the Empress of France.

Over the following decades, freshwater pearls were heavily harvested, nearly decimating mussel populations in North American rivers and lakes.

A lovely bracelet made by Robin Pacey with freshwater potato pearls with tiny peridot coin beads. Photo courtesy of Robin Pacey.

The best of both worlds:

Much of the original freshwater pearl production took place in the United States and Scotland.

However, when Kokichi Mikimoto began experimenting with nucleation, production shifted to Japan, particularly Lake Biwa.

Through trial and error, Mikimoto discovered that the best material for nucleating saltwater pearls is a piece of freshwater mussel shell, with the finest mussels coming from North America.

Today, over 30 farms across various North American states produce freshwater pearls and shells for saltwater pearl nucleation.

The first farm, Latendresse in Tennessee, started operations in the 1960s.

This means that many South Seas or Asian saltwater pearls you see today contain a piece of North America inside them.

Wire wrapped necklace by Ruth Soucek with freshwater pearls. Photo courtesy of Ruth Soucek.

Handle with care:

Pearls are beautiful but delicate. Oils and acids from our skin can degrade pearls, affecting their luster and shape over time.

After wearing pearls, wipe them with a soft cloth to remove oils and dirt.

Never wear pearls while exercising, and always store them in a pouch or jewelry box
do not hang them.

When washing pearls, use only mild soap and a soft cloth to dry them. Do not wear pearls until the thread is completely dry.

Never clean pearls with ammonia, vinegar, ultrasonic or steam cleaners, or abrasive tools like toothbrushes.

Remove pearls before applying makeup, hairspray, or perfume, as acids can damage them.

If you wear pearls often, have them restrung approximately every year.

Tying it all together!

Pearls have been valued throughout history for their beauty and rarity.

Cleopatra was said to have won a bet with Mark Antony by dissolving a pearl in wine and drinking it, showing she could consume the wealth of an entire nation in one meal.

Pearls have been found in ancient burial sites and were even worn into battle by knights who believed they offered protection.

European expansion into the Americas was fueled in part by the pursuit of pearls, nearly driving the American saltwater pearl oyster to extinction.

For nearly 200 years, pearls were reserved for royalty, the wealthy, or the famous.

In 1916, Jacques Cartier purchased property in New York City with two strands of pearls. Today, pearls are accessible to a wider range of people, thanks largely to the cultivation of pearl oysters.

Pearls available at Wirejewelry.com

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