Black Pearls Sample

We’ve seen a lot of confusion lately over the web regarding black pearls- which are which, which to choose  and how much to spend on them, so we thought we’d jump into the hubbub and provide some quick and easy to understand explanations and photos to clear up any lingering questions…

We posted this picture on Facebook yesterday for a quick and fun contest – the first person to correctly identify each pearl type in order would be the winner of a pair of 7.0-8.0mm Freshwater pearl studs, and there were a lot of interesting entries, and the winner did get very close indeed! The correct order is: Black Akoya, Black Tahitian, Black Freshwater, Black Freshwater and Black Tahitian. Yes, we threw a trick pearl in there to throw everyone off, but also to show everyone the range of hues black Freshwater pearls are commonly found in.

Black Akoya pearls are most often dyed; their surface colors tend to range from blackish-blue to blackish-green, and are almost always very dark in tone. The dye process saturates the nacre from the outside in, and tends to strip away iridescence leaving the surface a uniform color and an almost plastic-looking shine. Their most common sizes range from 5.0mm up through 9.5mm.

Black Freshwater pearls can either be dyed or irradiated; PurePearls.com offers the irradiated pearls almost exclusively as they’re more colorful. Irradiated black Freshwater pearls can be intensely multi-hued peacock to denim-blue and violet/purplish colors to the intense blue-green colors with shifting iridescence on the surfaces. The two Freshwater pearls in the middle (intense blue-green and peacock/green-rose) are the ones that did such a great job tricking our contestants. Often, there will be little black “specks” visible on the surface of the pearl where the irradiation treatment did not completely cover the surface. Dyed black Freshwater pearls look strikingly similar to dyed black Akoya in terms of color, size and luster- the easiest way to tell the two apart is differences in the shape: Akoya pearls are perfectly round, while the Freshwater pearls will feature slight off-round to oval-ish shapes.

Black Tahitian pearls are the two largest pearls in the photo. Known for their naturally occurring dark shades and big sizes (8.0mm up through 15.0/16.0mm or so), Tahitian pearls are the only cultured naturally-black pearls available on the jewelry market with any regularity. Their body colors range from light Dove Greys all the way through Jet Black, however their most common tones are Dark Charcoal Greys with overtones that are typically Silver or Steel, classic Peacock Green, Aquamarine, Rose and Aubergine. Their lack of any color enhancing treatments means that their surfaces shimmer with subtle to intense rainbow iridescence and display a beautiful, touchable luster.

For more tips, advice or answers to your questions relating to pearls, feel free to visit our Pearl Education Center, or contact the experts at PurePearls.com.

All the images are original- meaning that all the pearls you see pictured come directly from our inventory- I even got images of the ugly pearls too, and considering our gorgeous inventory, it was quite the hunt!! Check it out: http://www.purepearls.com/pearl-education/pearl-grading/akoya-pearls.html

Thanks again! I really do appreciate all of your help.   

When you say that the pearl is “rather intense”, do you mean that in a good way? It doesn’t matter because I’m “all in” with this one. I’m just curious what a “pro” thinks.

I’m excited about the wedding and will let you know what she thinks! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

-RT

 

Dear RT,

The thing about pearls is that they usually remain within the pastel ranges of any color chart- that is, their coloration is naturally diffused due to the way that the gem is created i.e. layers upon thousands of layers of microscopic aragonite platelets (measuring in the microns- they are very tiny!) which are basically crystallized calcium (CaCo3), bonded together with a brownish organic “glue”, properly named conchiolin- the resulting structure is similar to that of a very dense onion, although the aragonite platelets are all staggered- like a brick wall. 

The inner “glow” and the visual phenomena of luster and orient are all effects that are caused by the construction of the pearl- how these layers were secreted by the mollusk (which include various factors like the health of the animal, the timing of the harvest, environmental concerns, and water temperature, etc.- it gets extremely involved as I am sure you can tell!), and how light interacts with not only the surface of the pearl, but how it penetrates all these layers, plays and bounces around inside the prismatic chamber of the pearl and bounces right back out again at the viewer. How you perceive these various aspects of the pearl- the sharpness of the luster, the intensity of color saturation, the intensity of orient, etc., dictates how you can talk about them, and review their qualities individually. 

From the attributes that are visually accessible on your pearl, we can deduce that your pearl has a very “tight” formation of crystalline layers- this might be due to the relative age of the oyster, or due to the water temperature during the last few months before harvest… Colder temps will slow down an oyster’s metabolism, which has a direct effect on how quickly nacre deposition happens over the nucleus of the pearl- the slower the rate, the tighter the crystal layers. Japanese Akoya pearls are famous for their razor sharp reflections- the waters are colder than their Chinese counterparts, and it’s also part of the reason that most of the “exotics” like your Tahitian pearl, or the larger White and Golden South Sea pearls are typically described as “satiny”- visually they are pastel(ish), with a slightly fuzzy luster- light sources reflected in their surfaces will be somewhat to definitely blurred for the majority of pearls that are harvested. Very thick nacre layers also play a part here, but that’s another story… 

So, to answer your question, yes- Intense Is Good!! And actually, rather rare when you consider the vast amount of pearls that usually are described in pastel terminology. The pearl you are getting is highly saturated with an intense greenish-blue overtone with a nearly black body color (in itself pretty rare- most Tahitians reside in the charcoal grey to dove grey ranges), with highly reflective luster- what we usually call metallic. 

When you get the pendant, I would highly recommend setting the pearl against a stark white background under in-direct sunlight: mid-morning is usually the best time for a “true” white light from the sun, and take a few minutes to let your eyes soak in the various colors that are playing on the surface- there’s a lot more there than meets the eye! The stark white paper background will enhance some of the more subtle colors not usually picked up by the human eye, and really, just take a moment or two to let the pearl “wake up” and start to sparkle. I think you’ll be extremely pleased with what you begin to see, and sharing this pearl’s secrets with your fiancé will be yet one more wonderful, natural thing you two can share over the years. J 

I hope that this pearl will find a home today! Good luck on your wedding day, and do keep us in mind for the future- I am always happy to hear from returning clients and will do my best to offer you the very finest pearls along with the very best service 8 days a week! 

Have an excellent day, and if I can be of further assistance please don’t hesitate to contact me at anytime. 

Very Sincerely, 

Ashley McNamara

General Manager & Gal Friday

PurePearls.com

                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

 

I have been looking on your website for a set of white pearl earrings. I was looking at the Akoya and Freshwater pearls and was hoping you could give me some direction about which ones to go with as I have no knowledge in this area. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

D.Steele

 

 

Dear Ms. Steele,

 

Thank you for your interest in PurePearls.com! Trying to decide between the two most popular white pearl types- Akoya and Freshwater pearls- can be a very difficult choice indeed! Some pros and cons to help you decide…

 

Your classic white pearls would be the famous (and the original) saltwater Akoya from Japan and China- distinguishable for their perfectly round, smooth shapes, their white color and bright, glossy luster that made the gem an instant favorite with War Brides the world over. If you’re looking for shiny, bright and perfectly round pearl earrings, then the Akoya pearls are definitely the best way to go. Our AA+ and AAA Qualities are nearly equivalent in terms of luster, but with AAA Quality pearls, you are assured a flawless surface.

 

Next up are cultured Chinese Freshwater pearls; only recently have the Chinese been able to culture truly round shapes, but they have definitely made up for lost time! These pearls are an excellent value, composed completely of nacre, they will last generations! They are known for being more satiny in terms of luster, and slightly off a truly round sphere (except in our Elite Collection / Gem Quality pearls), but again offer an excellent alternative to their higher priced saltwater cousins. We offer AA+, AAA and our Elite Collection Qualities- and of the two sizes you’re thinking about, I would very highly recommend that you purchase the 10.0-11.0mm size as we have extremely limited qualities (maybe 5 pairs?) and have recently become very hard to get.

 

I hope this helps you come to a decision, and if you have any other questions or if I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me at anytime- I am always happy to help! I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, and have an excellent day!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Ashley McNamara

 

Nacre thickness is an important factor when trying to decide which pearl types to purchase, and a quick and easy way to visually evaluate whether a pearl has enough crystalline material around the bead nucleus to last through the years is to gently roll sections of the strand between your thumb and forefingers and look for what we call “blinking”, which is best described as a light or dark flicker of the bead nucleus visible beneath the surface of the pearl. With the 6.0-6.5mm and 6.5-7.0mm pearls, you may see some blinking in our pearls, but our AAA Quality is very fine, and for the most part our pearls err on the side of 0.4mm; the larger pearls such as 8.0mm and up almost never show this kind of phenomenon.

The picture below is of a black saltwater Tahitian pearl, but the cross section clearly shows the interior bead nucleus and the measurable nacre surrounding the bead… As you can see, the nacre on the Tahitian pearl is rather thick, measuring about 3.0mm; an Akoya pearl’s skin would be much thinner than this. French Polynesia (where Tahitian pearls are cultivated) have export laws that screen out any pearl with less than 3.0mm nacre thickness in order to maintain very high quality standards for the exotic Black pearls.

 
I do hope that you enjoy the pearls that you purchased from us, and found my answer helpful to you. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have other questions or you would like additional information regarding the famous Akoya- I am always happy to be of assistance! Thank you again for shopping with PurePearls.com, and have a wonderful day!
 
Sincerely,
 
Ashley M.

Sales VP, PurePearls.com

                                                        

Nacre thickness is an important factor when trying to decide which pearl types to purchase, and a quick and easy way to visually evaluate whether a pearl has enough crystalline material around the bead nucleus to last through the years is to gently roll sections of the strand between your thumb and forefingers and look for what we call “blinking”, which is best described as a light or dark flicker of the bead nucleus visible beneath the surface of the pearl. With the 6.0-6.5mm and 6.5-7.0mm pearls, you may see some blinking in our pearls, but our AAA Quality is very fine, and for the most part our pearls err on the side of 0.4mm; the larger pearls such as 8.0mm and up almost never show this kind of phenomenon.

The picture below is of a black saltwater Tahitian pearl, but the cross section clearly shows the interior bead nucleus and the measurable nacre surrounding the bead… As you can see, the nacre on the Tahitian pearl is rather thick, measuring about 3.0mm; an Akoya pearl’s skin would be much thinner than this. French Polynesia (where Tahitian pearls are cultivated) have export laws that screen out any pearl with less than 3.0mm nacre thickness in order to maintain very high quality standards for the exotic Black pearls.

I do hope that you enjoy the pearls that you purchased from us, and found my answer helpful to you. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have other questions or you would like additional information regarding the famous Akoya- I am always happy to be of assistance! Thank you again for shopping with PurePearls.com, and have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Ashley M.

Sales VP, PurePearls.com

Hi C.B.! 

First, Thank you for your interest in PurePearls.com! To answer your question: I hardly ever recommend purchasing any type of jewelry as an investment (with the exception of very rare colored gemstones such as Brazilian Paraiba Tourmaline, Russian or Brazilian Alexandrites, Kashmiri and Burmese Sapphires of very certain colors, Burmese Rubies and certain Emeralds). Cultured pearls- like all jewelry- are meant to be worn, enjoyed, and possibly passed down generations. This is not to say that your cultured pearls will not be worth what was paid for them, but rather they will not appreciate in value as would a rare vintage or a work of art… Cultured pearls are a manufactured, farmed gem; control of international supply and demand are carefully monitored so that each year harvests do not flood the market and devalue existing stocks, nor that certain items become so rare that their value skyrockets.
 
The only exception to this -ever- is with Natural and Exotic pearls, in which case you would need to start searching auction houses and fine estate jewelers. Additionally, there are the early Mikimoto productions that could be valuable circa 1912-1930(ish), however, unless the pearls are accompanied by the original clasp with the famous ‘M’ Hallmark, box, appraisal papers and invoice, then the pearls would likely be valued at current cultured pearl market values as they would have no provenance. Lastly, it should be noted that neither Mikimoto’s nor Tiffany’s culture their own pearls- their pearls are purchased at the exact same auctions and production centers that everyone else imports their pearls from; indeed, Mikimoto Pearl Company stopped culturing their own pearls in the early 1960’s to focus solely on their retail operations worldwide.  

Crystal Healing Therapy

Dear PurePearls.com,

My son’s name is ____ 8 years, (DOB 31st May, 2001 time 1.49pm) as per his astrology chart, he is supposed to put pure pearl. Can you please suggest to me what type of pearl I have to give my son?

Thanks Regards,

S.
* Image courtesy of preciousstones50474.info
Dear S.,

Thank you for your interest in PurePearls.com! We get requests from time to time regarding the proper gems for people as determined by their Astrological Charts, and although I am no expert, I can say that the modern cultured pearl that is closest in nature to a purely natural pearl is the Chinese Freshwater pearl.

Freshwater pearls are “tissue-nucleated”, which means that a surgical technician causes the mollusk to stimulate pearl sac formation by implanting a 1mm square piece of donor mantle tissue from another mollusk into the hosts’ mantle. This irritant causes the host to form a pearl sac around the donor mantle tissue square and begin secreting nacre in order to smooth over the irritant. Gradually, a beautiful pearl is formed, and the initial piece of tissue dissolves to leave a pure, round pearl that is composed completely of crystalline material. This is the same process by which natural pearls are formed, however in nature, it is usually a parasitic worm or piece of deitrus that finds it’s way into the mollusk that will stimulate the animal into creating a pearl- there is no human intervention involved.

All cultured saltwater pearls such as the famous Akoya, the Black Tahitian pearls and luxurious White and Golden South Seas pearls from Australia and the Philippines are all “bead-nucleated”, which means that a large, round, smooth Freshwater bead is inserted into the host oyster along with a piece of mantle tissue to stimulate pearl sac formation. When the oyster is finished covering the internal bead nuclei with nacre (crystalline material), the farmer harvests the oyster and the pearl inside. This pearl basically consists of a few millimeters of crystal covering a round bead- this is part of the reason why some of these pearls are so sensitive to chemicals, sweats and oils- the thin covering of nacre is eaten up and wears away, exposing the bead inside.

Almost all of our round Freshwater pearls are ½ drilled for mounting purposes- we receive them this way from the auctions and our overseas suppliers; your best bet would be to try and find larger Baroque pearls (Off-Round, Oval-ish, or Drop-Shaped- not spherical) that have yet to be processed and drilled- we do have a selection of these that are available, and I would be happy to pick out the largest, most lustrous and luminous pearls of the lot for you to choose from, or if you must absolutely have round, un-drilled pearls, I can try to see what is available in the matched stock that I have- you never know! I wish you the best of luck in finding the proper gem for your son.

Sincerely,

Ashley McNamara
Vice President of Sales