Dear PurePearls:

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

To Whom This May Concern,
 
I just bought a pearl necklace and set of pearl earrings, but I was unable to ascertain the nacre on those pearls. Will all the specs of the pearls come with the purchase? Otherwise, can you tell me the nacre level?
 
Sincerely, Seth B.
 
Dear Seth,
 
Thank you for shopping with PurePearls.com! The Akoya pearl’s nacre thickness can really only be measured using X-rays at a gemological laboratory like GIA, which charges between $125.00-$150.00 for the service and complete gemological certification. While we can certainly send your pearls to GIA for testing, we do not regularly have all of our pearls X-rayed or certified scientifically due to not only the added expense but also the basic parameters vis-à-vis nacre thickness in Akoya saltwater pearls. The exception is our Hanadama grade Akoya pearls which are all examined by the Pearl Science Laboratory (PSL) in Tokyo, Japan and issued a gem certification that details attributes such as luminescence, nacre thickness, refraction and reflection rates, blemish rates and such. I can assure you that we purchase only the finest quality Akoya on the market and our AAA Quality are equivalent to Mikimoto’s A-1 Grade, which is quite excellent by today’s standards.
 
Typically, saltwater Akoya pearls are left to accrue nacre for a period of 8-12 months inside the oyster; this cultivation time is drastically shortened from the early days of pearliculture (1915-1940ish) when many farmers would leave their oysters in the water for a period of 2 to 2 ½ years or so, slowly depositing nacre around the bead nucleus. This is due to a variety of reasons, but the biggest reason is the most obvious- the faster turnover a farmer can have in getting his harvests to market, the more money he makes. However this shortened time frame (which has occurred gradually over a period of decades) also results in pearls with nacre deposits literally measuring in the microns. Even the very finest Akoya pearls (Hanadama Quality) have minimum nacre standards of between 0.4-0.8mm; standard Akoya are closer to about 0.3-0.4mm approximately which is true whether you are purchasing Chinese or Japanese Akoya pearls. That said, the larger the pearl is, the longer the farmer must keep it in cultivation and does accrue more nacre out of sheer necessity- so, a 9.5mm pearl will have thicker nacre than a 6.5mm pearl, etc.
 

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

What’s the difference in luster between the South Sea pearls and the Akoya?

Thanks!

Mary G.

Des Moines, IA
 
Dear Mary, The main differences between South Sea pearl luster and Akoya luster are the sharpness of reflections seen in their surfaces, and brightness. Akoya pearls are known for their bright, glossy luster and razor-sharp surface reflections- when you look to evaluate an Akoya pearls’ luster, reflected light on the surface should have sharp, crisp borders and you should be able to distinguish some of your facial features staring back at you (with really great Akoya pearls you’ll be able to make out your entire face!). South Sea pearls have a much softer, more satiny glow to them; light reflected on the surface of the pearl will be slightly blurry on the borders and it’ll be rather difficult to make out facial details. There are a few reasons for this: nacre thickness, luster treatments and the water temperature of the pearl farm during cultivation.
 
The luxurious South Sea pearls have what is considered very thick nacre around the bead nucleus- typically measuring between 2.0-6.0mm! The attribute known as luster- which can be characterized as both that subtle inner glow that entrances the eye, as well as how well the pearls’ surface reflects light and objects at the viewer- requires a light source striking the surface of the pearl and then traveling through to the center nucleus, refracting and reflecting light throughout the various layers of crystalline material (nacre) and then bouncing back towards the surface. Two to six millimeters of opaque crystal all of a sudden seems like a huge distance for light to travel through! The thick nacre deposited around the nucleus of the pearl is the result of a cultivation period that spans at a minimum 2 years, and the warm, clean waters of the South Seas which speeds up the oyster’s metabolic processes, encouraging rapid nacre deposition around the bead, and a looser aragonite platelet arrangement that results in a softer glow.
 
By contrast, Akoya pearls are cultivated in the much colder waters of Japan and China for a drastically shorter period of 9-16 months! This means that the nacre deposits around the nucleus are much thinner than that of their South Sea cousins, with an average of .3-.6mm showing around the bead.  Additionally, the colder waters actually slow the oyster’s metabolic rates, leading to slower nacre deposition, and tighter, contracted nacre layers which will transmit light beams much more rapidly and give the impression of sharper, glossier luster that the Akoya pearl is famous for the world over.
 
After harvest, the Akoya pearl is typically sent to a processing center in China, where various treatments are applied to help the pearls maintain their uniformity of look (another famous attribute of Akoya pearls is that they are all almost perfectly matched). One of these treatments can often be a luster treatment, in which a thin veneer of glossy lacquer-like substance is lightly applied to the surface of the pearl in order to enhance its’ shine. Luster treatments do not harm the durability of the pearl, and are considered standard industry-wide. It should be noted that South Sea pearls (both the Silver and Golden varieties), are not treated or processed in any way other than a bath after harvest to rid them of any left over smell, and gentle tumbling with wax-covered walnut chips, soft bark and cork pieces for about 20-30 minutes to naturally enhance their outer shine.

Dear PurePearls, Do you recommend purchasing cultured peasrls for investment purposes?
Many Thanks, C.B.
 

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.  

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.
 
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

Customer Inquiry:  My mom recently passed away, and when going through her boxes, I found several strands of pearls that belonged to my great, great grandmother. They are very beautiful, but how can I tell if they are good pearls or costume pearls, and how can I clean them? Any help would be appreciated.  My friend told me about your website. Hope you can help.. Amanda J.
   
Answer:  Dear Ms. J,
            Thank you for your interest in PurePearls.com. It’s always nice to know that our previous customers are talking about us!! J It sounds like you’ve found yourself quite the treasure if your pearls are the real deal, and I can give you a few tips on how to tell the difference between cultured and synthetic pearls.
           The very first thing that we are taught at GIA is to use your powers of observation. Simply studying the pearls up close will tell you quite a lot! Is there a subtle color variation, or are all the pearls exactly the same with no variance in overtone or luster? Is light reflected back at you at exactly the same rate pearl for pearl? If so, the chances are good that the pearls are synthetic. Remember, pearls are an organic gem- farmers can control a lot of things in the culturing environment, but the oyster is still a living being that will impart it’s own unique print on the pearl- nature is all the more beautiful for her subtle imperfections. We call it character.  J J   Also, keep an eye out for inclusions or blemishes- dents, flat spots, ridges, wrinkling of the nacre, pinpricks, light and dark areas of discoloration where conchiolin has accumulated irregularly. These are all indications that the pearls are cultured and not synthetic. Again, it is the subtle imperfections that will clue you in on the pearls’ origin.
            Another tried and true method for determining whether a pearl is real is called the ‘Tooth Test’. Gently rub your front teeth on the surface of the pearl. If it feels slightly gritty, then the pearl is a real cultured pearl. This is because nacre, the organic substance that essentially is the pearl, is composed of tiny crystal platelets called aragonite. Each platelet is so tiny it is measured in microns! They are continuously stacked on top of each other in a somewhat concentric pattern- like an onion- by the oyster, forming layers of crystals that should feel rough on your teeth. Synthetic pearls do not have crystal platelets- they are very smooth, and will feel almost like plastic against your teeth. Remember to be gentle- a pearl’s surface rates 3 out of 10 on the Moh’s Scale, rather like Talc, and scratches easily.
            Lastly, keep in mind that the very first round, cultured pearls were not made available on the market until 1912 or so; if the pearls are older than that, they are natural pearls and should be treated with the utmost care! Round cultured pearls should all be very round- if some of the pearls are ovalish or drop-shaped, then I would recommend that you send them to a gemological laboratory for X-ray testing to determine if they are natural, or if they have a bead-nucleus inside.
            For cleaning, at this point all I can recommend you do is to take a clean, slightly damp cloth and gently rub the pearls down. If they are cultured Akoya pearls, then you will not be able to erase the Ivory tone that comes naturally with age. You may be able to get rid of some accumulated dirt, but the pearls will never be a true white again. Also, consider having them restrung by a jeweler that specializes in pearls- if the pearls have been stored in a trunk or jewelry bag for as many years as you think, then the silk thread will have undoubtedly undergone some deterioration! Most jewelers will charge about $20-25 per inch of pearls. 
            The very last piece of advice that I have for you if the pearls turn out to be real cultured pearls is: wear them!! Wear them often! Pearls have a porous surface, and tend to dry out, losing some of their luster if kept for a long time in storage. After cleaning and restringing, it will be safe to wear the necklaces without fear of them breaking- wearing your beautiful pearls will help them to absorb some of your natural oils and will bring back some of their shine and glow!
            I hope that these tips have been helpful, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask- I am always happy to be of assistance! Best of luck in your detective work, and have a great day!
 
Sincerely,
 Ashley McNamara

Vice President Sales, PurePearls.com