For centuries pearls have been a symbol of purity and beauty. Even today they are classic and contemporary. You can find them in multiple fashionable styles. You need to them in your jewelry box but first get to know the types prior investing. Pearls are either natural or cultured from mollusk. When an irritant enters the shell, the defense mode gets triggered and nacre starts to be created in layers.
In natural surrounding this irritation can be some kind of organism from water. In cultured pearls, the farmers insert a tissue inside the mollusk to trigger the process. In both types, the luster quality of pearl gets defined by nacre feature. High quality pearl has a smooth and blemish-free surface. It is available in round, oval or irregular shape. Pearls without any shape are popular as baroque pearls.
Saltwater versus freshwater pearls
The luster of freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls differ. The former has a soft luster, which comes from deep within the pearl. Alternatively, saltwater pearl is also called Akoya pearl. It has more shallow and brilliant luster. Difference is because of the different kinds of mollusk used to create the pearls and even the nacre thickness.
Freshwater pearls get cultivated in river, lakes, and ponds. Freshwater mollusk is capable to produce 50 pearls, at a time. The moment an irritant gets inserted, it takes 4 to 6 years for the pearl to fully develop.
The farmers make sure to maintain a pollution risk environment but the risk is still high and if their harvest is a success than there is a huge celebration. Freshwater pearls are durable and have thick nacre in comparison. Freshwater pearl jewelry can be handed down for generations
The saltwater or Akoya pearls get cultivated in China and Japan. Akoya mollusk is used and oyster shell is implanted, so the pearls are smaller. It takes 6 to 18 months for the Akoya pearls to grow.
Natural vs. cultural vs. fake
Natural pearls are rare and even the smallest one are very costly. Cultured pearls get cultivated in pearl farms. They are easily accessible and you can find quality pearls of good quality to make a single strand of necklace.
Imitation pearls are coated glass beads. Even if they have luster, the depth is not as seen in real pearls. However, they are attractive and good for those looking for economical options.
