Pearls have been around the jewelry world longer than most of us! In fact, the oldest pearl jewelry ever discovered was a necklace made of 216 pearls found in the coffin of a Persian princess who died in 520 B.C. From Byzantine emperors’ jewelry and the burial grounds of ancient Egyptians to Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring” painting (1665) and Queen Elizabeth’s iconic 3-strand pearl necklace, pearl jewelry has established itself as one of the longest-running jewelry staples in history. Read on to discover some fascinating facts about the iridescent jewels we call pearls.
Where Do Pearls Come from and How Are They Formed?
While most gems are formed deep inside the Earth, pearls are formed and found somewhere a bit different—inside mollusks (more commonly known as oysters and freshwater mussels) that live in water! Pearl formation is a defense response when an oyster or mussel is stressed. When a mollusk encounters an irritant entering its shell, its body secretes the same materials of which its shell is made, called nacre (pronounced NAY-kur), also known as Mother-of-Pearl, and encases the irritant with it. This protects the mollusk from the irritant, protecting it from damage. As layers of nacre are added to the now-encased irritant, it hardens, forming what we know as a pearl.
However, not all pearls form in oysters on the ocean floor or at the bottom of freshwater lakes. In fact, very few of the new pearls sold today are naturally formed (truly untouched by humans). Most pearls sold today are considered cultured pearls, formed by humans who manually insert an irritant, such as a small piece of plastic or shell, into an oyster or mussel, stimulating the defense response to produce a pearl.
Naturally occurring pearls do exist and can still be found in jewelry. However, they typically come with a much higher price tag than cultured pearls due to their rarity. Naturally occurring pearls can only be found in about one in every 10,000 wild oysters. On top of that, the chances of finding a natural pearl in an oyster that is gem quality are roughly one in a million (sort of like your chances of winning the lottery).
What Color are Pearls?
Most people envision a pearl as a milky or creamy white color, possibly with a hint of a yellowish-brown hue. However, pearls come in an array of colors and tints, depending on the type of oyster or mollusk that produces them. While the primary color of an oyster is typically a white "base" color, referred to as its body color, colorful overtones can transform white pearls into gems that are pink, green, purple, blue, peach, gold, silver and even black.
The color of the pearl produced is determined by the color of the mollusk’s lip (the shell’s outer portion). For example, black or gray-toned pearls are typically formed in black-lipped oysters. Aside from the type of oyster producing the pearl, the number and thickness of the oyster's nacre layers can also play a significant role in the pearl’s final color. More layers (and thicker layers) of nacre generally result in a more vibrant and shimmering pearl, allowing more light to be refracted and reflected.
Types of Pearls
Oysters are oysters, right? Not really. Like humans, oysters live in unique environments that create a variety of pearl types.
- Akoya cultured pearls: Formed in the rare saltwater oysters found in China and Japan, Akoya pearls are known for their classic white, cream and pink coloration. This oyster variety often produces larger, rounder and smoother pearls than other common pearl types. The cultivation process differs as well. Rather than using a piece of plastic or random shell as the irritant, Akoya pearl farmers insert a piece of tissue or shell from an oyster that has already produced high-quality pearls. While other oysters can produce multiple pearls, Akoya oysters only make a single pearl in their lifetime, taking roughly 10 to 18 months to form.
- Tahitian cultured pearls: Tahitian cultured pearls are saltwater pearls primarily grown in French Polynesia and are more commonly known as “black pearls.” Baby, black-lipped oysters are pulled from the ocean and nurtured until they mature. Then, a small irritant is carefully inserted into their shells. Over the next two to three years, the oyster produces a pearl around the irritant. This entire process typically takes about five years. The “black” hue of these pearls is actually a dark blue-gray or blue-green, but can also display hints of brown, navy and violet.
- South Sea cultured pearls: South Sea oysters, mainly found in the warm saltwater of Australia, Indonesia and Japan, result in large, lustrous pearls in white, cream, silver, gold and pink (but they are most commonly seen in the jewelry market as white or gold). To cultivate these pearls, divers or fishing boats collect the oysters from their natural habitats and transport them to calm bays where conditions are ideal for pearl formation. Here, an irritant is placed inside the oysters, triggering the natural response that results in pearl production. The entire process takes two to three years, allowing for the accumulation of more nacre, resulting in larger and more lustrous pearls.
- Freshwater cultured pearls: Freshwater mussels can produce pearls in various colors, including white, pink, purple, blue, and even black. Freshwater pearls are typically shaped more irregularly than those from saltwater mollusks. However, technological advancements enable pearl farmers to cultivate freshwater pearls with more uniform shapes and sizes. Today, many of these mussels are raised in controlled environments, mainly in the United States and China.
How Are Pearls Graded?
While other gems, like diamonds, rubies and sapphires, are graded using the 4Cs grading scale (cut, clarity, color and carat weight), pearls are graded a bit differently. The factors that are weighed when determining the value of a pearl include size, shape, color, luster, surface quality and nacre quality. For jewelry including two or more pearls, matching is also considered. Let’s take a quick look at each factor:
- Size: As you’d expect, if all other factors are equal, a larger pearl would likely be considered more valuable. However, due to its rarity, a smaller, naturally occurring pearl may be more valuable than a larger, cultured pearl.
- Shape: Perfectly round pearls are often the most valuable, as they are the most difficult to create via pearl farming and the rarest to find in nature. However, it’s important to note that some irregularly shaped (but high-quality) pearls, such as oval- or pear-shaped, can also be valuable.
- Color: How pearl color impacts its value is somewhat of a moving target. As supply and demand shift and trends ebb and flow, so does the value and pricing for certain pearl colors. However, pearls that contain a consistent, even color throughout the entire pearl may be graded at a higher value than those that contain color variations across a single gem.
- Luster: Luster, or the quality of light being reflected, is often considered one of the most important features of a pearl. A high, mirror-like luster results in a more valuable pearl. Pearl luster can be categorized as:
- Excellent - reflections appear bright and sharp
- Very good - reflections appear bright and nearly sharp
- Good - reflections are bright but not sharp, and slightly hazy around the edges
- Fair - reflections are weak and blurred
- Poor - reflections are dim and diffused
- Surface quality: Perfectly flawless pearls are pretty rare. But it makes sense that a pearl with a smooth, near-perfect surface, containing few or no blemishes, scratches or other imperfections, may be considered a higher quality than one with flaws.
- Nacre quality: If a pearl appears dull or chalky, or you can see through its surface to its center, it was likely formed with a poor-quality nacre. Pearls that are not transparent and have a high luster were probably made with a higher quality nacre and may have a higher value.
- Matching pearls: Whether it’s a string of pearls for a necklace or two pearls used in an earring set, the more alike the pearls are, the higher the valuation they will receive. "Matching," in this sense, means they should be alike in all grading factors.
What Do Pearls Symbolize?
Like all gems, pearls hold diverse meanings across cultures. Before adorning yourself with or gifting these precious stones, consider exploring the symbolism and associations commonly linked to pearls.
- The moon, purity and innocence: Pearls' soft luster and smooth, round shapes have long linked them to the moon, bringing with them associations of purity and innocence. The formation of pearls occurring in water and the moon's influence on Earth's tides make this connection even more poetic. In ancient Sanskrit, pearls were believed to be born from the Earth's waters, infused with heavenly power and brought to life by lightning.
- Wisdom and courage: Chinese folklore tells of dragons guarding pearls, making them a symbol of wisdom and courage for those brave enough to defeat the dragon and retrieve the pearls.
- Love: Gifting pearls signifies love and purity. Western cultures often associate pearls with Venus, the goddess of love, born of the sea. Additionally, the moon's connection to pearls symbolizes the ebb and flow of love, reflecting the cycles of many relationships.
- Sorrow: Pearls have also been associated with tears, with Japanese legends telling of pearls formed by mermaids' tears.
- Wealth and power: Historically, pearls have been a symbol of wealth and power, a status symbol that some still believe to be true today.
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