PEARLS

Jodie Diegel, GG, MBA

Graduate Gemologist
Gemological Institute of America
PEARLS
The Product
Types of Pearls
Farming Cultured Pearls
Making Bead Nuclei
Nucleating the Oyster
Farming Cultured Pearls
Raising Production Stock
Harvesting Cultures Pearls
Processing Cultured Pearls
Judging Pearl Value Factors
The Product
Pearls are classified by gemologists as
cultured stones.
They are not inorganic as most stones
are but organic
They come from an animal or plant
Other examples includes amber, coral,
ivory and jet
The Product
Natural Pearls
Cultured Pearls
Saltwater
Freshwater

Fewer than 20 species of the 8,000
mollusks produce pearls
The Product
The worlds main pearling
grounds were depleted in
the 18
th
century due to
constant demand
By the beginning of the
twentieth century most of
the worlds pearl-producing
mollusks were in immediate
danger of extinction

The Product
Pearls are made of NACRE
A natural substance produced by mollusks
that also costs the inside of the animals
shell (also called mother of pearl)
Nacre is made up mostly of calcium
carbonate in the form of the mineral
aragonite and held together by crystal
layers called conchiolin

The Product
Natural Pearls
Parasitic Invasion
Mollusk forms a sac around the intruder and secretes
nacre from the mantle tissue (the layer of tissue that
surrounds the body of the mollusk and lines the shell)
Cultured Pearls
Human assistance w/bead or tissue nucleation
Nacre secreted around bead or mantle tissue
Beads for saltwater oysters
Tissue for freshwater
Fewer than 20 species of the 8,000 mollusks
produce pearls (also keshi pearls)
The Product
Pinctada fucata Akoya
Mostly found in Japan
White/cream/yellow
Mikimoto
Pearls usually 2-11mm in size, majority 6-7
mm
Usually spherical preferred
Approximately 2000 pearl farms in Japan
The Product
Pinctada maxima South Sea
Australia, Philippines, Indonesia
Largest size
yellow/silver
Often 9-20 mm with the majority about 13
mm

The Product
Pinctada margaritifera Tahitian
French Polynesia (Tahiti)
Black/silver
Spherical generally range in size from 8-13
mm
Often black hue but different tones
Farming Cultured Pearls
Natural supply has depleted over
centuries
Need highly trained technician and
mantle tissue
Making Bead Nuclei
Beads often come from freshwater
shells from US
Need minimum sizes to keep mussels
American Pearl Company
Nucleating the Oyster
2 types of nucleation
Bead
Tissue
When nucleated:
Slow metabolism
Careful opening (Tahitian and South Sea
can be re-nucleated)
Add Tissue and/or bead nucleus
Freshwater usually tissue alone (no bead)
Farming Cultured Pearls
Pearls Farms
Small family farms
Large commercial/sophisticated operations
Problems/Challenges
Pollution
Severe weather (drought/flooding)
Red Tide

Raising Production Stock
Collecting from wild
More labor intensive
Divers
Hatcheries
More controlled but size limited
Spat collection
Especially Tahitians
Harvesting Cultured Pearls
Every 2-3 months mollusks cleaned
Harvesting:
8-24 months Akoya
2 years Tahitian/South Sea
2-6 years Freshwater
Harvesting Cultured Pearls
Only South Sea and Tahitian are kept
alive and can be nucleated again
Subsequent pearls are LARGER!
Freshwater may be once more
Akoya can have up to 5 beads
Freshwater can hold up to 50 pieces of
mantle tissue
Processing Cultured Pearls
Bleaching
Dyes
Sorting
Size, shape, luster, surface quality,
matching ability
Drilling
Full (necklaces)
Half (earrings, posts)
Judging Pearl Quality
There are 7 features that directly affect
a cultured pearls beauty and value
Collectively called VALUE FACTORS
Understanding these will give you the
product knowledge to help recognize
the beauty and rarity of all pearl types
Judging Pearl Quality
1. SIZE
A pearls ultimate size can depend on
many variables
Size and health of the mollusk
Size of the nucleus
Amount of time in the water adding layers
of nacre
Larger pearls usually more valuable
Judging Pearl Quality
2. SHAPE
While round is perhaps the most
familiar shape, pearls come in many
different forms.
Spherical, Symmetrical, Ovals, buttons,
drops, baroque
Judging Pearl Quality
3. COLOR
A pearls color is made up of
Hue-the colors first impression
Tone-its lightness or darkness
Saturation-its strength or intensity
GIA recognizes 19 pearl hues
Judging Pearl Quality
4. LUSTER The true magic of a pearl lies in
its luster and how it reflects light
Luster is the most important of all of the
value factors to the beauty of a pearl.
4 categories:
Excellent-reflections bright, sharp, distinct
Good-bright reflections but not sharp
Fair-weak and hazy
Poor-dim, no reflections
Judging Pearl Quality
5. SURFACE QUALITY
Cultured pearls are organic so it isnt
surprising when they show surface
characteristics.
Abrasions, bump, chips, cracks, gaps, pit,
scratches, spots or wrinkles
Categories:
Clean
Lightly blemished
Moderately blemished
Heavily blemished
Judging Pearl Quality
6. NACRE QUALITY
Nacre is the very essence of the pearl itself
A pearls appearance helps determine its
quality and it has a LOT to do with whether
the nacre is thick or thin (thin=blinking)
Classifications:
Acceptable
Nucleus Visible
Chalky Appearance
Judging Pearl Quality
7. MATCHING
The matching value factor is relative
(only applies to strands, or jewelry with
more than one pearl)
Classifications:
Excellent
Good
Fair
CONCLUSION
Pearls have been and are forever
fashionable, and were revered in Asia
since approx. 4000BC
With the advent of culturing, new and
exciting pearls have become available in
the last century
More affordable due to great influx of
freshwater pearls

CONCLUSION
Pearls invoke words
such as

Purity
Devotion
Love
Rarity
Romance
Elegance

CONCLUSION
QUESTIONS?