Day: December 5, 2017

Mabé cultured pearls grow in saltwater mussels and some oysters, forming on the inside of the shell, rather than in the mussel’s tissue. Also called blister pearls, their size is determined by the size of the implant.

CULTURING MABÉ
Either a half-round plastic bead or piece of mantle tissue is glued on the inside lip of the host shell. As the mussel secretes pearl nacre it forms a domed blister. At the end of the growth period, the pearl is removed from the shell, the nucleus removed, the
blister filled with epoxy and then backed with mother of pearl before setting.

MAKE THE GRADE
As with other cultured pearls, assessment criteria include luster, surface, and strength of color. The most desirable color is white with pink undertones, but an increasing interest in dark, smoky, and blue colors has emerged.

DELICACY AND CARE
Handle Mabé cultured pearls with care. Their thin nacreous layer can crack or damaged by misuse.

WOULD YOU LIKE THAT LOOSE OR FINISHED?
Mabé comes both ways. Choose rings, earrings, or pendants from our Mabé jewelry or select loose Mabé cultured pearls and a mounting in one of our many metal qualities.

Although originally produced in Japan, 90% of the world’s freshwater pearls now come from China. Unlike other pearls on the market, freshwater pearls typically do not come from an oyster at all. Most are farmed in varieties of freshwater mussels,
particularly Hyriopsis cuminigii. Freshwater pearls are generally irregular in shape but new farming and pearl-enhancement technology produce more round pearls in a new array of colors in sizes up to 9.5mm. Freshwater pearl harvests are typically bought while in the shell. Because they are plentiful, they are the most
affordable pearls and are widely used in jewelry.

CORNMEAL AND WAX?
In their natural state, freshwater pearls are not marketable for jewelry and require enhancements. After cleaning and sorting, they are pretreated in a warm and cold chemical solution. Unless they have a strong color, they are bleached. At this point some are dyed to provide the dazzling rainbow colors that inspire fashion jewelry. Finally all receive that finishing touch: they are polished with a mixture of cornmeal and wax. Now they’re ready to make their way in the world.

THE SMALL, PROLIFIC TRIANGLE SHELL
Though only 5cm to 6cm long, each triangular-shaped Hyriopsis cuminigii receives 12 to 16 grafts of mantle tissue rather than a round nucleus. The tissue is placed directly into a mussel’s mantle to initiate nacre production and the shell produces an
amazing up to 40 pearls. These pearls range in size from 4.0mm to 10.0mm, but larger ones are less likely.

When you think of a simple pearl necklace for a bride or to accent that little black dress, the Akoya pearl sets the standard as the premier choice. Best-known of the cultured pearls, their roundness, nacre depth, and consistent luster have positioned
them as the preferred choice for a timeless statement of good taste.

PINCTADA FUCATA MARTENSII
The P. fucata or Akoya oyster is the smallest pearl producing oyster in the world, yet each produces four or five 2.0mm to 9.0mm pearls. Water temperature and mineral content influence pearl quality and production with cool to cold water producing the
best results. Akoya producing mollusks are found in ocean waters bordering many areas worldwide, but for years most P. fucata were found off Japan’s shores with Japan dominating Akoya production. In 2010, China surpassed Japan in pearl production. Most Chinese Akoya pearls are processed in Japan.

WHO DEVELOPED CULTURED PEARLS?
Mikimoto is the name most frequently associated with Akoya cultured pearls, but he did not invent the process. That honor goes to British biologist William Saville-Kent, living and working in Australia. He taught the technique to Tokichi Nishikawa and
Tatsuhei Mise who brought it to Japan. In 1916, Nishikawa was granted a patent, and he married Mikimoto’s daughter. Mikimoto helped refine modern-day pearl culturing techniques and production. Successful culturing emerges from thoughtful
planning, patient tending, and nurturing of the producing mollusks. It requires an enormous investment of time, money, science, and people.

Often called black pearls, Tahitian pearls grow in the warm, turquoise lagoons of French Polynesia and other islands in the South Seas. Their opalescent black hue shimmers with peacock green, gray, and purple overtones for a sensual, smoldering
statement in jewelry designs for both men and women.

THE SCOOP ON COLOR AND SIZE
Tahitian pearl colors range from gray to black with pure black extremely rare and very valuable. Consistent color tone makes pearls highly desirable with peacock tones demanding the highest prices. Tahitian pearls are harvested between 8.0 mm to 15.0 mm. Sizes up to 20.0 mm occur rarely and are highly prized.

P. margaritifera, or black-lipped oyster, is a large tropical oyster that can live up to 30 years. In the 19th century, free-diving

PINCTADA MARGARITIFERA
Polynesians braved sharks and the physiological challenges of deep water diving to harvest it. Only one in 15,000 P. margaritifera produced a natural pearl, but the European button industry had an insatiable appetite for the inner shell that all but
devastated this oyster population.

TRULY TAHITIAN
Today, a complex cultivation process has resurrected French Polynesia’s pearl industry with P. margaritifera farmed in numerous atoll lagoons. They are also farmed in the Marshall, Cook, and Solomon Islands and the waters off Northern Australia. In all locations, strict government regulations assure pearl quality
and preservation of the species.

GET THE LOOK
What shows off a Tahitian pearl best? It depends on the recipient. Single pearls set in cuff links or as a tie stud make great gifts for men who seek a sophisticated look with natural appeal. For women of all ages, the choices are many. Few gems offer greater
drama than strands of Tahitian pearls — dynamic for day or evening wear. Used individually or in combination with white or golden pearls, black pearls create superbly fashionable jewelry that, with proper care, will last for generations.

The legendary allure of South Sea pearls comes from their transparent luster and unique play of colors, or “orient,” that imparts a luminescent beauty. These qualities define the finest nacre and make South Sea Pearls the most valuable of all pearls. The finest of these pearls have nacre measuring between 3.0mm and 6.0mm.

Colors
Color overtones range from white pink and silver pink to dark gold. Australian pearls can throw fancy colors including red gold — extremely rare and highly regarded. Stuller’s South Sea cultured pearl strands arrive at your store with a guarantee of natural luster and color — no enhancements. This is the South Sea pearl quality you want.

How Extraordinary is a Matched Strand?
The meticulous matching required to create an extraordinary strand can take up to a decade. This process leaves no room for compromise.

AUSTRALIA
Australian oysters and ocean conditions are generally credited with producing the largest and finest quality pearls. From the 1800s, it was the primary source of the world’s largest and most valuable pearls. Aware that their pearls would be in high demand, Australia pioneered the South Sea cultured pearl industry, coaxing the sensitive Pinctada Maxima oyster to yield pearls —no easy feat.

LIFESTYLE OF THE FAMOUS PINCTADA MAXIMA
P. Maxima is the largest pearl oyster, and it is rare, unable to survive outside small remote areas of natural habitat. Culturing it is extremely difficult. Labor-intensive farms must be situated in the isolated locations that meet P. Maxima’s highly specific needs. Each oyster can grow only one pearl at a time and takes about two years. It can only be reseeded three to four times. Not every P. Maxima will produce a pearl. Most South Sea cultured pearls range from 10.0 to 15.0 mm taking two years to grow. Larger pearls up to 20mm take four to six years of growth. Australia protects its wild oyster stocks by strictly enforcing production quotas.

MORE ABOUT P. MAXIMA
This amazing oyster lives up to 40 years and can grow to 300mm in shell length. Impressed? Wait. Like many other saltwater oysters, it functions as both a male and a female during its life. It matures first as a male at 110mm to 120mm or three to four years. By 170mm half are females and by 190mm all are females.

WHERE ELSE ARE THEY CULTURED
Originally exclusive to Australia, South Sea pearls are cultured in Indonesia, Burma, and the Philippines, but the characteristics and quality of these pearls can vary greatly. Indonesia and Burma produce mainly white to yellow and also gold, while the Philippines produce mainly yellow and gold.