Timeless, glamorous and uniquely brilliant, pearls are a wonderful addition to any jewellery collection. Understand the natural and mysterious beauty of pearls with this handy guide to everything you need to know.
The Value of Pearls
The value of a pearl depends on its size, weight, colour, smoothness and lustre. The better the pearl colour and surface area, the more valuable it is likely to be, although there’s a premium to be paid for particularly large, good quality pearls.
Natural and Cultured Pearls
Created within the shell of a mollusc, a pearl is a natural beauty and the rounder and more perfect the shape, the more it is praised. Pearls were first discovered out in the wild when a diver would crack open a large number of oysters in the hope of finding a pearl. These days, oysters are pearl farmed so that good quality pearls can be cultured and you are much less likely to find natural pearls on the market.
Appreciating the Lustre
A pearl’s unique lustre – that lovely glow most pearls have – is created by the way light interacts with the many thin, translucent layers that make up the pearl. The more layers a pearl has, the more enchanting its lustre. These layers also create a wonderful iridescence, and pearls can be dyed a variety of colours without damaging this quality.
Discover the wonders of high quality pearls for yourself by taking a trip to Clayfield Jewellery in Brisbane. Call (07) 3266 9555 for friendly advice on finding the perfect pearls.
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