Terms Uncover Pearl Beauty
Akoya Pearl - The Akoya Saltwater Pearl is a saltwater pearl farmed in the waters of China, for smaller sized akoya pearls, and Japan, for the largest sized akoya pearls.
Bead Nucleation - Making a mollusk form a cultured pearl by inserting a bead and a piece of mantle tissue.
Biwas - Standard high quality Freshwater cultured pearls from Japan’s Lake Biwa.
Cultured Pearl - As a result of human intervention, a Cultured Pearl is a pearl that is formed inside an oyster/mollusk.
Graduated Necklace - A pearl necklace in which the sizes of the pearls are larger in the center, and decrease in size as one moves to the ends of the necklace.
Imitation Pearls - Something that simulates a gem that could be natural or manmade.
Irradiation - Changing the color of a gem by exposing the gem to radiation. Kunzite, tourmaline, diamond, and golden beryl are examples of gems that are often irradiated.
Mantle - This is the part of the oyster/mollusk that produces pearl sacs and nacre. It lines the shell of the oyster/mollusk and encases the soft body.
Mollusk - An invertebrate marine animal with either one or two shells.
Mussel - A freshwater mollusk with two shells that produces pearls.
Nacre - This calcium carbonate and conchiolin substance is naturally produced by mollusks/oysters to make pearls and mother-of-pearl.The natural substance produced by mollusks to make pearls and mother-of-pearl.
Natural pearl - A pearl formed in the wild without interference by humans.
Nucleation - This is when the pearl farmers implant something foreign into a host mollusk to begin the making of a cultured pearl.
Organic - Living, or once living, or produced by a living organism. Pearls, amber, jet, ivory, and coral are examples of organic gems.
Oyster - A two shelled saltwater mollusk. An Oyster is used to produce pearls.
Peacock - A over tone of dark green gray or blue gray. This term is usually used to describe Tahitian Cultured Pearls.
Pearl - This is a gem formed in the body of a mollusk/oyster. A pearl is organic and can be formed in either freshwater or salt water.
Pearl Jewelry - A piece of jewelry made completely from, or partly from, pearls. Can be any type of pearls including Akoya, Freshwater, South Sea, and/or Tahitian.
Pearl Sac - This is what the mollusk uses to cover and enclose any foreign object - bead nucleus or mantle tissue - which secretes nacre to form a cultured pearl.
Pinctada Maxima - A pearl producing mollusk that is one of the largest of its kind. This mollusk produces South Sea Cultured Pearls.
Sea-based farm - The headquarters of this pearl farm are mostly based on a boat or pontoon.
South Sea Pearls - Pearls that come from Australia and the South Seas area. They are larger sized pearls that range in color from golden to white.
Tahitian Pearls - A type of pearl that comes from the French Polynesian area of South East Asia. The pearl is a darker colored pearl, with colors ranging from dark yellow to green to blue to purple.
Tone - The degree of how dark or light a color is.
Tooth test - Detecting pearl imitations by gently rubbing the pearl across your teeth. This method, though not very scientific, is fairly reliable.
Value factors - Features used to judge the beauty and value of a pearl.
Pearl Jewelry
Pearl jewelry are often made of pearls and other materials such as precious metals, diamonds, sometimes with imitation or synthetic gems. Also called costume jewelry. It comes with pearl necklace, pearl earring, pearl ring, pearl pendant, pearl bracelet, and pearl set in styles.