November 2nd, 2009 by nedmarx
Most people when they imagine a pearl are picturing perfect large round spherical gems, creamy white in colour with a shimmery iridescent surface. The reality is that pearls are usually irregular in shape, each one is different and to find a perfectly round one is rare, not to mention trying to make a whole necklace of pearls that are all more or less the same. Natural pearls are the rarest and most highly valued variety, but nowadays most pearl jewellery is made from cultured or farmed pearls, which are grown on pearl farms across the world by inserting a bead nucleus inside an oyster or mussel shell to encourage the formation of a pearl. Apart from whether a pearl is cultured or natural the other major varieties are the saltwater or freshwater pearl, which both have their own different properties.
Saltwater pearls are found in…
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November 2nd, 2009 by nedmarx
For thousands of years pearls have been worn by the rich and glamorous, and given as rare and expensive gifts. Traditionally worn by brides on their wedding day, they have long been a symbol of love, purity and perfection. Nowadays pearl jewellery is available to more people than ever before, and you no longer need to be royalty to afford it. Pearls of all shapes, sizes and colours are grown on farms and with so many varieties to choose from any bride-to-be has no trouble finding the perfect pearls to match her wedding gown. In fact there are so many varieties that it can be difficult to know which to choose, so here are a few things to look out for:
Pearl type – There are two types of pearl, saltwater and freshwater. Saltwater pearls are found in oysters in the sea, and are usually bigger, rounder…
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November 1st, 2009 by nedmarx
There are many varieties of pearl, both real and fake, and it can be hard to distinguish between those that are genuine and those that are imitations. Even amongst genuine pearls there are many different classes of both natural and cultured varieties, all with their own different properties and all valued very differently as pearl jewellery. You don’t want to be fooled when buying pearls, so here are a few ways to help differentiate between real pearls, whether they are natural or cultured, and fakes
The Tooth Test
It’s said that if you rub a pearl against the biting edge of your front teeth, the texture of the surface will tell you whether or not it is genuine. Real pearls normally have a more rough, irregular texture in contrast to imitation pearls which are usually very smooth or even glassy. This isn’t really the most reliable…
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October 30th, 2009 by nedmarx
The biggest oyster ever found in the UK has been discovered in a market in Plymouth. Narrowly escaping becoming someone’s luxury dinner the giant shellfish, which has been dubbed ‘Shelly’, measures 7” across and weighs 3lb. It’s currently residing in the local aquarium, where it is on public display and proving to be quite the tourist attraction.
Unfortunately for fashionistas who are loving the current revival of pearl jewellery though, there’s no chance of a giant hidden gem inside the shell, because Shelly is the wrong type of oyster. It’s an especially large example of the edible oyster, the only species that live in the English Channel. Edible oysters do produce ‘pearls’ but they are of no value, those pearls that are used to make jewellery come from different species of oyster.
The valuable pearls used to make pearl earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other…
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