Pearls

Natural pearls are, by definition, any type of pearl formed without human intervention – by the natural biological process or by organic accident. Natural pearls are a product of chance, with an irritant – such as a burrowing parasite, plant or sand – entering the oyster or mussel at random. The oyster or mussel then produces layers of materials on top of the irritant to form a pearl eventually. With no shell sphere as its nucleus, the natural pearl is rarely round or of uniform size.

Before the depletion of natural pearl beds, about a century ago, all pearls discovered were “natural Pearls”. Today natural pearls are very rare and expensive because a natural pearl would require a provenance to prove its origin. As a result, natural pearls are often sold at auctions in New York, London and other international venues at great investment prices.

Long known as the ‘Queen of Gems’, natural pearls were once the “exclusive domain” of the rich and powerful royalty! From the time of Cleopatra through to Queen Elizabeth, pearls have been a symbol of incredible wealth and status.

Although today, thanks to the pearl culturing industry, cultured pearls are much more affordable. Pure pearls often present absolutely perfect lustre, shape and colour in a very affordable price range.  A pure pearl is a solid pearl with no internal beads, seeds, granite or plastic internal elements.

Cultured pearls are formed when humans intentionally introduce an irritant. A technician will carefully insert foreign matter into a healthy adult oyster or mussel. To defend itself against this irritant, the oyster generates cells that make numerous layers of nacre, which encapsulates the foreign material to form a cultured pearl.

The form and size of a pearl are mainly determined by the form and size of the implanted irritant.

Comparable to a star sign, a birthstone is a gem that symbolises a person's date of birth and has special meanings for those born in that particular month. Each birthstone has its own unique beauty that adds to the allure of jewelry, and most popularly, birthstones are used for necklace pendants.

June is the only month with three birthstones, one of which is a pearl!

So, Pearl Jewelry would be the perfect gift for a person born in June. From Pearl Earrings, Pearl Rings, Pearl Necklaces, Pearl Wedding Rings to any custom Pearl piece, Australian Pearl Divers has a selection for everyone. https://vimeo.com/270655189

Recognised as “the most beautiful pearls in the world”, the glorious Australian South Sea Pearls are the queen of all pearls. Magnificent in their lustre and size, the Australian South Sea Pearls truly are treasures from the deep crystal-clear waters of Australia’s North.

Grown inside the Pinctada Maxima Oyster, Australian South Sea Pearls are largely popular due to their size, as one of the largest pearl varieties in the world. As well as their limited culturing area, extended growth period and beautiful colours varying substantially from silvery white, cream white, to gold.

Australian South Sea Pearls are only available commercially off the coast of Western Australia. South Sea Pearls are generally quite durable – for example, bodily oils will not cause harm. However, if you want your pearls to be passed through generations, the utmost care must be taken.

South Sea Pearls are the most valuable and rarest of all pearl types. The value of each pearl type is based on availability, demand, and rarity. The retail price for a South Sea Pearl necklace strand can range from $5,000 to $200,000 and sometimes more.

Australian South Sea Pearls – referred to as “The Most Sought-After Pearls in the World” are the epitome of romance and allure. No piece of jewelry is more perfect than the classic white Australian South Sea Pearl. The retail price for a South Sea Pearl Necklace can range from $5,000 to $200,000 and sometimes more.

Tahitian Pearls – grown in the French Polynesian region, are exceptional pearls that display a wide array of beautiful colours and can be either round, almost round, baroque or circle. These strands may now be purchased for anything from $2 and $4,000.

Freshwater Pearls – also known as pure pearls, grow in freshwater mussels, with about 95% of production coming from China. They come in various shapes such as a droplet, button and oval, the rarest being round.

Keshi Pearls – are small non-nucleated pearls composed entirely of nacre and are the closest we can get to natural pearls. This pearl is extremely rare and only found in the Sea of Japan. Their irregular shapes make for attention-grabbing and beautiful pieces. Keshi Pearls range from 9mm to 20mm and in colours grey, blue, green, pink and yellow.

Mabe Pearls – have a dome/hemispherical shape and are commonly known as “blister” pearls. They are formed by placing “disks” inside pearl oyster shells instead of a bead or ‘seed’ to act as the nucleus. They appear in multiple colours such as cream, white, gold, silver and green peacock, mainly produced in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

De Perlas Australis – are South Sea Pearls produced from the majestic Gigas Clam Species and appear black or white. The key difference with a De Perlas South Sea Pearl is that the nucleus is carefully coated and polished to achieve a near-perfect shape.

The six virtues of pearls are an international standard used to assess the value of Pearl Jewelry.

Pearl lustre is the surface brilliance of a pearl. The quicker the oyster lays the layer of nacre, the better the pearl because the pearl will tend to have a “mirror finish”. Exceptional lustre has a ‘mirror’ finish on the surface appearance when viewed in reflected light.

Pearl size, the larger pearls take longer to form and must grow in a much larger host oyster or mussel. With increases in time and size, the rarity and difficulty of cultivating larger pearls make them the most valuable characteristic or attribute of a pearl’s value. The bigger the pearl, the more valuable. From 15mm to 18mm is extremely rare, and under 10mm is relatively inexpensive. The value of a pearl can double from one millimetre to the next.

Pearl shape, the round pearl, is considered the perfect gem. A pearl develops a round shape when it moves freely around the oyster whilst growing, but they usually get attached to the shell and become off round or baroque. While perfectly circular is the most valuable shape, drop, button and baroque are also desirable. Notably, in modern society, there is strong demand for baroque because of the unique shapes.

-Round is the most valuable,
-Drops and buttons are perfect for pendants,
-Baroque pearls are of exceptional value, and each one is unique.

Pearl colour, the pearl “picks up” the DNA of the host shell and will reflect the colour of the host. Therefore, a strand of the same colour pearl is more valuable than any individual colour.

-White Pearls are the definitive and classic pearl hue, easily found on the Australian market.
-Black Pearls are generally widely accessible but are more rare than white. Tahitian Pearls are naturally black
-Pink Pearls – sometimes called ----Rosé Pearls –are highly priced and are among the rarest pearl colours.
-Golden Pearls are the rarest colour available, as it only occurs naturally in the Australian South Sea Pearl.

While these are the most popular colours of pearls, pearls can come in pretty much any colour imaginable, from Lavender Pearls, Blue Pearls, Chocolate Pearls and more!

Pearl surface quality and organic skin variations are normal; dimples are one of the only ways to guarantee genuine pearls. The skin of a pearl is considered “exceptional”, “fine”, or “A grade” when it has no marks. The larger South Sea or Tahitian Pearls tend to be more marked because of their size. However, if you see a couple of marks on them, the pearl skin is still fine unless it is heavily marked, in which case, their value decreases.

-“A” grade - No flaws on 90% of the surface. Very good lustre.
-“B” grade - No flaws on at least 70% of the surface. Very good lustre.
-“C” grade - No flaws on at least 40% of the surface. Average lustre.
-“D” grade - pearl has slight flaws on more than 60% of the surface. Weak lustre.

Pearl type, each type of pearl has a different value. For example, Australian South Sea Pearls, which naturally look white or gold, are the most valuable and expensive pearls on the market today. When appraising a pearl, the most crucial consideration is whether it is natural or cultured. It makes no difference whether a pearl is saltwater or freshwater in terms of its worth. But natural pearls are far more expensive than cultured pearls.