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Because of their unique beauty and their inseparable bond between nature and human, pearls have held their value very well throughout centuries. Depending on the waters they’re grown in, pearls can be divided into freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls (which are grown in sea water). There’re generally 3 types of saltwater pearls: Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian. Each pearl type, including freshwater, grows in a specific pearl-bearing oyster species in a unique habitat that is indigenous to certain regions of the world. It is much rarer, for instance, to have a 10mm akoya pearl than a 10mm South Sea pearl. If all the other quality factors are equal, this akoya pearl would command a higher price than the South Sea pearl of the same size. Indigenous to the Caribbean Sea and a small area of the Atlantic Ocean, natural conch pearls are extremely valuable. It is estimated that one pearl is found for every 10,000 conchs collected. Unlike all the other pearls that are produced by bivalves, conch pearls and melo pearls are grown inside univalve molluscs that only have one shell and no hinge. They do not have the pearly lustre of true pearls and are often called calcareous concretions.
Generally speaking, when you compare sizes within the same pearl type, the larger the pearl is, the more valuable it is when all other value factors are the same. Freshwater Pearls are the most widely available pearls seen in jewellery today. Hence, they’re the most affordable types of pearls in the market. Freshwater pearls are commonly grown inside the Hyriopsis cumingii mollusc in rivers, lakes and ponds in China, and their production has also started to grow in Southeast Asia in recent years. This group of cultured pearls displays some of the exotic colors pearls can exhibit. - Blaire Beavers, courtesy Takayas Mizuno One thing you might not realise is that saltwater pearls like Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian are more likely to be round than freshwater pearls. Why? Because in saltwater pearls a round bead is inserted to encourage pearl to grow into a round shape whereas a piece of tissue is used in freshwater pearl cultivation. Now you can see - it is much rarer for a natural pearl to form a perfectly round shape than its cultured counterpart. In the case of saltwater cultured pearls, bead nuclei are used in the pearl cultivation process. Therefore, those with thin nacre usually diminish in value. They often have poor lustre and are not durable.As an organic gem, nearly all cultured and natural pearls have some degree of imperfections such as bumps, pits, scratches, spots, and wrinkles on their surface. Blemish-free pearls are extremely rare. So the fewer and less visible blemishes a pearl has, the higher its value when all the other value factors are equal. Generally speaking, saltwater pearls cost more than freshwater pearls. This is because saltwater pearl-bearing oysters can only grow 1 pearl (or 2 at the most in the case of Akoya) while freshwater pearl oysters can yield up to 50 pearls in one growth cycle.
In general, there’re 7 factors that affect the pearl value: shape, size, colour, lustre, surface quality, nacre quality and matching. Like the 4Cs of diamond valuation, the pearl’s 7 value factors are created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to standardise pearl grading systems. They represent the main components of a pearl’s characteristics and beauty in a more balanced and comprehensive manner. Now you can see why natural pearls are potentially more valuable than cultured pearls. This is because the occurrence of natural pearls is much rarer than cultured pearls. Almost all real pearls you see today are cultured. Pearl lustre is the intensity and sharpness of the light reflected from a pearl’s surface. In other words, it shows how bright and shiny a pearl is. Pearl lustre is considered the most important quality attribute of all the 7 pearl value factors. Fine quality pearls will always display high lustre with bright and sharp reflections. South Sea Pearls are the most prized cultured pearls in the world. They’re farmed in the largest pearl oyster Pinctada maxima in Australia, Burma, Indonesia and the Philippines. In this guide we’re going to show you everything you need to ascertain what your pearls are worth. The Basic Rule To Buying PearlsSo how can you tell if the pearls you own are natural or cultured? Unfortunately, you won’t be able to spot the difference without proper gemological and laboratory tests. Testing methods such as X-rays, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, laser light, and Raman spectrometry will help separate natural from cultured pearls. What Affects The Value Of A Pearl? For round pearls, the size is determined by measuring the diameter of a drilled pearl perpendicular to the drill hole. For pearls of any other shapes, the size is made up of measurements for lengths, widths or depths. Pearl sizes are usually expressed in millimetres and rounded to the nearest 0.5mm. How Pearl Lustre And Nacre Quality Affect The Value Of Pearls? If you’re an avid follower of luxury fashion and jewellery, you probably have noticed some of the spectacular record-breaking prices set by natural pearls in recent auctions. Pearls that have no blemishes at all or contain very tiny surface characteristics that are not visible without using special equipment are said to have Clean Surface. Depending on the degree of their blemishes, pearls can be Lightly Spotted, Moderately Spotted and Heavily Spotted. How Matching Impacts Price Of Pearls? Regardless of how pearls are formed, whether natural or cultured, most pearls harvested have an average to low quality. Fine quality pearls are very rare. This is largely due to the nature of pearl growth inside the oyster. The oyster secretes nacre slowly to coat the intruder layers after layers. It is the same substance that makes mother-of-pearl, the shiny surface on the inner side of the shell. As an organic gem, these layers of nacre are not always evenly distributed to form a tight structure. Hence the quality varies drastically. In other words, most natural pearls, if found, rarely have qualities that worth a fortune.
It’s worth noting that different pearl type has its own unique characteristics and benchmarks. Therefore, you cannot simply take each value factor and use it to assess two different types of pearls.Despite their huge price difference, both cultured and natural pearls are real pearls. They are grown from pearl-bearing oysters in either saltwater or freshwater. The pearl formation process is exactly the same for both natural and cultured pearls. While those impressive million-dollar pearls may be out of reach, finding the sweet spots of value is actually not that difficult. When buying a piece of pearl jewellery, try using the information discussed in this guide. Remember to balance the rarity of the gems with your preferred styles and desirability. Make sure you buy from reputable or established stores and dealers who are specialised in pearls and pearl grading. If you’re in the market to get a valuation for how much your pearls are worth, always get a few quotes from expert appraisers. Try to look for the presence of overtone or orient the next time you look for fine quality pearls. And be very careful with those that are artificially coloured to mimic some of the high value colours mentioned above. Pearls with dye treatments are worth less than those with natural colours. What Is The Most Valuable Pearl Shape?
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