Pearls, the elegance of a timeless jewel
“A woman needs strings and strings of pearls,” said designer Coco Chanel, who also wore six of them all together. With the famous little black dress, they have become a symbol of elegance with Audrey Hepburn, the unforgettable protagonist of the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. But they still are: as the experts of fashion, from Princess Kate to Generation Z stars like Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa, everyone loves and wears pearls.
How pearls are born
Their charm is undoubtedly linked to their characteristics and origin: more or less perfect spheres, of a color that varies from white to shades of yellow and pink, which come from the sea. Unlike all other metals and precious stones, in fact, the pearl is produced by a living organism, an oyster, under the surface of the water.
It forms when a foreign element, which can be a grain of sand or another living organism, enters the shellfish. To defend itself from this "aggression", the mollusk secretes an organic substance composed of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate, which is deposited on the foreign body. The pearl is created through the many layers of this mother-of-pearl substance.
Le natural pearls, which form spontaneously inside the oyster, are extremely rare, as the fishermen well knew, who were said to find on average one for every thousand oysters. However, at the beginning of the XNUMXth century some Japanese researchers, including the famous Mikimoto, discovered that this formation process could be stimulated through human intervention, by directly introducing the foreign body, called "nucleus", into the oysters.
That's how they were born cultured pearls, which in fact have the same characteristics as the natural ones, but are produced in special oyster farms. Among the most famous are the Akoya, produced from the homonymous oyster grown above all in Japan, China and Vietnam, which are known for their brightness and sphericity and for their small size, from 2 to 10 millimeters. The Australian ones, on the other hand, are the largest in the world and have a diameter that can reach 20 millimeters.
Luke Daverio
The “4 S”
As with the "C" of diamonds, there are some parameters that are used to define the beauty and value of pearls. They are the 4 S, that is:
- Size, the size: the bigger a pearl, the more precious it is
- Shape, the shape, which must be as spherical as possible
- Shade, the color, which is usually between white and pink
- Skin, the skin, i.e. the surface, which must be smooth.
However, it must be kept in mind that some irregularities do not compromise the value, on the contrary it is an indication of a cultured pearl and not of an imitation.
Luke Daverio
How to take care of pearls
As they always say, they should be worn often to maintain their beauty and shine. However, we must remember that they are sensitive to cosmetics, perfumes and hairsprays: all these products can affect their surface, ruining it. So it is good practice to use make-up and perfumes first and then wear the pearls, avoiding wearing them when you go to the hairdresser.
All acidic elements can damage them, including skin sweat and sea water: the belief that swimming in the sea is good for pearls must be dispelled.
The pearl surface is delicate and scratches easily, so it is best to store pearl jewelry in boxes or soft bags, keeping it separate from other jewelry that might scratch it.
Necklace with Tahitian pearls and diamond beads signed DAVERIO1933
Not just the classic "thread"
In addition to the "thread", which can also be double or triple, pearls go very well with metals and precious stones. L'pearl ring, in white gold and with the addition of diamonds, is a classic engagement ring, which can also be given on your wedding day: in fact, tradition has it that pearls are given to brides as a symbol of fertility.
Pearls are also protagonists of earrings e necklaces, where they go perfectly with rose gold and diamonds.
Fancy Color&Beads necklace made of 18-karat rose gold with pink and gold pearls, bead-cut diamonds and brilliants.
