Niger Fashion 2014 Pearl Gold And Silver Wedding Jewellery 107

Niger Fashion 2014 Pearl Gold And Silver Wedding Jewellery. 

By Aamir Mannan.

Brief History pearls

Many thousands of years ago, long before written history, human beings probably discovered the first pearl while searching the seashore for food. Throughout history, the pearl, with its warm inner glow and shimmering iridescence, has been one of the most highly prized and sought-after gems. Countless references to the pearl can be found in the religions and mythology of cultures from the earliest times. The ancient Egyptians prized pearls so much they were buried with them. Cleopatra reportedly dissolved a single pearl in a glass of wine and drank it, simply to win a wager with Mark Antony that she could consume the wealth of an entire nation in just one meal.

Nicaragua Fashion 2014 Pearl Gold And Silver Wedding Jewellery 106

Nicaragua Fashion 2014 Pearl Gold And Silver Wedding Jewellery. 

By Aamir Mannan.

 Eassy on the History of Cultured pearls

In this essay you'll learn about the history of pearls, how they form in oysters, and how cultured pearls are generally cultivated, harvested and processed for market.

Cultured pearls ... their very name conjures images of lustrous jewels nestled deep in oysters far below the surface of the sea. Yet cultured pearls are more than just jewels. Since the beginning of time, pearls have been revered as one of the world's most beautiful and magical gems. Today, cultured pearls are the foundation of every woman's jewelry wardrobe. Fashionable, feminine and fresh, cultured pearls truly enhance a woman's palette of styles. Rich and adaptable, a lustrous star in the world of fine jewelry, a simple cultured pearl necklace can take a woman through every moment in her life, every outfit in her wardrobe. The possibilities are endless.

New Zealand Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 105

New Zealand Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry. 

By Aamir Mannan.

Akoya Pearl Processing

The exacting procedure of sorting cultured pearls is especially time-consuming with Akoya pearls. One reason is: there are so many pearls to sort through. Another is that Japanese matching requirements are generally stricter than those for other pearl types. In fact, Akoya cultured pearl producers seek nearly perfect matches among their pearls. Such high matching standards result in 90 percent of all Akoya pearls harvested to be lightly bleached and tinted after drilling. These color enhancements are intended to be permanent, and should not change over time.

New Caledonia Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 104

 New Caledonia Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry. 

By Aamir Mannan.

Generally, Akoya cultured pearls take 10 to 18 months from the time they are nucleated to the point they're ready for harvest. Akoya Pearl Harvesting Akoya cultured pearls are the most difficult and costly to grow because of the low survival rates of their host oysters. Less than 50 percent of Akoya oysters survive the nucleation process, and those that do go on to produce pearls can do so only once. Of all Akoya pearls produced, less than 5 percent are considered high quality. Nevertheless, the total number of Akoya pearls harvested every year generally exceeds other types of saltwater cultured pearls. This is why most cultured Pearl Necklaces are made of Akoya pearls.

Netherlands Antilles Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 103

Netherlands Antilles Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry. 

By Aamir Mannan.

You learned how cultured pearls are generally cultivated, harvested and processed for market. Now let's see what points of interest apply in these areas to the Akoya pearl specifically. We'll do the same with South Sea and Tahitian pearls as well. Akoya Pearl Cultivation Akoya pearls take their name from the comparatively small Akoya oyster in which they form, also known by its scientific name Pinctada fucata. Most Akoya oysters used in pearl farming are bred in hatcheries, to ensure the safety of the species. Much research has gone into breeding hearty, healthy Akoya oysters -- to produce pearls so well-known for their superior lustre and color. As with all cultured pearls, Akoya oysters are nucleated with a hard-shell bead and mantle tissue from an 

oyster that has produced a high-quality pearl in the past. But compared with the other species of saltwater cultured pearl oysters, many more Akoya oysters are nucleated.

Netherlands Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 102

 Netherlands Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry. 

By Aamir Mannan.

Here, over the past hundred years, Japanese pearl growers have refined the techniques of pearl cultivation to a high art -- to a point where some of the world's loveliest pearls are grown, in a country where attention to detail combines so well with the love of beauty. Today, some two thousand independent growers harvest pearls in the waters of Japan -- large and small cultivators alike, employing the same basic techniques to grow these lustrous gems to perfection.

Nepali Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 101

Nepali Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry. 

By Aamir Mannan.

Then, in 1905, after 12 years of painstaking work and trial-and-error, he successfully produced his first totally round pearl. What had once been a gem reserved for the upper class and nobility, would now be available for all to own and cherish. In the 1920's, when Japanese cultured pearls were first introduced into the jewelry market, they confused pearl buyers, and raised much debate as to whether or not they were "real" pearls. But soon the world realized that cultured pearls were as real as natural ones, and that nature had simply been encouraged by human ingenuity. What Kokichi Mikimoto had helped create was an industry, one so closely associated with Japan today. The sea around the southern half of Japan is the largest habitat in the world for Akoya oysters.

Nauru Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 100

 Nauru Pearls Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry. 

By Aamir Mannan.

Know your Akoya pearls

The story of Akoya pearl cultivation is a fascinating one, the result of the hard work and creativity of several important individuals. But the story of Akoya pearls is especially associated with the life of one man: Kokichi Mikimoto. In the late 1800's, Kokichi Mikimoto, a son of humble beginnings, began to experiment with pearl cultivation. Convinced he could farm pearls, Mikimoto worked for years -- usually unsuccessfully -- trying to coax pearls from oysters.

Namibian Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 99

Namibian Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

CULTURED PEARL PRODUCTS

In this essay you'll learn about Akoya.html">Akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian cultured pearls -- three kinds of pearls that together satisfy the entire range of customer desires. You'll learn about the history of each type of pearl, some details on the ways each is cultivated, harvested and processed, and the special qualities each possesses.

Myanmar Burma Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 98

Myanmar Burma Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

These are the precious treasures of pearl cultivation, the rare prizes of any jewelry collection. After harvesting, gem quality pearls must be sorted. Because no two pearls are ever exactly alike, sorting pearls is an extremely difficult and time-consuming effort performed by experts. Each pearl must be sorted by size, shape, color and lustre, so it is handled hundreds of times. After sorting, the pearls are drilled with great care and precision. An inexperienced operator can split or ruin pearls with careless handling. A hole drilled even slightly off-center can ruin a necklace or other piece of jewelry that depends upon the symmetry of its assembly of pearls. Finally, it's time for matching and stringing. This can be even more difficult than sorting, because now experts must compare pearls that are similar in size, shape, lustre and color -- looking for nearly exact matches. The art of assembling pearls into a necklace, a pair of earrings or other jewelry calls for refined skills in matching. Only highly-trained experts with years of experience can perform this task. To find 47 pearls for a perfectly matched 16-inch necklace, a pearl processor must cull through more than 10,000 pearls

Mozambique Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 97

Mozambique Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

On average, only 50 percent of nucleated oysters survive to bear pearls, and of them, only 20 percent bear pearls that are marketable. The rest are simply too imperfect, too flawed to be called jewels. And so, a perfect pearl is truly a rare event, blessed by Nature. Less than 5 percent of nucleated oysters yield pearls of such perfect shape, lustre and color as to be considered fine gem quality.

Morocco Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 96

 Morocco Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

How pearls are processed for market

Saltwater cultured pearls can never be a mass-produced, factory-like product. The whims of unpredictable Mother Nature do not allow it. Millions of oysters are nucleated every year, but only a small proportion live to produce fine-quality cultured pearls. Many oysters don't survive the nucleating process, others are weak and fall prey to disease. Heavy rains may flood the bays with fresh water, reducing their salinity, and killing the oysters. Sometimes, certain species of phytoplankton undergo explosive growth, creating the dreaded "red tide," which exhausts the oxygen in the water, and suffocates the oysters. Then there are typhoons, the attacks of predators and parasites, lack of sufficient nutrients in the water.

Montserrat Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 95

Montserrat Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

Periodically, the oysters are lifted from the sea for cleaning and health treatments. Seaweed, barnacles and other seaborne organisms that might interfere with their feeding are removed from the oysters' shells. The shells are also treated with medicinal compounds to discourage parasites. Over time, after many months of growth and care, the oysters are ready for harvest. Those that have survived the many perils of the sea are brought ashore and opened. And then, when everything has gone well, a beauty is revealed -- the result is a lovely, lustrous and very valuable cultured pearl.

Montenegro Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 94

Montenegro Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

In Japanese pearl cultivation, scientists have isolated strains of oysters that possess superior pearl-producing qualities. These selectively-bred oysters produce pearls of exceptional lustre and color clarity. In a process referred to as "nucleation," also called "grafting" or "seeding," highly skilled technicians carefully open live pearl oysters, and with surgical precision make an incision in the oyster's body. Then, they place a tiny piece of "mantle tissue" from another oyster into a relatively safe location. Then, they place a small round piece of shell, or "nucleus," beside the inserted mantle tissue. The nucleus is a mother-of-pearl bead made from an 

American freshwater mussel. The cells from the mantle tissue develop around the nucleus forming a sac, which closes and starts to secrete nacre, the crystalline substance that forms the pearl. The nucleated oysters are then returned to the sea where, in sheltered bays rich in nutrients, they feed and grow, depositing layer after layer of lustrous nacre around the nuclei implanted within them. The oysters are given the utmost care during this time, while suspended in the water, from the rafts above. Technicians check water temperatures and feeding conditions daily at various depths, moving the oysters up or down as appropriate.

Mongolian Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 93

Mongolian Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

Cultured pearls share the same properties as natural pearls. Oysters form cultured pearls in an almost identical fashion. The only difference is a person carefully implants the irritant in the oyster, rather than leaving it to chance. We then step aside and let nature create its miracle. How pearls are cultivated and harvested Early on, pearl cultivation depended entirely on wild oysters. Later you'll learn that, in some cases, the same applies today. But modern pearl cultivation has become more selective.

Moldovan Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 91

Moldovan Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

A natural pearl begins its life as a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of shell that accidentally lodges itself in an oyster's soft inner body where it cannot be expelled. To ease this irritant, the oyster's body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant in order to protect itself. This substance is called "nacre." As long as the irritant remains within its body, the oyster will continue to secrete nacre around it, layer upon layer. Over time, the irritant will be completely encased by the silky crystalline coatings. And the result, ultimately, is the lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl.

Monaco Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry 92

Monaco Pearl Fashion White Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

How something so wondrous emerges from an oyster's way of protecting itself is one of nature's loveliest surprises. For the nacre is not just a soothing substance. It is composed of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate, aligned perfectly with one another, so that light passing along the axis of one crystal is reflected and refracted by another to produce a rainbow of light and color.

Micronesian Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 90

Micronesian Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry,

 By Aamir Mannan.

A natural pearl begins its life as a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of shell that accidentally lodges itself in an oyster's soft inner body where it cannot be expelled. To ease this irritant, the oyster's body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant in order to protect itself. This substance is called "nacre." As long as the irritant remains within its body, the oyster will continue to secrete nacre around it, layer upon layer. Over time, the irritant will be completely encased by the silky crystalline coatings. And the result, ultimately, is the lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl.

Mexico Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 89

Mexico Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

How pearls Form In Oysters

The birth of a pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike gemstones or precious metals that must be mined from the earth, pearls are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty. But pearls need no such treatment to reveal their loveliness. They are born from oysters complete -- with a shimmering iridescence, lustre and soft inner glow unlike any other gem on earth.

Mayotte Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 88

Mayotte Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

During the European expansion into the New World, the discovery of pearls in Central American waters added to the wealth of Europe. Unfortunately, greed and lust for the sea-grown gems resulted in the depletion of virtually all the American pearl oyster populations by the 17th century. Until the early 1900's, natural pearls were accessible only to the rich and famous. In 1916, famed French jeweler Jacques Cartier bought his landmark store on New York's famous Fifth Avenue -- by trading two pearl necklaces for the valuable property.

But today, with the advent of pearl cultivation, pearls are available and affordable to all.

Mauritius Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 87

Mauritius Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

In ancient Rome, pearls were considered the ultimate symbol of wealth and social standing. The Greeks held the pearl in high esteem for both its unrivaled beauty and its association with love and marriage. During the Dark Ages, while fair maidens of nobility cherished delicate pearl necklaces, gallant knights often wore pearls into battle. They believed the magic of these lustrous gems would protect them from harm. The Renaissance saw the royal courts of Europe awash in pearls. Because pearls were so highly regarded, a number of European countries actually passed laws forbidding anyone but the nobility to wear them.

Mauritania Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 86

Mauritania Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

Brief History pearls

Many thousands of years ago, long before written history, human beings probably discovered the first pearl while searching the seashore for food. Throughout history, the pearl, with its warm inner glow and shimmering iridescence, has been one of the most highly prized and sought-after gems. Countless references to the pearl can be found in the religions and mythology of cultures from the earliest times. The ancient Egyptians prized pearls so much they were buried with them. Cleopatra reportedly dissolved a single pearl in a glass of wine and drank it, simply to win a wager with Mark Antony that she could consume the wealth of an entire nation in just one meal.

Martinique Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry 85

 Martinique Fashion Pearl Diamond Gold Wedding Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

Eassy on the History of Cultured pearls

In this essay you'll learn about the history of pearls, how they form in oysters, and how cultured pearls are generally cultivated, harvested and processed for market.

Cultured pearls ... their very name conjures images of lustrous jewels nestled deep in oysters far below the surface of the sea. Yet cultured pearls are more than just jewels. Since the beginning of time, pearls have been revered as one of the world's most beautiful and magical gems. Today, cultured pearls are the foundation of every woman's jewelry wardrobe. Fashionable, feminine and fresh, cultured pearls truly enhance a woman's palette of styles. Rich and adaptable, a lustrous star in the world of fine jewelry, a simple cultured pearl necklace can take a woman through every moment in her life, every outfit in her wardrobe. The possibilities are endless.