Pearls have been a source of fascination for centuries. They are considered to be the most feminine of all gems and are the only created by a living organism. Pearls are formed and grow inside the shells. There are natural and cultivated pearls, and those cultivated may origin from saltwater or freshwater. Natural pearls are very rare and their price is very high. Pearls cultivated in saltwater are very similar to the natural pearls. Cultivated pearls are made with a little help from humans, wherein a human being, instead of the nature, places a “mother of pearl” into oyster shells. In time, the shells form the pearls whose characteristics are absolutely identical to those of the natural pearls. There are various types of the cultivated pearls: - Australian pearls are the rarest and most beautiful cultivated pearls and no other cultivated pearls are as similar to those natural as these ones. Their size ranges from 8 mm to 18 mm and their shapes differ considerably: round, baroque and flat, while the natural colours are grey, white, pink, gold and blue. - South sea pearls are split to two groups: white and black pearls. These pearls are cultivated in the seas surrounding Australia, Philippines and Indonesia. Their size ranges from 8mm to 20 mm, and they come in white to greyish blue colour and in wide variety of yellow and gold colours. - Tahitian pearls are cultivated in Tahiti and are synonyms for magnificence and perfection. They are cultivated on the South Pacific islands and lagoons and their size ranges from 7-15 mm. They come in black, silver, light and dark grey colours. - Akoya pearls are classic pearls among those cultivated. Their primary shape is round and oval and their size ranges from 2mm to 10mm. They are cultivated in Japan. Their colour ranges from pinkish-white, silvery blue to creamy shades. Apart from the saltwater pearls, there are cultured freshwater pearls as well. - Chinese freshwater pearls come in wide variety of shapes: round, oval, flat and baroque, while their colours may be white, orange and rosy violet. - The Kasumiga is a new type of pearls that come from a lake north-east of Tokyo. The shells are a combination of Japanese and Chinese freshwater shells and are implanted with round or flat seeds. These pearls come in various shades of pink colour. THE VALUE OF PEARLS The most important factors that affect the value of the cultivated pearls are as follows: lustre, colour, shape, surface and size. LUSTRE - One of the most important features of pearls is their lustre. Pearls with high lustre will shine and show reflections like a mirror, while those with poorer lustre will be milky and without shine. Lustre can be extraordinary, deep and matt. It depends on the layers and thickness of nacre the shell forms around tghe nucleus. Only strong layers of nacre may produce deep lustre. Buying pearls, always look for most evident lustre as it is visible and cannot be hidden. COLOUR - There is a wide palette of colours and shades of pearls, ranging from white, pink, silvery, gold, grey, dark green, aubergine, brown.....so that the pearl colour is the matter of a personal choice and does not affect the value of pearls. SHAPE - A pearl shape of is one of the key factors in determining the price of pearls. We are also going to list them by value: - regular round shape - near round (oval) shape -semi baroque, not round and pearl-shaped, a drop pearl shape, oval or flat. - baroque, quite irregular in shape, sometimes resembles a tooth or a mushroom. Through history, a round-shaped pearl has been considered the most valuable and popular shape of pearls. SURFACE The smaller number of holes or scratches on the pearl surface, the more valuable the pearl is. SIZE The size of a pearl depends on the size of its radius which is expressed in millimetres. The size considerably influences the pearl price. A millimetre of difference in the pearl size may raise the price by 100-200%. Remember, a pearl is not a stone and it therefore requires special care and maintenance. - keep your pearls separate from other jewellery and in soft cloths. - apply your perfumes, skin creams or other cosmetics before you put your pearls. - if you dirt your pearls with food or something else, clean them with a soft cloth dipped in clean water, then dry them with a soft cloth as well. - from time to time, make a new string of pearls to prevent a string from breaking. - take your pearls off because if always worn, they may lose their lustre and shape as pearls absorb sweat and acid from the skin.