Toshali Sands

The Pearl is one of nature’s many miracles. While other gemstones are minerals produced from the earth, the pearl is a mineral created from life itself, a marine jewel.

One of five precious jewels in the word the other four being the sapphire, the ruby, the diamond and the emerald - the peal is the oldest of all gems and has been used as an abornment for about 6000 years. Its luster and lucidity of clouser has not only made it a symbol of purity but also one of the most sought after jewels.

Pearls are one of nature’s many miracles. Formed as a reaction to the intrusion of a foreign body - by oyste-type, shelled sea mollusks, some fresh water mussels and in some rare cases by snails -pearls do not require any sort of processing : displaying their full lustre in their natural state.

Ranging from the size of a pin-head to that of a pigenon’s eggs, pearls can be acquired in many colours (pale pink, white, pale, yellow, gray, cream), sizes and shapes. The largest pearl ever-found weight 1800 grammes and is housed in the south Kensington Geological museum in London. The pope Pearl, owned by the banker, Henry Pope, is another pearl that is considered amongst the largest in the world. This ultra-giant, drop-shaped pearl weight 450 kartas (90 grammes) and is 50.8 millimeters long.

Buying Pearls
Pearls are valued according to their shape, colour, size and lustre. The most valuable pearl is the one that is spherical in shape. The best of quality pearls (rose and creamy white) come from the Persian Gulf, which was fished for pearls since time times of yore. Because of this all natural water pearls, wherever they come from are called ‘Orientation pearls’, in the trade. Small pearls, called seed pearls, are found in the waters between Indian and Sri Lanka and off the coasts of Central America and North Australia. Apart from seed pearls, pearls can be barrel or button-shaped-the latter being half-shperical pearls or those flattened on one side.

Among the more sought after pearl and among the most expensive are the one from Basra. Sadly these are a thing of the past. No pearls are to be found in Basra today and any that are available in the market come from old stocks.

In India the city of Hyderabad has always been associated with pearls but India has traditionally never been a pearl producing region! However, it must be stressed that contrary to popular nation. India’ main pearl centre not Hyderabad but Mumbai. The country meets it demand for pearls with imports from Hong Kong, Japan and China. Natural pearls are imported from Japan and are priced at Rs. 50 Rs. 5000 per gram. Cultured pearls, for which there is a huge demand, are produced in great abundance by China and Japan through their advanced pearl farming technology. Today, cultured pearls amount to 90 per cent of the total pearl trade. The most expensive cultured pearl coats Rs. 1,000 per gram in India.

A reliable method of differentiating between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl is to examine each pearl’s inner structure. A natural pearl has a concentrically layered configuration whereas the inner structure of the cultured pearl varies according to the type of the bead.

As in the case with all valuable gems there are a large number imitations available. Among these one has to include the Australian blister pearl.

Handy Tips
* Pink pearls followed by white and yellow are superior to blue, grey and cream ones.
* It is better to check the colour and lustre of pearls in natural light before buying them.
* Pearls are bet bought if they are large in size, round in shape, deep and mellow in lustre and pure and even in colour
* Do not store pearls in an airtight environment as they need top breathe. Not even in safe deposit boxes.
* Pearls are best kept I a separate pouch to so that they don’t get scratched.
* Exposure to perspiration dims the lustre of pearls, so wipe them with a soft, dry cloth after every use. Never use jewellery cleaner on your pearls.
* It is better to string your pearls on a nylon or silken thread, as gold tends to wear them out.