PEARL BEADS
Legend
Persian mythology called pearls “the tears of the gods”. The first written document
mentioning pearl is dated 2300 bc in Ancient China. Ancient Greeks worshipped the
beauty of the pearl and associated it with love and marriage - the pearl necklace
became the synonym for a happy marriage.
Properties
Are believed to attune the wearer to the ebb and flow of life. Calming and centering,
promoting faith, charity, truth and loyalty, Enhances personal integrity. Used
as a symbol of purity. Known as the “stone of sincerity”.
Description
These are top grade cultured pearls. Sold as temporary strung 40cm (approx) strands.
Click on the picture to see a magnified view of the pearls
AKOYA PEARLS
Akoya Pearls are cultured saltwater pearls from the oyster species Pinctada fucata
martensii, the smallest pearl producing oyster. They are generally white or cream
with overtones of rose, yellow or green and have an excellent lustre. FN03 are
the most consistently round/near round pearls, making them extremely popular for
matching, FN14 are baroque in shape and FN04 display even more baroque nature. The
overtones are very subtle and are only relevant for Jewellery Designers who are matching.
FRESHWATER PEARLS
Freshwater Pearls are less lustrous than saltwater pearls and tend to be less expensive.
They differ from other cultured pearls in that they are not bead nucleated but a
small piece of mantle tissue from another oyster is used. The result is a pearl
composed of solid nacre, making them quite durable, resisting chipping, wear and
degeneration.
These pearls are excellent quality with a high lustre. The dyed strands have extremely
even colour with no loss of lustre or iridescence.
KESHI PEARLS
“Keshi” is a Japanese term which means poppy seeds.
A Keshi pearl is a non-beaded pearl which is formed by accident when the oyster rejects
and spits out the implanted nucleus before the culturing process is complete. They
are generally small and their shapes vary widely. Due to their solid nacre composition,
they tend to have a high lustre.
BIWA PEARLS
Originally named as they were cultured in the Biwa Lake in Japan. Appropriate shaped
nucleus from natural shell material (mother of pearl) is used instead of a bead.