Pearls are one of the great organic gemstones meaning that they were formed by processes of nature - in this case by small animals known as molluscs.
They are famous for their beautiful lustre, which is their mirror-like finish, and for their magical sheen which is known as 'Orient of Pearl'. Pearls have long been considered ideal wedding gifts as they symbolise purity and innocence and have been prized by royalty and the rich and famous for centuries.
Today, pearls are available to us all courtesy of the processes of pearl cultivation developed in the twentieth century. They will forever be a favorite gemstone choice for all forms of jewellery.
Pearl jewellery is the number one choice for brides and bridesmaids and it's traditional for a bride to honour her bridal party with a gift of pearl jewellery.
One could argue that pearls are the oldest known gem to mankind. There are records dating back to 2300 BC describing Chinese royalty receiving gifts of pearls. The Romans prized pearls so highly that Julius Caesar decreed that pearls were to be worn only by the ruling class. In India pearls have been venerated since around 1000 BC when legend states Lord Krishna gave his daughter pearls on her wedding day, starting a tradition that is going strongly today.
Natural pearls are plentiful in the Persian Gulf and have held great significance in Arab culture for centuries. Before the discovery of oil and the advent of cultured pearls, the Persian Gulf was the centre of the pearl trade. This trade made the Arab countries wealthy and to this day it's illegal to sell or import cultured pearls in Bahrain.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, known as the 'Pearl Age', Central and South America were the main sources with abundant oyster beds. During this era the ladies of the European courts loved to adorn themselves with complex pearl jewellery.
As the oysters began to dwindle in the 19th century, the race was on to start producing cultured pearls. A very eccentric and entrepreneurial Japanese gentleman named Kokichi Mikimoto is said to have created the world's first cultured pearl in 1893 by introducing an irritant into an oyster shell. This produced a pearl which is fundamentally the same as a natural pearl except that the nucleus was introduced manually by humans. 350 pearl farms sprang into existence during the 20th century, making pearls available to a vastly wider audience and the prices of pearls plummeted worldwide.
Today cultured pearls are produced in Japan, Indonesia, French Polynesia and Australia. Australia is now at the forefront of pearl cultivation technology and we proudly produce the best cultured pearls. At BUNDA we specialise in making jewellery with Australian South Sea pearls and we have much reverence for this exotic treasure from the sea.
Pearls are formed in salt water oysters and freshwater mussels. Natural pearls are formed when an irritant such as a parasite or a broken piece of shell enters the mollusc.
As a reaction to the irritant the mollusc will secrete layers of a rich protective substance known as nacre. This substance is formed of hexagonal platelets of aragonite that comprise mostly of calcium carbonate. The layers are deposited over the 'nucleus' or irritant over many years and when one dissects a natural pearl the inner layers will resemble the rings of an onion.
Cultured pearls are mostly a process performed by nature however there is some intervention from man. A bead or nucleus is inserted into the oyster in a sterile environment on board a ship with a laboratory, then the oyster is left for six months to two years to form layers of nacre on the bead nucleus.
The lustre of a pearl is the reflection of white light from the layers of nacre which seem to give the pearl an inner glow. The Orient of Pearl is the iridescence or play of lustrous colours you see when viewing a pearl from different angles which can be rainbow colours or subtle hues of pink, green or silver.
Many factors need to be considered when judging pearl quality; these include Shape, Lustre and Nacre thickness, Colour, Sheen and Surface Quality. The most sort after shape is a true, round spherical pearl. Other prized shapes are tear drops and buttons. Baroque pearls with asymmetrical shapes are popular and beloved by BUNDA as they present such unique design challenges.
Lustre is the brilliance and shine of a pearl. The greater and deeper or more mirror-like, the more expensive the pearl is. Milky dull pearls are to be avoided.
Nacre is of prime importance when selecting cultured seawater pearls. The mollusc requires time to create the layers of nacre to produce a lustrous pearl. Pearls that are allowed two to three years to cultivate, as with the Australian South Sea Pearls, will have a sufficiently thick nacre for optimal brilliance.
Colour can be subjective, however a true white pearl that luminesces like the moon is most sought after compared with a cream or off white pearl. Golden South Sea pearls from Indonesia and the Philippines are also highly prized, as are the exotic black Tahitians pearls that range from silvery greys to peacock greens. The most desired colour with the Japanese Akoya pearls is white with a distinctive pink hue.
Sheen or 'Orient of Pearl' is the lovely rainbow or pink to green iridescence displayed by top quality pearls. This lovely sheen coupled with high lustre adds to the magic of pearls.
Surface Quality is all about the skin of a pearl and whether or not it's free from pits or blemishes. At BUNDA we select the very top quality pearls with AAA lustre and grade 1 skin to ensure your pearl jewellery is of the highest calibre.
The pearl would be one of the oldest known gems to man along with coral. For centuries pearls were considered the most valuable of gemstones as only natural pearls were available and were very difficult to find without the aid of modern technology.
They have always symbolised the moon and divine feminine energy, which assists with prosperity and longevity. The ancient Hindus believed that pearls were heavenly dewdrops that fell into the ocean and were caught by shellfish.
Throughout history pearls have been considered divine gifts suitable for royalty. In Persia, crowns with double circlets of pearls were symbols of divine and royal birth. Women would offer gifts of pearls to gain the affections of the King. In Roman times, the famed ruler Julius Caesar claimed direct descent for the Gods and was crowned with a pearl diadem.
Pearls have also been used as medicine and ground pearl powder is often prescribed for various ailments. The ancient Chinese used pearl powder as an anti-inflammatory and as a relaxant. It was also used to beautify the skin. In Ayurvedic medicine, pearl powder was used as a love potion and a tonic for long life and an antidote for poison. The founder of the cultured pearl empire, Mikimoto, claimed that he owed his good health and longevity to swallowing two pearls since the age of twenty!
