Treat Your Wife with Pearls this Valentine’s Day

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In her article ‘Buying a Black Pearl Necklace’, author Arjan Patel explains what to look for in a pearl:

“A black pearl necklace is truly a thing of beauty, and makes a beautiful and exquisite gift, one which is widely considered the ultimate gift of love and romance.

Black pearls are rarely totally black and generally a combination of dark exotic colors including iridescent emerald green, sea green, purple and brown. They are cultivated in and around a group of islands called the Polynesian island of which Tahiti is the largest and the centre of commerce. Black pearls are considerably rarer than white pearls, which explain why a black pearl necklace is generally more expensive than an equivalent white pearl necklace. In fact only one oyster in 10,000 will naturally produce a black pearl, which is why they are considered a sign of extreme luxury, that always command a high price.

A black pearl necklace is most commonly composed of up to 60 pearls carefully harvested after 2 to 5 years of growth in a black lipped oyster. Each pearl is graded by a number of key factors which when combined will determine overall value. These factors include:

Luster - Lustre or the mirror like shine of a pearl is a key measure of quality. The greater the degree of lustre the higher the concentration of nacre (pearl material) around the pearl, which is an indication of how long the pearl has been the growth stage.

Size - the size of a black pearl can vary from 8 mm to up to 14 mm. Given the black lipped oyster is one of the largest oysters in the world, Black pearls tend to be larger than their equivalent white pearls. It is important to remember that the size of the pearl has got to be considered with the other six factors before a value can be determined.

Surface - the surface of a naturally occurring pearl will clearly have some minor imperfections on the skin. These tiny marks are a key feature in authenticating a true black pearl from a man-made synthetic. Most of these tiny birthmarks are imperceptible to the human eye can contribute towards the character of the pearl.

Color - as discussed above are a wide range of colors that Black pearls can take, starting with a light silver finish and ending with a deep black. No one color is more valuable than another, and the most important factor to consider when looking at purchasing a black pearl necklace is the color that most closely complements the skin tone of the wearer.

Orient - Orient is defined as the way in which the light penetrates the pearl and cascades around the spherical orientation of the stone. It is only seen if one looks beyond the reflective surface and observes the colors of the pearl beyond those that are reflected.

Shape - Black pearls come in a range of different shapes, including spherical, pear and sometimes heart shape. Depending on the shape of the pearl they’re often used in different types of jewelry for example the non-spherical pearls are often made into pendants. The most difficult shape for a black oyster to create is a perfectly spherical gem, which is why a perfectly spherical pearl is considerably more expensive than any of the other shapes.

Once you take all six factors together, you can determine the value of any individual black pearl. Up to 60 pearls can go into making a single black pearl necklace, which is why they can command a price in excess of $10,000.

Ultimately the true value of a black pearl necklace, can only be determined by the wearer, because it is very easy determine the cost of the purchase but much more difficult to understand value, which will consider factors such as the sentiment under which the pearls were acquired.

About the Author

They say “A picture is worth a thousand words”…take a look at a beautiful black pearl necklace and associated accessories. Go to www.squidoo.com/black-pearl-necklace


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January 09 2008 09:47 pm | Celebration and Good Habits

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