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As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms.
That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.
Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer.
There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution.
It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.
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Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Pearls
Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.
Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.
Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.
A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.
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As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a
highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times
however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to
a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in
display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in
farms.
That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods
used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more
than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in
lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The
unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and
lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would
sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of
air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the
divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.
Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or
the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents.
Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world.
the only pearls available to the consumer.
There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old
art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come
from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to
retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In
fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned
from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an
active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from
pollution.
It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers
around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's
been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.
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Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Pearls
Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.
Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.
Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.
A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.
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 | | More from Shaun Rein | At a recent World Media Summit in Beijing Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp., exhorted China to clamp down on copyright infringement. Murdoch is right that piracy is a huge problem in China. Pirated DVDs, fake Ralph Lauren shirts, and cracked software are everywhere. Pushing the Chinese government the way Murdoch did, however, is unlikely to cultured pearl jewelry have any meaningful effect. Most Chinese believe they should have the same access to products the developed world has even when they can't afford them. Why should the West get ahead by having better technologies, the reasoning goes. What can you do if your China operations are hit by piracy? Should you turn a blind eye and think of it as brand exposure? Should you spend money battling in Chinese courts? Here are some key thoughts to keep in mind: First, China's piracy problem is not a matter of morality. More than anything, it is a matter of poverty. Piracy was similarly rampant in Taiwan, Korea and even Japan until consumers there got wealthier and domestic forces emerged to twisted pearl necklace press those countries' governments to take action. The Chinese won't do much beyond the occasional high-profile crackdown to show it takes the issue seriously, except when there is serious domestic pressure, as there has been to root out fake medicine and milk powder, for instance. Even if the central government wants to crack down, it may not be able to make it happen politically at the local level. Municipal officials often resist directives from the top, as I wrote in "In China, Reputation Rules." DVD vendors, like other illicit business operators such as brothel owners, pay policemen to look the other way, and those policemen make only a couple of hundred bucks a month. Second, you need to change your sales and pricing strategies for products like software and DVDs. Time Warner ( TWX - news - people ) provides an example of how not to do it. It realized it needed to lower its prices, so it started selling DVDs for $3 apiece. The problem? Most pirated DVDs in China sell for less than a dollar. Even though Time Warner had lowered its prices far below American rates, the DVDs still remained uncompetitive. There was no compelling reason for consumers to blister pearl buy them. After much fanfare, Time Warner retreated from the market. What should the company have done? Perhaps it could have created a loyalty program for people who bought legitimate disks. Or it could have looked to pirate vendors themselves for direction. Savvy fake peddlers have recently increased their prices by 25% on most DVDs and doubled them on the highest-quality ones. Instead of selling them from haphazard piles on carts in the streets, they have opened Blockbuster ( BBI - news - people )-like stores, with air conditioning and wide selections. They've also started to guarantee refunds if products are of poor quality. Customers now have reasons to spend a little more, getting comfortable shopping environments and quality guarantees at competitive prices. Microsoft ( MSFT - news - people ) is making headway by changing how it sells its products. It has computer retailers advertising that only legitimate Windows is dependably secure and stable. After years, it has finally lowered prices to levels acceptable to multi-strands pearl necklace many Chinese. Buyers fork over extra cash to protect their computer purchases. Shanghai's tax bureau is requiring businesses to use legitimate Microsoft software on all computers that issue official tax receipts. Without it they can't issue the receipts. Businesses can also buy the software, and Hewlett-Packard ( HPQ - news - people ) computers, directly from the tax bureau itself and deduct the cost all at once, rather than amortizing as they would if they bought from elsewhere. By being creative in its sales channels and by touting stability and security, Microsoft is finally starting to make headway. In luxury goods the piracy situation has gotten markedly better in the past three years. By the end of next year, China will overtake the U.S. as the second-largest market, after Japan, for genuine luxury products. My firm, the China Market Research Group, conducted what we believe is the most extensive research ever on luxury consumption in China. We interviewed thousands of consumers in 15 cities to understand how they consume luxury items and view fake products. The vast majority of them told us they would buy nothing but genuine luxury products if they could afford to. Most said they already buy what real items they can and then match them with fake ones. A 24-year-old secretary in Shanghai said, "Right now I can't afford to buy all real Gucci, so I save to buy a real Gucci bag and match it with fake shoes. But I'm not fooling anyone with the fake stuff. My friends can tell. As soon as I have enough money, I'll buy only real products." Consumers value the real thing when it comes to luxury items, unlike with DVDs and software. Fakes don't bring them the status they aspire to. Therefore luxury goods companies shouldn't waste time and money suing or raiding vendors of fake goods. They should build flagship stores, penetrate third- and fourth-tier markets and launch marketing campaigns that truly connect with the Chinese to freshwater pearl jewelry create brand loyalty. Ultimately, taking a moral or legal approach, the normal American way, simply won't work. The courts will often find in your favor, but the compensatory damages will be low and may not even cover your legal costs. And you won't truly stop the problem anyway. Going halfway in changing your pricing strategies, as Time Warner did, won't help either. You have to be creative in your sales strategies, as Microsoft has been, and provide a real reason to buy legitimate goods, as Gucci has done by focusing on brand building and product quality. As Chinese consumers get wealthier and as domestic forces get hurt by piracy, the situation will get better.
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