Types of pearls
When most people think of pearls, what first comes to mind is a classic strand worn across the neck. However, pearls have evolved greatly overtime thanks to contemporary jewellery artists’ efforts challenging this view.
Perhaps one of the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—and their modern counterparts, cultured pearls—form in a wide variety of colours. The most familiar colours are white and cream (light yellowish brown). Black, grey, and silver are also relatively common, but the palette of colours extends to every hue.
Conch pearls come in many colours, ranging from coral-red to yellow, and most popularly, a soft pink. Abalone pearls are also uncommon and very much sought after. They have a brilliant, shifting blue-green and blue-violet colour.
Equally in demand are gorgeous golden pearls. These pearls are large and come in varying shades of gold, the most valuable being the deeper golden hues.
Tahitian or black pearls provide their own special dark and iridescent shimmer. When cultured, they can be found in numerous shapes, sizes, and even colours. A distinctive quality of Tahitian pearls is their ability to contain undertones and overtones, which gives them a remarkable 3D look.
Akoya pearls are the most common type used in jewellery today. The typical size of this cultured pearl is 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to 0.32 in.), and they are most commonly found in white or cream colours.
Photo courtesy Neeta Gupta
Baroque pearls have a non-symmetrical shape and are an interesting contrast from the classic round pearl as it provides a very unique look. With this artistically-molded pearl, no two pieces are ever the same.
Designing with pearls
While creating jewellery with pearls, my priority as a designer is to maintain the original look, shape, and size of the pearl. The less risk of damage I can subject it to, the better. Sometimes, I am able to use pearls without even having to pierce through them.
What sets pearl jewellery apart from other gemstones? Take diamonds, for instance. They are radiant and glamourous, but there is only so much to do with them. Pearls give me a great amount of freedom to think outside of the box when designing.
Pearls are fairly tough gems, but can be easily discoloured, scratched, or abraded by exposure to heat, light, and chemicals. They need to be handled carefully during the jewellery-making process which can increase labour costs. Thus, many imitation-pearls in the form of plastic or glass beads have become available to lure interest in price-sensitive markets.
Even for cultured pearls, treatments are commonly used to enhance their looks and salability. A bleaching process is used to lighten darker spots on the pearl, and dyeing is done to enhance or even change the colour of the pearl.
The irradiation process is gaining ground these days as it produces black, grey, or blue-grey colour in white or cream-coloured pearls. Though a trained gemmologist can often identify cultured pearls from imitations with a reasonably high-degree of certainty, positive identification for natural pearls requires advanced laboratory testing.
Regardless of a pearl’s origin, these lustrous aquatic beauties will always offer design inspiration and remain an important part of the jewellery industry.
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Being an artist all her life, Neeta Gupta’s creations are pieces of art in the form of jewellery. Originally, her interest in jewellery design led her to create for friends and family. However, when she found it frustrating to communicate her creative direction to goldsmiths, Gupta decided to learn how to make jewellery herself. After taking courses through the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), she launched her nature-inspired Neeta Gupta Jewelry Collection, which features carefully-crafted jewellery pieces with gemstones, organic outlines, and graceful textures you might find in nature. She can be reached via e-mail at info@neetagupta.ca.
