Thursday 30 June 2011

Learn about some of the popular types of pearls

Pearl Bracelet: Pearls are defined to be the most feminine gemstones and considered as priced possessions for their innocent beauty and rarity. The existence of pearls dates back to more than 4000 years ago. But till today it definitely adds that elegance and sophistication to your appearance, be it any type of pearl- Natural or Cultured. Pearls are usually characterized with a round shape, though irregular shapes are not uncommon. In the present times, the finest quality of natural pearls is considered to be one of the nine gemstones. If you want to aware of the different types of pearls available in the world, both natural as well as cultured, Please read the whole article.

Natural Pearls:
Natural pearls are the types of pearls which are formed by a natural process. These are the purest amongst the different types of pearls. When any unknown particle enters the shell of a mollusk, its presence irritates the inner surface of the shell of mollusk. Thus, in order to get rid of this irritation, the mollusk produces a chemical substances, such as calcium carbonate and conchiolin, to covers this unknown particle with these chemical substances. The gradual secretion and cementing of the chemicals on the particle, results in the formation of pearl. Natural pearls can take any shape and perfect round shapes are seldom seen.

Cultured Pearls:
Cultured pearls are formed by cultivating the oysters and placing the unknown particles in the shells of mollusks. The unknown particles which are used are beads. These beads are placed in the shell and the pearl which is formed takes the shape of the bead. Cultured pearls can be differentiated from other types of pearls by X-rays. An X-ray reveals the bead which was placed before the formation of the pearl. Thus, cultured pearls are formed in a natural way, the only difference being the purposeful placement of the beads. Cultured pearls are the most common types of pearls used today.

Freshwater Pearls:
Freshwater pearls, as the name suggests, are the types of pearls which are cultivated by mollusks these are living in freshwater, like river, lakes and ponds. 20 or more than 20 pearls are formed from one freshwater mollusks which take 6 months to 2 years to completely take the form of a pearl. The irritants that are used to form freshwater pearls are small in size. These pearls are very irregular in shape and are rarely round. Freshwater pearls are more durable and are highly resistant as compared to saltwater pearls.

Saltwater Pearls:
Saltwater pearls are the types of pearl which is cultivated in mollusks, which is living in saltwater, like oceans, bays, seas and gulfs. Only one pearl per oyster is produced and it may take more than two years for the pearl to grow completely. The shape of the pearls formed from saltwater oysters are almost round and are rarely irregular. They are less durable as compared to freshwater pearls. Saltwater pearls are very expensive, as their cultivation is costlier than that of freshwater pearls.

These are some of the basic categories of the different types of pearls. Pearls can also be classified further depending upon the type of oyster and the water resource which cultivates these pearls.

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