For many years, women were only used to purchasing white pearls. In recent trends, however, the fashion industry has exploded with a new trend – black pearls. Equally beautiful and impressive as classic white pearls, black pearls are luxurious and perfectly complement any type of outfit. A necklace made of these pearls makes a beautiful and classy gift: black pearls are extensively considered the ultimate gift of love and romance.
These pearls are hardly completely black and are usually a blend of dark exotic colors including shimmering emerald green, purple, sea green and brown. They are cultivated in and around a group of islands known as the Polynesian islands.
These pearls are extremely rare compared to white pearls, which explain why black pearl necklaces are normally more costly than an equivalent white pearl necklace. Only one oyster in ten thousand will naturally produce a black orphic gem. This explains why they are considered a sign of extreme luxury that always commands a high price.
A necklace made of black pearls is most commonly composed of up to sixty pearls that are carefully harvested after two to five years of growth in a black-lipped oyster. Every single pearl is graded by some main factors that when brought together, will determine the overall value. These factors include:
The Luster and Size of the Pearl
The mirror like shine of a pearl is one of its main measures of quality. The greater the degree of the luster, the higher the concentration of the pearl material (nacre), which in turn is an indication of how long the pearl has been in the growth stage.
The size of the pearls may vary from eight millimeters to fourteen millimeters. Since the black-lipped oyster is one among the largest oysters in the world, these pearls tend to be larger than the average white pearl. It is vital to remember that the pearl’s size has to be considered with other factors before determining a value.
The Shape and Surface of the Pearl
These pearls come in a number of different shapes, including pear, spherical, and occasionally, heart shaped. Depending on the pearl’s shape they are used in different jewelry applications: for instance; the non-spherical pearls are usually made into pendants. A perfectly round gem is the hardest shape for any black lipped oyster to create. This is why they are considerably more costly as compared to other shapes.
A naturally occurring pearl’s surface will evidently have some mirror imperfections on its surface. These small marks are a main feature in differentiating a true pearl from a synthetic one. Most of these small marks are invisible to the human eye.
The Pearl’s Orient and Color
The Orient of a pearl refers to the manner in which light penetrates the individual pearl and cascades around the sphere-shaped orientation on the pearl. It can only be seen when one looks beyond the reflective surface and sees the colors of the pearl beyond those that are reflected.
Pearls also have a very wide color range, beginning with a light silver finish and ending with a deep black. No single color is more valuable than the other, and the most vital factor to consider when purchasing a necklace made of these pearls is the color that most perfectly complements the individual wearer's skin tone.
In the end, the actual value of any black pearl jewelry can only be determined by the wearer. This is because it is very easy to determine the cost of the purchase but much more difficult to understand the value, which may include factors such as the sentimental value of the pearl.
