PEARLS

Pearls have been prized for thousands of years and by many different cultures. The uniqueness of these gems has made them valued much longer than most other gemstones. Pearls are formed within a living organism (oysters or molluscs). In nature they are generally formed when a parasite enters the shell and a crystalline substance coats the parasite (the same that creates the shell interior) over time as the layers build up this forms a pearl.

It is rare to get natural pearls and even rarer to get ones that are round or spherical as many are formed in irregular shapes. Of the pearls that are the right shape they will also need to have a desirable size, colour and actually be found by humans.

It is lucky for us and many other suppliers that culturing pearls were discovered or the oysters and molluscs would be extinct by now due to over harvesting. The production of producing a cultured pearl involves inserting a foreign substance into the oyster/mollusc shell and returning it to the sea to develop a pearl. While natural pearls are worth thousands we now have cultured pearls that we can bring to everyone for them to enjoy.

We use cultured freshwater pearls in varying colours and specially select the right pearls to go with each piece. Pearls and silver work very well together and often produce a stunning effect. So if you are interested in pearl jewellery check out our collection.