Opal Inspirations uses many different types of pearls in our jewelry, and we'd like to give you as much information about them as we can. Pearls are considered organic gems because they are produced through biological methods.  They are included in the category of precious and semiprecious stones due to their beauty and value as personal adornments.  Pearls are a favorite component for many jewelry lovers. 

Powers of peace, love, protection and luck are associated with cultured and freshwater pearls.  They promote sincerity, truth and loyalty; enhance personal integrity, soothes and calms, yet focuses attention. 
They are more affordable than ever and are available in a wide variety of shapes and colors, and are classified based on where they were found and how they were formed.
Here are some of the main varieties:

Freshwater - Irregular-shaped pearls grown in mollusks, found in freshwater lakes and rivers.  There are many sizes and shapes that you can purchase - Rounded - flat sided, Stick Pearls, Faceted Pearls, Rondelles, Squares, Rice-shaped, Button-shaped and Potato-shaped.  They are available in a range of different natural colors, from white to peach to mauve.  The mauve variety will range from pink to deep mauve-purple.  The peach variety will range from pale peach to a more intense peach-orange color. 

Akoya - Cultured saltwater pearls, usually found around the islands of Japan.  They are considered among the finest of the world.

South Sea Keshi - Irregular-shaped pearls grown alongside cultivated pearls, composed primarily of nacre, they grow inside the mollusk.

Mabe - Pearls that have a half-sphere shape that is formed by the pearl being cultured against the inside of the oyster's shell.

South Sea or Tahitian - Large pearls that are cultured in saltwater areas and can be white, golden or black.  The black varieties are called, "Tahitian" pearls.

At one time, Japan was the world's largest producer of cultured pearls.  This all changed when a combination of water pollution, oyster viruses and overcrowded harvests destroyed numerous pearl crops.  China now manufactures the majority of freshwater pearls, and its methods have changed the pearl industry.

Pearl Quality - there are several characteristics that affect the value of pearls.  Different companies have different standards for pearl grading.  Most of the cultured freshwater pearl grading that is noted in this website is used by the mainland Chinese pearl traders.  The Chinese pearl grading standard is as follows:

A Grade - Extremely well-shaped, white, high luster, very minor surface blemishes.

B Grade - Well-shaped, white to light cream, high luster, minor surface blemishes.

C Grade - Irregular shape, off-white, medium luster (may be non-uniform), surface is irregular.

D Grade - Same as C grade but one or more of the characteristics are excessively bad (such as areas of no luster or wrinkled surfaces).

F Grade - For promotional purposes only.  Not suitable for jewelry.  Most of this grade is ground up into pearl powder and used in cosmetics.  You will not see any F Grade used in this website.

*Some pearls fall between grades and are given mixed grades (A-B grade).  Also, a pearl with A grade luster and C grade surface and may be given a compromise B grade, though this type of pearl is avoided by this website if at all possible.

Luster:  The surface shine that gives pearls their unique glow is known as its luster.  The sharper the reflection of light on a pearl's surface, the more luster it has.

Swarovski Crystal Pearls - Swarovski pearls are being mentioned here because of their quality.  These are the finest, most magnificent manufactured pearls in the world, and are manufactured by Swarovski.  They are called Crystal Pearls because they have a heart of an actual crystal bead that has been finished with layers of highly luminous pearlescence.  The result is the look of a fine south-seas pearl and we use them here in our website.  They wear longer than other manmade pearls without the finish wearing off over time.  They are available in many colors from white, lt cream rose, peach, rosaline, gold, bronze, light green, Tahitian, night blue, light and dark grey, copper to mauve; and are available in the standard sizes from 4mm to 12mm round.

Care - Pearls are very porous, so they need a little extra care than most beads.  When getting dressed, make sure you put on your makeup, hair spray, and perfume befoe you put on any pearl jewelry.  For gentle cleaning, wipe your pearl jewelry with a soft cloth or occasionally clean with mild soapy water.  Never use ammonia based cleaning solutions on them.  Store in a box lined with felt or in a soft cloth pouch.