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The Pearl & Diamond Jewellery Blog


About Pearls
By Website Editor October 1, 2020
10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PEARLS One of the most loved gemstones of all time, pearls are well-known, well-worn and highly sought after. All around the world people have treasured pearls for thousands of years. In the past 200 years, pearls have had an up and down ride in the fashion industry but have emerged stronger than ever. Pearls are possibly the most unique and interesting of all gemstones. Although it is not technically a stone, when it comes to history, lore, symbolism, use and uniqueness, pearls outshine all other precious stones. Let’s explore 15 interesting facts about pearls that explain why they are so special: Pearls are the only gemstone to come from a living creature. In some cases, the mussel or oyster continues living after the pearl has been extracted from it. Natural pearls are considered one of rarest jewels in the world. Less than 1 in every 10 000 wild oysters contain pearls. As the popularity of these gems continued to grow in the early part of the 20th century, the population of occurring oyster beds in the ocean’s waters became severely depleted from overfishing. Despite the rise of cultured pearls, the population of wild oysters still hasn’t completely recovered. The first-ever cultured pearl was created by Kokichi Mikimoto in Japan. In 1878, he began to experiment with the development of pearls in their own oyster beds. After nearly two decades of trial-and-error, Mikimoto succeeded and received a patent for cultured pearls in 1896. His discovery helped fulfil the global demand for pearls more sustainably and ensured that almost all women today have access to these beautiful gemstones. Mikomoto was quoted saying that his dream was to “adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls.” Before the existence of cultured pearls, divers generally had to go into deep and dangerous waters to extract pearls from oysters. It is believed that only half of the pearl divers survived their expeditions. An estimated 99% of pearls on the retail market today are cultured, largely because almost all natural pearls have already been harvested. Even at a farm where they are cared for and protected, not all of the molluscs produce a pearl and not all of the pearls produced are of high enough quality to be introduced to the jewellery market. Oysters are the most well-known pearl-producing creatures, however, only seawater pearls are produced by oysters. Mussels are responsible for freshwater pearls. Some other molluscs that produce pearls include clams, abalone and the queen conch. The most interesting thing about oysters is that they are transgender. Oysters are born male but turn into females when they’re around 3 years old. The Land for Cartier’s Flagship Store in New York was Bought with a Pearl. In the early twentieth century, a perfect pearl was considered the most valuable object in the world. In 1916, Pierre Cartier put what he believed to be the most expensive necklace in the world in his New York showroom, with two strings of 55 and 73 perfect pearls, the necklace was worth more than a million dollars (around $24 million in today's money). Thirty-one year-old Maisie Plant, the wife of a railroad magnate fell in love with the necklace. Pierre Cartier made her an extraordinary offer. He would give her the natural pearl necklace in exchange for her Italian-Renaissance inspired home on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. She agreed, and the rest is history. Cartier transformed the mansion into one of the world’s most luxurious retail experiences. Today, Cartier’s Fifth Avenue Mansion is the company’s largest store in the world. Currently, the world’s most expensive pearl is valued at $100 Million. A fisherman discovered the pearl off the coast of the Philippines inside a giant clam and hid it under his bed as a good luck charm. When his house burned down in 2016 officials discovered the pearl. The pearl was verified at 66 cm in length, 30.5cm in width and weighed nearly 34kg. In 2012, French researchers discovered what is believed to be the oldest pearl ever found. It was located in a gravesite in the United Arab Emirates and given the name of Umm al Quwain to represent the region of the country it was found in. Scientists used carbon dating to determine that the pearl was over 7,500 years old. Perhaps the most interesting legend of all is the one of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, attempting to impress the Roman Empire by demonstrating the wealth of Egypt. Cleopatra wanted to prove to Mark Anthony that she could host the most expensive dinner in history. Cleopatra was known to have owned two of the world’s largest pearls at the time which she wore as earrings . She instructed her servants to bring her potent vinegar and then dropped one of the pearls into the vinegar, dissolving it. She continued to drink what can be dubbed as the world’s most expensive cocktail. Some of the world’s most influential women in recent history also had great appreciation for pearls. First Ladies Michelle Obama and Jackie Kennedy both regularly adorned themselves with expensive pearl jewellery. The Queen Mother and Princess Diana were also known to be great fans of pearls. Coco Chanel, a pioneer in the fashion industry, can be praised for making pearls popular as everyday jewellery. There are four main types of pearls: Freshwater pearls: mainly grown in rivers and lakes across China. They are the most widely available pearls and represent 95% of all pearls and are thus the most affordable. Japanese Akoya pearls: a variety of seawater pearls that are arguably best-known in the world. They are produced in Japanese and Chinese waters and feature spherical shapes with a beautiful lustre . Tahitians pearls: another type of seawater pearls cultivated in the islands of French Polynesia. These pearls come in exotic colours like deep shades of grey, blue, green, black and purple. South Sea pearls are the largest of all pearls and feature white, cream, and golden hues. They can be found in the waters of Australia and the Philippines. They are also the rarest of all nacreous pearl types and the most expensive. Even though they too are cultured, the oyster only thrives under certain conditions, which means that production is limited. It takes at least 6 months for a pearl to form. Sometimes the development process can last as long as 24 months. The procedure begins when a farmer delicately implants a tiny nucleus inside the mollusc. The growth of the pearl is influenced by how long it takes to recover from the implantation. Once this process is over and the mollusc has fully recovered, the pearl begins to grow as the mollusc covers the nucleus with layers of nacre. Chinese freshwater pearls can grow up to 5mm per year while Japanese Akoya pearls only up to 0.3mm. Pearls are the official birthstone for June. The birthstone is believed to symbolise purity, clarity and loyalty. Given its symbolic meaning and captivating beauty, the pearls are an especially great gift for anyone born in this month. As you begin to dive deeper into the history and background of pearls, it becomes easier to realise exactly why they are so captivating and unique. If you want to know more about pearls, click here to read our pearl education guide.
Diamond quality facts
By Website Editor March 27, 2020
DIAMOND QUALITY FACTORS One of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that not all diamonds are created equal. In fact, every diamond is unique. Diamonds come in many sizes, shapes, colours, and with various internal characteristics. All polished diamonds are valuable. That value is based on a combination of factors. Rarity is one of those factors. Diamonds with certain qualities are more rare - and more valuable - than diamonds that lack them. Jewellery professionals use a systematic way to evaluate and discuss these factors. Otherwise, there would be no way to compare one diamond to another. And there would be no way to evaluate and discuss the qualities of an individual diamond. Diamond professionals use the grading system developed by GIA in the 1950s, which established the use of four important factors to describe and classify diamonds: Clarity, Colour, Cut, and Carat Weight. These are known as the 4Cs. When used together, they describe the quality of a finished diamond. The value of a finished diamond is based on this combination. A diamond’s value is often affected by the rarity of one or more of the 4Cs. Colourless diamonds are scarce - most diamonds have tints of yellow or brown. So a colourless diamond rates higher on the colour grading scale than a diamond that is light yellow. Value and rarity are related: In this case a colourless diamond is more rare and more valuable than one with a slight yellow color. The same relationship between rarity and value exists for clarity, cut, and carat weight. The 4Cs describe the individual qualities of a diamond, and the value of an individual diamond is based on these qualities. The terms that people use to discuss the 4Cs have become part of an international language that jewellery professionals can use to describe and evaluate individual diamonds. Today, the descriptions of each of the 4Cs are more precise than those applied to almost any other consumer product. And they have a long history. Three of them—colour, clarity, and carat weight—were the basis for the first diamond grading system established in India over 2,000 years ago.
Diamonds
By Website Editor March 27, 2020
10 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT DIAMONDS The word “Diamond” comes from the Greek word “Adamas” which means “unconquerable and indestructible. A suitable name for the hardest natural substance on earth. Diamonds are 58 times harder than the next hardest mineral on earth, corundum. This is the mineral from which other stones, such as rubies and sapphires, are formed. The hardness level of diamonds doesn’t mean that they are unbreakable. Even though the chances are really small, it is possible to break or bruise a diamond in everyday use by knocking the diamond against something hard. Diamonds can also melt, but this is done at a melting point of 3547℃ and a boiling point of 4827℃ (a bit too hot for us to try). Pencils and diamonds share a remarkable characteristic. Diamonds consist of 100% carbon. The lead of a pencil (the graphite) also consists of 100 % carbon. However, because the crystals are arranged differently, the graphite of the pencil is very soft and not comparable to the hardness of diamonds. Diamonds are literally one in a million. On average, one million units of rock need to be mined in a diamond mine for one part of diamond. Converted to carats, about 250 tons of earth is mined to produce one carat worth diamonds which is a testament to the scarcity and preciousness of the gemstone. Diamonds are timeless. The earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old and the oldest diamonds are believed to have been crystallised approximately 3.3 billion years ago. The average mined diamond is between 1 billion and 3.3 billion years old. To put this in perspective: diamonds are older than the Atlantic Ocean, which opened up when the supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart about 200 million years ago, and the dinosaurs, which died off 65 million years old. It is then appropriate to say that the diamond on your finger is literally timeless. The largest diamond was discovered in South Africa. The Cullinan diamond was discovered in 1905, in South Africa, and weighed in at an astonishing 3106 carats, or 1.33 pounds. The diamond was eventually cut into nine large diamonds and 100 smaller ones, and the three largest of these are on display in the Tower of London as part of the crown jewels. Diamond Countries The countries that are the main sources of diamonds have changed significantly over time. India was the world’s original source of diamonds in 1400s when Indian diamonds were sold in Venice and other European trade centres. India’s diamond supplies declined in 1700’s and Brazil then became the world’s leading source of diamonds, until the late 1800s when a huge diamond reserve was discovered in South Africa. Today, diamonds are mined in many parts of the world with the leading suppliers being Russia, Botswana and Australia. Diamonds form much deeper in the earth than other minerals. Most minerals including corundum (ruby and sapphire) and beryl (emerald, aquamarine and morganite) form in the earth’s crust, which is the layer upon which we all live. However, diamonds are formed much deeper in the earth, beneath the crust at depths of 150-200 kilometres in the base of old, thick continents. Some diamonds are formed even deeper than that, at the boundary between the earth’s mantle and its outer core. These diamonds are known as superdeep diamonds. Diamonds are delivered to the surface through volcanic eruptions. These eruptions produce the kimberlite and lamproite pipes that are sought after by diamond prospectors. You can say diamonds are an “accidental passenger” in these explosions (and we are grateful they came along for the ride). Diamonds carry valuable information in their mineral inclusions, which most commonly include kyanite, garnet and olivine. Diamond inclusions help researchers understand the distribution of elements in the earth’s layers, for example, or when plate tectonics started. A diamond planet? The most mind-blowing diamond theory perhaps is related to the discovery of the planet “55 Cancri e”. Discovered in 2004, the planet orbits a nearby star in the Milky Way and is believed to be composed of mostly carbon, and is one-third pure diamond (now, that’s our kind of planet). If you are interested in learning more about diamonds, their characteristics and how they are valued visit our Diamond Education Guide here .

 elegance is the only beauty that never fades 

- Audrey Hepburn -

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