Pearls have been worn by brides for centuries and often gifted to the bride as their “something old”. Tradition says that a bride wearing pearls on her wedding day symbolises purity and brings the promise of a happy marriage.
Worn by Royal brides like the late Queen Elizabeth II, pearls are renowned for their elegancy and beauty.
There are two different types of pearl which are natural pearls and cultured pearls.
Natural pearls have grown in the wild without any human intervention. Natural pearls are created through an injury to the mantle tissue by the attack of a parasite, worm, fish or crab. The healing process of the mantle eventually creates a pearl. Natural pearls are incredibly rare and on the whole only seen in the antique market. Natural pearls often sell for high prices as they are so rare. The only way to identify a natural pearl is to x-ray them.
Cultured pearls are grown in pearl farms with human intervention. A small piece of mantle or a bead is placed into the mollusc by a skilled technician starting the process of creating a pearl. The molluscs are cared for throughout the growth of the pearl in pearl farms.
Depending on size pearls can take anywhere from 6 months to 4 years to from!
Within these categories there are different types of pearls. The ones you will see here with us at Jeremy France Jewellers are, freshwater, akoya, south sea and Tahitian. All the pearls that we sell are cultured pearls.
Cultured Freshwater pearls are grown in freshwater including lakes and ponds.
Often multiple pearls grow in one mollusc and they grown in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
As their shape can be less uniform they are less expensive than Akoya pearls.
Cultured Akoya pearls are grown in saltwater and are the most common type of pearls we see today. They are typically white or cream in colour and round. They have a high lustre and the more expensive akoya pearls have a slight pink tone in their lustre.
Cultured South Sea pearls are grown in saltwater in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The grown in larger sizes typically between 9-14mm but can be larger. They are white, silver and golden colours making them stand out from all other pearls. They are also round and have extremely high lustre.
Cultured Tahitian pearls (often referred to as Black Pearls) are grown in saltwater around the French Polynesian Islands, primarily Tahiti. They are also known as black pearls as they come in black, brown and grey colours with overtones of pink, purple and blue giving an oil slick look. They are round and come in a range of sizes
La Peregrina Pearl
One of the most famous pearls is the La Peregrina Pearl which has over 500 years of history.
Found in the 16th century in the Gulf of Panama, the La Peregrina Pearl is an impressive 50.52ct natural pearl in a tear drop shape. Once discovered it quickly became a treasured possession of Spanish royalty.It has been owned by Royals and celebrities alike ending up with icon Elizabeth Taylor in 1969. It was made into a necklet with rubies, diamond and pearls by Cartier under instruction from Elizabeth Taylor. It was sold in 2011 for over $11.8 million to an undisclosed buyer.
When it comes to bridal jewellery pearls are the most popular choice by far. Pearls have long been associated with love, purity, and commitment, making them a meaningful and symbolic choice for wedding day jewellery. Wether it be a beautiful single pearl drop necklace highlighted with a diamond or the timeless single row of pearls.
Pearl jewellery is also popular as a gift for bridesmaids from the bride. Matching bracelets, necklaces or earrings are the most beautiful keepsake from the special day.
