To Know Pearls

Marketing is a science with a relative short history. It started early in the 20th century, and was first applied to consumer goods with a fast turnover. Razors (Gillette), beverages (Coca Cola) and cleaning products (P&G) were among the first consumer goods that benefited from marketing as competition intensified among generic products. Marketing became a necessity to highlight the benefits, strengths and unigueness of a particular product.

In the pearl world, marketing practice is even younger. Cultured pearls used to be anonymous — they were cultivated by producers, sold to wholesalers and redistributed to jewellers as generic gems. The need for marketing has become a pressing issue as the supply of cultured pearls of different qualities increase from various producing countries.

Following are the three main groups of cultured pearls:

1. Freshwater Pearl : Sizes vary from 2 to 10 mm with color ranging from white, pink, orange, yellow, grey and pale violet. Generally the shapes are not round but oval, rice seed or button. China is the biggest producer of freshwater pearls.

2. Akoya or Japanese Pearl :
Sizes vary from 2 to 9 mm with colors ranging from white, pale pink, yellow, gold and blue-grey. The most popular color is pinkish-white. These are saltwater pearls occurring in round, oval, pear and baroque shape.

3. South Sea Pearl :
There are two types, black pearls (also called Thailand), and white-golden south Sea pearls. Sizes vary from 9 to 18 mm with shapes including round, oval, pear, button and baroque.

* Black (Tahitian) South Sea Pearl : Black, dark grey to pale grey with overtones of green, pink or peacock colors.

* White/Golden South Sea Pearl : White south sea pearls are white and silver-white in color. Some pinkish whites are found but are rare. High quality whites come from Australia. True golden (Not yellow or cream) south sea pearls come from Indonesia.

The price of pearls is determined by factors including luster, surface perfection, color, size and shape. When shopping for pearls you would be wise to go to respected experienced dealers who can assist you with your questions and guarantee the authenticity of the pearls. Pearls can be a source of eternal pleasure and a sound investment.