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Tracy Furlong
5th April 2010 15:59

Timeless Pearls

 

There is no doubt that the appeal of Pearls is timeless and universal. The Pearl is widely known as symbol of life, love and wisdom.

The word 'pearl' came from Roman 'pirula' which means 'tear-shaped' as it was used to describe the shape of many freshwater pearls. In addition to the pearl's value as a gemstone of incredible beauty, for centuries people believed that pearls contain special curative abilities, especially for the eyes, melancholy and depression.

Fashion-wise pearls are a classic. They make a statement and are elegant. We all know that Jacqueline Kennedy was renowned for her pearl wearing and more recently we have seen Michelle Obama wear her two strand necklace on both formal and informal occasions.

The lustre of the pearl is famous. It is well known that pearls bring light and radiance to the complexion and this is one of the main reasons that they remain so popular. Pearl Jewellery can be worn at all ages and can truly be considered an investment piece as the timeless nature of the pearl means that it will never date. Pearls are a perfect heirloom to pass down from one generation to the next.

Freshwater pearls are formed in freshwater mussels and can be natural or cultured in source. It is worth making the distinction here between Saltwater pearls that occur in oysters.

Although we use all types of pearls in our designs here at Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, we have seen a recent trend in in the demand for Freshwater Pearls, as opposed to the more traditional Saltwater Pearls. In our opinion both can be beautiful. Here are some recent pieces from our designers:

Around one hundred years ago the finest pearls originated from the Persian Gulf and South India. At this time flawless, round, natural, large white pearls were prized more than diamonds and were hugely expensive.

Rarity and high prices led to the cultured pearl industry. Historically cultured pearls were produced in Japan (where the technique for culturing pearls was discovered and refined) and the United States. However more recently the production now occurs almost exclusively in China.

Regardless of whether the pearl is freshwater or saltwater they are created in the same way. If a foreign material, enters a mussel or oyster and cannot be expelled then the mollusc coats the intruder with the same secretion it uses for shell-building, nacre and this forms to become the pearl.

This process can be stimulated artificially to culture pearls. In order to culture freshwater mussels, a pearl technician slightly open their shells, cut small slits into the tissue inside both shells, and insert small pieces of live tissue from another mussel into those slits. This is enough to start nacre production. Most cultured freshwater pearls are composed entirely of nacre, just like their natural freshwater and natural saltwater counterparts.

Cultured freshwater pearls occur in a wide range of colours and shapes. A vast array of colours area available including lavender, purple, lilac, blue, rose or grey. Whilst the range of colours is broad we have found the current trends do tend towards the more neutral shades.

Palladium and pearl engagement ring
Sapphire and pearl engagement ring
Tracy Furlong
 
Angela Godden
5th April 2010 13:43

Prasiolite

 

Ali recently talked about her birthstone Amethyst, this is also my birthstone so I thought I'd tell you a bit about an Amethyst with a twist. It's a Green Amethyst but also known as Prasiolite. We have recently added a couple of pieces to our stock, one of the pieces is shown below. It's a 7.52ct faceted chequerboard pear Prasiolite, dimensions are 15.6mm x 10.6mm.

Prasiolite

A very lovely looking stone! I personally would have it set into a chunky dress ring or a pendant.

Here's a little bit about Prasiolite's background. Although it can be mistaken for Green Beryl , Peridot and Tourmaline it's a green variety of quartz, and is also known as Vermarine, Green Quartz, and Lime Citrine. Quartz gemstones are often separated into two groups based on the size of their individual crystals. Green Amethyst is a macrocrystalline, this is where rocks have crystals large enough to easily be identified by sight. Rocks with crystals requiring the use of a microscopic or x-ray for identification are known as microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline. Other macrocrystalline quartz are Amethyst, Citrine and Ametrine.

The origins of this stone are mainly found in Brazil, however has been found in Poland and Canada. On the MOHs' it has a hardness of 7. Its name derived from the Greek words 'prason', which means leek (due to its colour similarities with the vegetable) and 'lithos', meaning stone. With the shades of green ranging from pastel to deep forest green, prasiolite is a tough gemstone which is said to encourage creativity and attracts success and prosperity by strengthening the mind, emotions and will.

This is definitely a 'must have' member of the quartz family for any gemstone lover!

Angela

Angela Godden
 

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  • Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, North Barn, Fairclough Hall Farm, Halls Green, Weston, Hertfordshire, SG4 7DP, England
    Phone: +44 (0)1462 790565 Fax: +44 (0)1462 790140 enquiries@hkjewellery.co.uk
  • Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, 6/7 Green Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3JU, England.
    Phone: +44 (0)1223 461333 Fax: +44 (0)1223 365269 cambridge@hkjewellery.co.uk

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