Pearls: a world full of charm and elegance
15-07-2024If Torre del Greco is the undisputed capital of coral and cameo processing, it is equally true that Torrese companies in their relations with foreign countries have always tried to take advantage of the opportunity to expand the range of products marketed and this is the case of pearls.
There are many types of pearls in the world, which differ and are identified above all by their place of cultivation. Pearls can be divided into 3 macro-categories:
- Freshwater pearls
- Akoya Japanese cultured pearls
- South Sea pearls
Freshwater pearls
When we talk about freshwater pearls, also called "freshwater pearls", we are talking about pearls cultured and harvested in China. We talk about fresh water precisely because the crops do not take place in the sea, like the other 2 types, but take place in fresh water.
Given that all types of pearls are cultivated, that is, they are not born spontaneously, but the production process is started through the grafting of various elements inside the pearl oyster.
In China, the same process is followed for the production of freshwater pearls. Only the gestation time of the pearls inside the oyster and their conformation vary. Usually the dimensions can vary: if we talk about spherical pearls, they start from 3 mm up to 12 mm.
Of course, there are more sophisticated crops that can also reach other size ranges. But pearls, as you can see from our catalog, are not all spherical. For example, in the case of freshwater pearls, we have pearls such as those scaramazze (or baroque), whose size also increases thanks to the pear shape.
They can also be had in pairs to make earrings or strung as necklaces. Of the three types, freshwater pearls are the cheapest. Today this type of cultivation has made great strides and, compared to the past, the sphericity and beauty of the surface have reached very high standards.
Akoya pearls, cultured Japanese
As the name suggests, akoya pearls are grown in the seas of Japan. For this reason they are not freshwater pearls but saltwater pearls. The process of grafting the core is almost the same, although the material is different. Due to the conformation of the pearl oyster, this type of pearl has dimensions ranging from 3 mm to 10 mm. Already this last dimension becomes a rare and difficult thing to find.
To the untrained eye, the surface of Akoya pearls might look the same as that of freshwater pearls, but in reality it has different characteristics. They are more valuable than the previous ones and are appreciated by a more refined audience. Prices are also radically higher on average than freshwater pearls.
Pearls of the South Seas
South Sea pearls are more expensive and encompass some cultivation and harvesting sites in different South Sea locations that characterize their color and appearance. Also known as the "South Sea", the most famous South Sea pearls are the "Australian Pearls".
Australian beads range in size from 9 mm to 20 mm. Although these are the most well-known and common sizes, there are crops that can even grow to larger sizes. They are cultivated in the sea, therefore also saltwater, but unlike the previous pearls, they grow in pearl oysters of larger size, such as to allow them to reach the diameters described. South Sea pearls have a surface with some imperfections: pearls with fewer imperfections are the most expensive.
Among the South Sea pearls there are also Gold pearls, which are also born in Australia, but from a different oyster, and Tahitian pearls, whose color varies from a shade of light gray to a darker one, passing through peaks of brown. In this case we are talking about pearls cultured and harvested in Polynesia, but using different oysters for their development.
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