Cultured Pearl
Pearls have been a jewelry staple for centuries. In fact, they were one of the first natural gems ever to be discovered. Their simplicity and classic beauty has led to their consistent popularity throughout the years. Pearls themselves form naturally inside of oysters. In the beginning of the 1900′s a way was discovered by which pearls, specifically akoya pearls, could be predictably harvested. Over time, cultured akoya pearls became known for their superior beauty and luster.
All pearls whether cultured or occurring naturally, form in the exact same way within an oyster. A small grain of sand or small parasite, when introduced within the shell of an oyster, will cause a small cyst to form. The oyster then responds by secreting a substance know as nacre that builds up slowly within the cyst. This milky white substance is extremely hard and comprises the actual pearl itself.
Before pearl farming began, pearls were discovered merely by chance. In the 1900′s however, a gentleman by the name of Kokichi Mikimoto changed all that. Mr. Mikimoto created a method of pearl culturing which predictably forced the creation of a pearl within the actual oyster itself.
It took Mr. Mikimoto many years, but he finally perfected a technique for creating a perfectly round pearl. A live oyster would be carefully opened and a small round piece of shell would be placed within the body of the oyster itself. Once this nucleation process was completed, the oyster would then be placed back in the sea for a period of time while the pearl formed.
As the culturing process continued to be perfected, it was discovered that a specific species of oyster know as the akoya oyster produced the best quality cultured pearls. The akoya oyster is found naturally near the southern coast of Japan. Pearl farmers now raise these oysters in hatcheries so that all of the aspects of their growth and habitat can be carefully monitored.
It takes about 10 to 18 months for a cultured pearl to fully form within an oyster. The culturing process itself however is not always successful. Oysters can be very fragile creatures. Many times, the oyster does not even survive the process of nucleation. However, once successful, the end result can be well worth the wait.
Akoya pearls are believed to have the highest luster and quality of all cultured pearls. Cooler ocean temperatures off the coast of Japan where these oysters are primarily found are often 10 to 15 degrees cooler than other locations where pearls are farmed and cultured. It is thought that these cooler temperatures cause the oyster to secrete the nacre coating more slowly which forms a harder more compact pearl. The compact structure allows more light to reflect off its surface resulting in a more beautiful and lustrous finish.
Only 1 percent of pearls sold today are found naturally occurring in the wild. The other 99 percent sold are cultured varieties. When presented with a beautiful, quality cultured pearl, it is easy to see why these gems have become so popular.
Get inside info on the beauty and history of Akoya Pearls now in our online overview of exquisite akoya pearl necklaces and much more.
Know anything about Heller Cultured Pearls?
I have a necklace that was passed down to me with a large amount of fairly big pearls on them…I’m pretty sure they are real, they ARE very old (maybe from the 40′s/50′s) and they even come with Registry Certificate, on it is the Registry Number and it even states that, “Every Heller cultured pearl is a gem of unusual beauty and is guarenteed “Grown in the Living Oyster.”
Basically my questions are, does anyone know anything about this ‘Heller’ company? And if these pearls are real, how much might they be worth if I found the right person to buy them?(They are in absolutley perfect condition.)
Thanks.
The market of pearls is already monopolized, mikimoto or akoya certified pearls for jewelry are the only kind of pearls that are very expensive. South sea pearls and Tahitians for sole pearls.
Cultured pearls are more expensive than conch shell or fresh water pearls but for not much.
If you go to ebay and search for cultured pearls you will find hundreds of necklaces for almost nothing! most of them have a certificate.
Japanese Akoya Cultured Pearls 2
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9-10mm Orange Freshwater Cultured Pearl Beaded Necklace $6.99 |
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8mm Cultured Freshwater Pearl Bracelet Black/Silver (PEB01) $10.50 |
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8mm Cultured Freshwater Pearl Bracelet Black/Silver (PEB01) $10.50 |
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5 Strand Grade A White Freshwater Cultured Pearl B11511 $22.99 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $18.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $21.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $24.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $27.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $30.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $33.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $36.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $18.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $21.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $24.00 |
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free ship long AA 8-9mm black white pink cultured akoya oval pearl Necklace $27.00 |
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Tahitian Black Pearls in Oyster Shell – 24W x 24H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
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Signature Traditional Light Bars with Surface Mount Finish: Cultured Pearl Blue, Size: 47 $587.95 LT47″SPRLBL Finish: Cultured Pearl Blue, Size: 47″ Features: -Traditional light bar.-Backplates and hardware in polished brass, polished chrome or satin nickel.-Surfaced mount.-Lights are mounted to wall and extend 4.37” from the wall.-No cut out or rough wall opening needed.-Needs a total of 9” in height clearance as arched arms extend above most frame styles on top.-Care: Clean with mild soap … |
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Signature Traditional Light Bars with Recessed Mount Finish: Cultured Pearl Blue, Size: 31 $364.37 LT31″RPRLBL Finish: Cultured Pearl Blue, Size: 31″ Shown in 24″ Majestic Gold with Polished Brass Hardware Features: -Traditional light bar.-Backplates and hardware in polished brass, polished chrome or satin nickel.-Recessed mount.-Recessed lights do not go into wall; they mount flush to the wall.-No cut out or rough wall opening needed.-Needs a total of 9” in height clearance as arched arms ext… |
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New Beautiful Genuine Freshwater Cultured Natural 8 mm pearl drop earrings YSRD012 $7.99 1.Pearl Type : Freshwater Cultured Pearl 2.Pearl Treatment : Natural, not enhanced 3.Pearl Color : Same as the picture 4.Pearl Size : 8 mm 5.Pearl Shape : Near-round 6.Pearl Luster : Good 7.Pearl Blemish : 90% – 95% Free 8.Pearl Nacre : Thick 9.Metal Type : Freshwater cultured Pearl + 925 Sterling Silver plated Cupronickel 10.Origin : China Package included: |
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New Beautiful Genuine Freshwater Cultured Natural 8 mm pearl drop earrings C $7.99 1.Pearl Type : Freshwater Cultured Pearl 2.Pearl Treatment : Natural, not enhanced 3.Pearl Color : Same as the picture 4.Pearl Size : 8 mm 5.Pearl Shape : Near-round 6.Pearl Luster : Good 7.Pearl Blemish : 90% – 95% Free 8.Pearl Nacre : Thick 9.Metal Type : Freshwater cultured Pearl + 925 Sterling Silver plated Cupronickel 10.Origin : China Package included: |
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New Beautiful Genuine Freshwater Cultured Natural 8 mm pearl stud earrings clip on L $7.99 1.Pearl Type : Freshwater Cultured Pearl 2.Pearl Treatment : Natural, not enhanced 3.Pearl Color : Same as the picture 4.Pearl Size : 8 mm 5.Pearl Shape : Near-round 6.Pearl Luster : Good 7.Pearl Blemish : 90% – 95% Free 8.Pearl Nacre : Thick 9.Metal Type : Freshwater cultured Pearl + 925 Sterling Silver plated Cupronickel 10.Origin : China Package included: |
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Grandma’s Pearls Of Wisdom Heirloom Porcelain Music Box: Gift For Granddaughter by The Bradford Exchange $49.99 A grandmother’s wisdom and love for her granddaughter are more precious than any jewel. Now, you can uniquely share the benefits of your life lessons and show her how much she means to you with this beautiful Grandma’s Pearls of Wisdom Heirloom Porcelain® music box for granddaughter. This elegant musical ginger jar holds a whole year of messages from you, tucked inside a classic keepsake design y… |
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New Beautiful Genuine Freshwater Cultured Natural 7 mm pearl stud earrings RD015 $7.99 1.Pearl Type : Freshwater Cultured Pearl 2.Pearl Treatment : Natural, not enhanced 3.Pearl Color : Same as the picture 4.Pearl Size : Pearl: 7 mm 5.Pearl Shape : Near-round 6.Pearl Luster : Good 7.Pearl Blemish : 90% – 95% Free 8.Pearl Nacre : Thick 9.Metal Type : Freshwater cultured Pearl + 925 Sterling Silver plated Cupronickel 10.Origin : China Package included: |
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New Beautiful Genuine Freshwater Cultured Natural 8 mm pearl stud earrings YSRD005 $7.99 1.Pearl Type : Freshwater Cultured Pearl 2.Pearl Treatment : Natural, not enhanced 3.Pearl Color : Same as the picture 4.Pearl Size : 8 mm 5.Pearl Shape : Near-round 6.Pearl Luster : Good 7.Pearl Blemish : 90% – 95% Free 8.Pearl Nacre : Thick 9.Metal Type : Freshwater cultured Pearl + 925 Sterling Silver plated Cupronickel 10.Origin : China Package included: |
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Pearls Of A Decade – The Best Of Cultured Pearls $9.99 … |
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