Every Woman Needs Pearls

[scotrace]

Pardon my stepping (again!) into the boudoir...
Discussions of period jewelry are oddly scarce at the lounge.
In former days, every woman got a strand of pearls for some special occasion such as graduation, wedding, coming out, etc. It seemed that every woman had at least one strand, or several of varying lengths.

Can any of the ladies (or gentlemen) help educate me about what to look for in looking for pearls? Are vintage necklaces expensive? What makes them higher or lower quality? Are shorter or longer strands more desirable? Do any of you ladies wear pearls? Where can one find nice examples of older necklaces? Perhaps most of all, are they still considered attractive and desirable?

Thanks for any help,

Scott

 

[Flitcraft]

Great question- pearls are always classic, always in style and they seem to dress up a lady's outfit, but in an understated way- think Grace Kelly in "Rear Window".
Look for a necklace that is knotted between the individual pearls, in case the string breaks, you'll only lose one, at most.
I got a good deal on a jade necklace several years ago at a vintage clothing store on the edge of an upscale neighborhood- apparently the beads were pretty old and the workmanship was very good. I also scored a great dinner jacket, so I was ready to take my girl out and impress her with a necklace.
I would at least check the vintage places and see if you get lucky.
Real pearls are generally very low lustre, so look for that quality first.
Good luck- pearls are always a good choice for a gift to that special lady!

 

[CherryRed]

I used to work for a jeweler. Everything that was said are good things to look for. Also keep in mind if you find an older necklace it it happens to not be knotted between the pearls you can always take it to a jeweler and have it restrung. And speaking of restinging it is important to keep in mind that a necklace that has been restrung will be shorter when it comes back, since the original had streched.
As far as styles go, graduated pearls were more common in the past then they are now, so that would give you a real classic look. I love the look of a graduated pearl necklace. Very femenine.
Hope this helps.

 

[Lauren]

Hi!
I absolutely love pearls. They are absolutely my preference in a jewelry store. Although I can't say much on quality or what to look for, I did inherit my grandmothers pearls, which look very similar to the pearls my father gave me for christmas in a lovely pink tone. From what I have seen it seems that back them white or ivory were admired, while today it seems we have many more colors that are popular (like black and pink pearls). And they have been consistent throughout history as a necklace of choice. In the Renaissance they had them long and draped around their neck and over pendants on their bodice, in the Regency they were worn, in the Victorian era they made chokers out of them, in the Edwardian era they became long strands that lasted through the 20's and it seems in the 30's, 40's, and 50's we got the pretty much standard strand of peals we have today, though from portraits, it looks like it had it's fair share in history as well. It's an overall classic and classy look.

 

[scotrace]

twisted

I like the long strands that are twisted and looped to form several layers.
There is a Big Birthday on the horizon, and this may be a good time to get some pearls for the occasion.

What is meant by "graduated?"

I knew the foolks here would know this stuff.

 

[scotrace]

Cultured

One more.

Are "Cultured" pearls a bad thing?

 

[MissQueenie]

"Graduated" simply means that the pearls start out smaller in the back, by the clasp, and gradually increase in size towards the front/center of the strand.

As for length, being petite I prefer a collar-length necklace with smaller, ungraduated pearls; just grazing the collar-bone. I think it's elegant enough for evening wear, while still remaining "wearable" for daytime. Versatility is key! I would much rather have one fine, small strand that I could pretty much wear any time, than a fabulously long and extremely elegant strand that would look ridiculous at the office. Just my own preference, though!

Pearls are a perfect, perfect present. The LBD of jewelry.

~ Queenie.

 

[CherryRed]

"Graduated" simply means that the pearls start out smaller in the back, by the clasp, and gradually increase in size towards the front/center of the strand.

Thank you for defining that. I guess I should have been more specific in what it meant. I agree with you on the small pearls. I like them best too.

 

[scotrace]

Great point

I can see where a longer strand might be too formal to see many outings. It's far better that they be versatile. So maybe an 18" or 24" strand of smaller pearls? My wife's neck is long and thin, perfect to show them off. Great jawline, high cheekbones. Looks like Jessica Lang.
But I am biased.

 

[MissQueenie]

I'd definitely ask CherryRed about this one, but as a consumer (rather than as a professional!), I think cultured pearls are just fine! As I understand it, and Red, correct me if I'm wrong, cultured pearls are still naturally made by oysters, but they are oysters that are raised on "farms" and "fed" a grain of sand or whatnot to get them going on producing the pearls. They most commonly come from Asia (Japan is a big producer) and some of the good things about cultured pearls are that they are MUCH less expensive for high quality strands, the process is more controlled which results in a more "perfect" pearl, and the industry is regulated so that natural oyster populations are not being dessimated.

Natural pearls have more mystique, of course, but I personally don't think it's worth the price tag.

~ Queenie.

 

[JiveAngel]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE pearls. I have many strands, real and fake, big and small, long and shorts, solid strings of pearls, pearls with gold chain between, pearls on filament.... I wear pearls almost daily.

Almost all pearls in jewelry stores today are "cultured". Cultured just means someone deliberately put the irritant there which the oyster coated with nacre.

I would stick the 18" (or shorter). If this is to be her first string of really nice pearls you want them to very versatile. A length that is long enough to hang out over the collar of a sweater, but short enough to show up in the neckline of an open blouse.

I would also recommend looking for a shortener to go with them. A shortener can make a longer string in to choker length. I have one that is sort of a fancy gold safety pin with pearls on it. I can hook it in the back to make a smooth choker length in the front. The resulting loop in the back is perfectly attractive is if shows. I wore the pearls I inherited from my grandmother this way on my wedding day with my hair up. The loop actually added interest to the back view. I have also worn the shortener in the front to make decorative loop to add interest with an off the shoulder dress.

Second choice would be a long, long strand. Nice to wear long and tied, Flapper-style, and long enough to wrap three times into triple strand falling between 18-24".

I also used to work for a jeweler. A good jeweler should be able and willing to teach you things about pearls. If they aren't, go someplace else. If you are buying vintage, be very careful. Check all the pearls to make sure their finish if even. Perfume, hairspray and such eat into the outer layer of a pearl and make them loose their luster over time. For that reason, regardless of what kind of pearls you buy your wife, reminder her to always put them on LAST when she gets dressed.

 

[LaMedicine]

One more.

Are "Cultured" pearls a bad thing?

Actually, most pearls in circulation now are cultured. You don't often come by natural pearls, unless they are single, such as with pendants and rings. It is much harder to come by necklaces, because it's hard to collect enough pearls that match in color/texture/size for a strand. As a result, very expensive.
Be careful not to pick fake pearls, which look at a glance like real ones, only they are balls sprayed on with powdered pearl.

Pearls are weak to chemicals and sweat, so every time it's worn, it should be wiped with a soft cloth before putting away. Their surface is softer than many precious stone such as rubies, sappires, and diamonds, so you have to take care when pearls and such stones are combined into one jewelry.
Also, pearls as jewelry are considered "day" wear, unless combined with other precious stones, in which case they are acceptable as formal evening jewelry.

Pearl is my birthstone (June).
I have a long strand of pink pearls, which I intend to divide into two strands and give one each to my daughters when they marry, and I also have a choker of "gold" pearls.
Bracelts, rings and earings to match for both. I collected them over many years, one at a time, making sure that each new addition matched the ones I already had. It's one thing to receive something as a gift from DH, but, since I have my own income, it's another kind of pleasure, collecting them for myself with the thought of passing them on to my girls in the future.

 

[Angelicious]

What everyone else said, plus some.

Some notes on the ways pearls are sold/labelled:

Saltwater pearls
Some times sold as "Tahitian" or other placename. The real thing. Very expensive but high quality. As LaMedicine said, they usually only come one at a time, and it is hard to get enough similar pearls to make more than earrings, or an (extremely expensive) bracelet at most.

Freshwater pearls
Come from mussels, which produce them faster and in far greater numbers than saltwater molluscs (sometimes 40-50 in a shell!). Generally smaller than SW (often rice-sized to abt 5 mm), but still natural and very pretty. Moderately priced.

Cultured pearls
As people said, the same as natural pearls except the irritant (mollusc particls: either shell, flesh, or both) is artificially injected into the mollusc (the best come from oysters but I hear mussels are used), who then does his/her/its thing. Note: feel free to ask the vendor how old the pearls are. The longer a pearl is left in the mollusc, the thicker the coating of nacre (creating a prettier and longer-lasting pearl). Unscrupulous vendors will often leave the pearl for only 6-12 months; a reputable vendor will age a pearl for a minimum of 2 or even 5 years. Generally, the older the pearl, the better the quality.

Cultura pearls
Note the difference between Cultured and Cultura!!! Cultura pearls are not really pearls at all! They are glass beads sprayed with a liquid (often imitation) nacre which is left to harden. Cultura pearls are much, much cheaper than cultured pearls, and almost as pretty, but the thin coating of nacre will soon lose its lustre or even chip. I like to wear cultura as casual jewelry or when making costumes. My 3-year old wears cultura pearls for re-enactment events! They're very useful, but not what you would buy as an heirloom gift for someone special.

Glass pearls
Glass beads (solid or hollow) painted with pearlised paint. Worthless-but-pretty costume jewelry, without the lustre of of real pearls (or even cultura). Most easily-available pearl vintage costume jewelry is made of glass.


About colour
The colour of a (natural) pearl comes from the type of oyster it is grown in. From the middle ages, pearls were usually cream, white, or ivory. As people explored more of the world and found greater varieties of mollusc, tinges of pink, peach, gold, etc. were found. The rare black (blue/grey/green/purplish) and blue (similar looking) pearls are natural, with the only difference between the two being in the way they are made. The virulent shades of green, red, blue, electric bronze, etc. on offer now will usually come from dye.


About shape
The most common shape for vintage pearls is round. Also available is:
Semi-round: Half-pearls, slightly flattened, ovals, etc.
Baroque: Irregularly shaped, "natural" looking pearls. Often large and/or bumpy.
Semi-Baroque: Not round, for example, pear, drop, egg, and button shapes.
Also
Rice: Small & ovaloid, like a grain of rice.
Seed: Tiny & round.


About measurement
Size (millimetres) is one unit of measure for pearls. Natural pearls are measured by the grain; one grain equals 0.05 grams or ?Ǭº carat.


I hope that helped! I custom-make Rosaries and Paternosters (both modern and historic), so I've been researching pearls and other semi-precious gems lately.
.

 

[Angelicious]

I like the long strands that are twisted and looped to form several layers.

That's called a "torsade". It's a popular way to wear the smaller freshwater pearls, and they appear to be quite fashionable again, albeit often in the huge, heavy, jungle-priestess ropes of the 1970s/80s style. I imagine it would be easy to find one of the smaller, classier pieces though.

 

[rubyredlocks]

As a gift,I don't think you can go wrong with pearls.They're a classic.I have yet to invest in a real strand for myself but did buy a set and matching earrings for my mother as a x-mas present.She didn't realize they were real and now she's afraid to wear them.

 

[scotrace]

THANKS!

Wow, Angelicious, you've helped a lot!
And everyone else too... it's settled. Pearls for the birthday!

 

[LaMedicine]

Check Mikimoto US's web site. Mikmoto is THE most prestigious pearl producer/vendor in Japan, whose founder perfected the technique for culturing pearls. The site has comprehensive information on cultured pearls that would be of help to you when choosing.
http://www.mikimotoamerica.com/

 

[MissQueenie]

What a lucky lady!

 

[LaMedicine]

Some added thought

Jiveangel mentioned a shortner.
With my pearls, I have matching clasps for my necklace and bracelets. That way, I can clasp the bracelet to the necklace and give it added length. An 18" strand and 8" bracelet will then become a 26" long necklace. Or, wrap it into a triple strand around the wrist and it will make a gorgeous bracelet.
So, a short strand for the birthday, and a matching bracelet for Christmas?

 

[CherryRed]

Check Mikimoto US's web site. Mikmoto is THE most prestigious pearl producer/vendor in Japan, whose founder perfected the technique for culturing pearls. The site has comprehensive information on cultured pearls that would be of help to you when choosing.
http://www.mikimotoamerica.com/

I was just going to mention Mikimoto.
Also in case it wasn't mentioned the old trick about testing pearls in your mouth is true. You don't actually have to bit them but just rub them gently against your teeth. They will feel abrasive where a fake will feel smooth. A good trick for fleamarket shopping.

Sorry if this was already mentioned, I read over everything pretty quickly.

Angel in referance to pearl being your birthstone, did you know that the original June bs is Alexandrite? It is a rare stone so something more common was put in it's place. I think December has a couple also, blue zircon and turquoise.