Barry Jay Jewelers
160 Saxer Avenue
Springfield, PA 19064
Phone: 610-338-0885
Fax: 610-338-0427
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Pearls

Pearls
Legend has it that Cleopatra dissolved a large pearl in a glass of  wine
and drank it to impress Marc Antony with her wealth and power -  a ploy that
worked all too well. Knights in the Middle Ages wore  pearls onto the
battlefield to protect themselves from harm. Queen Elizabeth  I so loved the
white gems that she had them sewn on all her clothing  and wore ropes of them
around her neck. In addition to its  fascinating beauty, the pearl occupies a
unique spot in the world of  precious gemstones. Instead of being found in a
core of rock, a pearl is  made over time by a living creature, an oyster. 
Prized by man, the pearl begins its life as an irritant to the oyster.  To
protect itself, the oyster coats an intruding object or grain of sand  with
nacre, a crystalline substance that builds up over time, resulting in  a
shimmering, iridescent creation. The culturing process developed  by man mimics
nature. Pearl farmers implant a fine bead into the  oyster where it cannot be
expelled. The oyster does the rest and creates  its lustrous masterpiece.

Types of Pearls
Akoya - This is the most familiar type of pearl sold in  necklaces. Akoyas from Japan and China are grown in pearl oysters and
are  known for their shimmering beauty and warm colors which range from  rose, cream and gold to silvery white and blue/gray. 

South Sea - Large (10mm and up) cultured pearls grown  in tropical and semi-tropical oysters in the South Seas and around
  the coast of Australia. Their color ranges from silvery white to gold;  they are quite costly due to their size and rarity. 

Tahitian Black - Large (10mm and up) cultured  pearls grown in black-lipped oysters in French Polynesia. Colors range
  from silvery gray and green to deep purple and black. Their large sizes  and unique colors command premium prices. 

Mabe - Large, hemispherical cultured pearls grown against  the inside shells of oysters rather than in the oysters' bodies.
Less  expensive than round cultured pearls due to their half-round shape, they are  most popular in earrings, rings and brooches. 

Freshwater - Pearls cultivated in mussels, not oysters,  in freshwater lakes and rivers in China, Japan and the United States.
Due to their easy cultivation, freshwaters are fairly inexpensive. Shapes  can be freeform, rice shaped, off-round or spherical and
colors range  from milky white, to peach, pink, and lavender. 

Keshi - Also known as seed pearls, these tiny pearls can be  as small as a grain of sand and form accidentally in many
cultured  pearl oysters. 

Baroque - Cultured pearls that are irregularly-shaped,  yet often lustrous and appealing. Due to their shapes,
baroque pearls  are often less costly than round, cultured pearls.

How To Buy Cultured Pearls
 
When purchasing a piece of cultured pearl jewelry, it's best to  buy pearls from a knowledgeable, professional jeweler
who can explain  how to make the most of your purchase and ensure that you are getting the best quality cultured pearls within your budget.
But always  remember that the better the quality of pearls you select, the more valued  they will be over time.
Use the following quality factors to evaluate any  piece of cultured pearl jewelry. 

Luster - A combination of surface brilliance and a deep  glow that seems to emanate from within the heart of a pearl.
The luster of  a good quality pearl should be bright, not dull, enabling you to see  your own reflection clearly on the
surface of a pearl. A pearl that appears  too white, dull or chalky indicates poor quality. 

Surface - Since cultured pearls are grown by oysters in  nature, it is rare to find a pearl whose surface is free from any type of  blemish.
Blemishes can include disfiguring spots, bumps, pits and cracks on  the surface of a pearl.
The fewer blemishes on the surface of a pearl,  the more valuable it will be. 

Shape
- It is very rare to find a perfectly round pearl,  but generally, the rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is.
Cultured  pearls also come in oval, pear and baroque shapes. 

Color - Cultured pearls come in a wide range of colors from  pink to black.
While the color of a pearl is often a matter of  personal preference, people with fair skin tend to look best in
slightly pink  or silvery white pearls, while cream and golden pearls look best on  those with darker complexions. 

Size - Cultured pearls are measured by their diameter  in millimeters.
They can be smaller than one millimeter, in the case of  seed pearls, or as large as 20 millimeters for a big South Sea pearl.
With  all other quality factors being equal, the larger the pearl, the  more valuable it will be
since it is difficult for an oyster to grow a  pearl larger than five millimeters.
The most popular size of pearls  sold around the world is about seven millimeters. 

Matching - When buying a strand of cultured  pearls, matching is very important.
All the pearls in a good quality  strand should be evenly matched in terms of luster, surface, shape, color  and size.
Well-matched pearl necklaces command top prices because  pearl growers must harvest about 10,000 oysters
in order to find enough pearls that match closely enough to make up a simple, 16-inch strand.

Selecting a Cultured Pearl Necklace 
Choose your cultured pearl necklace based on your  appearance, personality and style.
For example, short necklaces are best with  long necks; longer lengths tend to slenderize and elongate the body.
Fair-skinned women look best in rose-hued pearls, deeper skin tones are more flattered by cream or golden hues.
Let your expert jeweler customize a necklace so its proportions and color are exactly matched to yours.
Use this guide to necklace lengths and terminology:

 Choker - A necklace 14 inches to 15 inches in length that  rests on the collarbone.
Princess - An 18-inch necklace strung with either graduated  or uniform pearls.
Matinee - A slightly longer necklace, usually 20 to 24 inches  in length.
Opera - A 30- to 36-inch necklace, this length should fall to  the breastbone and can often be worn long or doubled.
Rope or sautoir - Any necklace longer than opera  length.
Ropes are often worn knotted or with a shortener for added versatility of style.
Dog collar - A multiple strand pearl necklace that fits closely around the neck.
Bib - A single necklace with multiple strands of pearls of  varying lengths that are worn nested together.
Torsade - A necklace in which several strands of pearls (usually freshwater)
are twisted together and held with a special clasp.
Graduated - A necklace with pearls of gradually increasing size with the
smallest at the back and the largest at the center.
Uniform - A necklace in which all pearls appear to be the same size,
although there is usually a slight difference between the center and end pearls.

Your Cultured Pearl Wardrobe 
Begin your pearl wardrobe with a matching pearl necklace,  earrings and bracelet.
The necklace can be lengthened to a rope or sautoir  by letting your jeweler match new pearls
to the size and color of  existing ones or it can be updated with a pendant or jeweled clasp.
Add a  ring, pin or earrings set with dramatic mabé pearls or South Sea pearls.
Or, consider a long cultured pearl strand with several invisible clasps  that allow it to be
worn in different lengths or combined with a  matching bracelet.
Go for high drama with a ring or earrings set with one  white pearl, one black.

Caring for Your Cultured Pearls 
Remember that cultured pearls are precious jewels and should  always be treated as such.
Don't toss them in a purse or jewelry box where they can  become scratched by metal or stones.
Do treat your pearls gently; keep them in a chamois bag or wrap  them in tissue when you put them away.
Don't expose pearls to acid-based hair sprays, cosmetics or  perfumes, or clean them with chemicals or abrasives.
Do wash them with mild soap and water when you take them off.  This will remove any traces of hair spray or perfume.
Always have pearls strung with a knot between each pearl to avoid abrasion and to prevent loss if the string should break.
Be sure to  bring your pearl necklace to your jeweler for restringing once a year, as cosmetics and ordinary
wear can damage or stretch the nylon threads on which the pearls are strung.

Where to Buy Cultured Pearls 
When you are buying cultured pearls or any piece of fine jewelry,  you are making an important decision.
How do you know where to buy? 
To make sure you get jewelry that you will be happy with now and  for years to come follow a simple rule:
buy from a professional  jeweler, someone you can trust.
Choose a retailer who has been serving  the community for a number of years and has an established reputation. 
Ask if the jeweler is a member of the Jewelers of America, the  national association for retail jewelers, or look for the "J" mark on the  door.
Your JA jeweler is knowledgeable and can help you select, and  match your cultured pearls and guide you,
not only through this purchase, but any fine jewelry purchase.

Visit the Online Cultured Pearl Information Center at: CPIC Online
 
Special Thanks to the Jewelers of America Web Site for their information.
 
 STORE HOURS 
SUN: Closed
MON: Closed
​TUES: 10:30 AM- 5:30PM
WED:  10:30 AM-5:30PM

THURS: 10:30AM-5:30PM
FRIDAY: 10:30AM-5:30PM
​SATURDAY:10:30AM -3;30PM  
© 2014 Barry Jay Jewelers. All rights Reserved
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Barry Jay Jewelers
160 Saxer Avenue
Springfield, PA 19064
​Please call or email us with any questions Thank you Barry Jay Jewelers.  
barry@barryjayjewelers.com



Phone: 610-338-0885
Fax: 610-338-0427
Photo used under Creative Commons from Nina Matthews Photography