Origin
Cultured pearls are formed in a pearl sac of a mollusc with the intervention of man, artificially. The modern cultured pearly industry began in the late 1800s and has since developed to produce a range of different pearl types.
NAME
The origin of the name is uncertain but is believed to derive from a combination of the Greek-Latin words “perna” (mollusc) and “sphaerula” (sphere).
APPEARANCE
Virtually all colours, often modified by additional colours called overtones, and with a pearly lustre. Some pearls also display the iridescent colour phenomenon known as “orient.”
CULTURING
Pandora uses freshwater cultured pearls in a range of jewellery designs, and are cultivated by gently inserting pieces of donor mollusc tissue into a freshwater mussel. The tissue grows to form a pearl-sac in which nacre, mother of pearl, is deposited layer upon layer until a cultured pearl is formed. Like natural pearls, tissue nucleated freshwater cultured pearls consist of nacre all the way through, as they contain no nucleus.
The Pandora cultured pearls are produced by the triangle shell mussel.
PROCESSING
Once harvested, freshwater cultured pearls, with colours other than attractive peach, pink and lavender, are routinely bleached white. When in the assortment, Pandora’s freshwater cultured pearls with colours other than white have been dyed.
DURABILITY
Freshwater cultured pearls have a hardness of only 2.5-4 on the Mohs scale. They also have variable levels of toughness influenced by ageing, dehydration and sometimes excessive bleaching during processing. This means that freshwater cultured pearls are prone to scratching and are relatively fragile. Freshwater cultured pearls are particularly susceptible to damage caused by acids, solvents and ultrasonic cleaning, and may also have a tendency to dehydrate over time under certain conditions. Some dyed pearls may fade or revert to their original colour when exposed to sunlight or strong light.
CARE
Wear freshwater cultured pearls with care. Avoid rough handling and keep away from acids and solvents. Cosmetics should be applied before pearls are worn. Do not expose them to ultrasonic cleaning or high temperatures. Avoid exposing dyed freshwater cultured pearls to strong sunlight or display lighting for extended periods of time. Following wear – particularly if worn against the skin – cultured pearls should be wiped with a very soft, clean cloth dampened in clean, lukewarm water. However, the skin’s natural oils and moisture help to prevent pearls from drying out, so wearing pearls is one of the best ways to keep them looking their best.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
The consumer must never be led to believe that he or she has purchased a naturally occurring pearl. We therefore clearly communicate that the pearl has been cultured in freshwater by adding the words ‘freshwater cultured’ to our product descriptions.
DISCLOSURE GUIDELINE
Always inform about:
what type of pearl the jewellery includes (e.g. freshwater cultured pearl) and if the pearl is treated/coloured (when applicable)
Pandora uses:
Freshwater cultured pearls
