Tag Archive for 'Pearls'

Birthstone Of The Month – June

Published on June 12, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Freshwater, Gemstones, Keshi, Pearls and South Sea. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Pop open an oyster and hope to find what? June’s birthstone: Pearl!

The pearl birthstone is a favourite of millions and is the only precious stone to be created by a living organism. Talk about a unique birthstone!

Origins

There are two types of pearls: Natural (non-nacreous) and Cultured (nacreous). Natural pearls happen accidentally, naturally and can occur in just about any salt or fresh-water mollusc. Coming in three basic forms, they can be shaped as whole-round pearls, blister pearls and blisters.

Nacreous pearls are formed by irritants, such as a single grain of sand that’s added by people. To create a the best and most valuable cultured pearl, the irritant should only be stimulated inside of the mollusc and nothing more, allowing nature to then take its course.

Cultured pearls come many different colours with two specific factors that determine its overall colour: Body Colour and Overtone. The Body Colour is the base of the pearl’s colouring, such as white, cream, black or gold whereas, the Overtone is considered to be the secondary colour or tint. This is the most visual colour, i.e. pink, rose, peacock or blue.

Unlike most other gemstones, pearls are extremely fragile and soft which makes a lot of room for marring and other small imperfections. Usually, the bigger a pearl is, the more imperfections it will contain which is why large, minimally marked natural pearls found in the wild are extremely rare and very seldom found for an affordable price.

In order to create a fine cultured pearl, professionals let pearled oysters sit for a minimum of two to three years. This develops what is called nacre and gives the pearl its layer of protection as well as that beautiful sheen with ridges and swoops.

Mystical Qualities

Also known as the Stone of Sincerity, pearls signify faith, charity and innocence to enhance one’s personal integrity, bring the truth to light and inhibit boisterous behaviour. Other mystical qualities derive from ancient Chinese myths that say pearls fell from the sky where dragons fought, ancient legends that state pearls are the tears of gods and ancient Greek legends that believed pearls were drops of love to be worn and prevent newlywed women from crying.

Besides its legendary qualities, pearls are believed to also hold healing powers. People who believe strongly in a pearl’s healing power, ingest them to cure bloating and biliousness along with stronger powers of increasing chance of childbirth and easing pain from giving birth.

Gift Ideas

In today’s day and time, pearls are used to symbolise June birthdays and 30th wedding anniversaries. One quality pearls did carry over from ancient legends is the purity and innocence that shows through when worn. There is something so wholesome about pearls, alone, that make it a favourite for office wear, formal occasions and most popularly, bridal jewellery.

Women are coming up with newer, more modern ways of wearing pearls by adding other precious stones, such as diamonds or coloured gemstones to make the pearl pop. Another popular way women are wearing pearl necklaces is by either layering them or wearing long strands of pearls

However you choose to gift a woman with pearls, whether it’s a fancy ring, gorgeous earrings or a magnificent necklace, you can’t ever go wrong because she’ll love them the minute she lays her eyes on her brand new pearls!

And women, don’t forget that pearls can be given to men as birthday and anniversary gifts too! While you won’t see a man with a string of pearls around his neck, men do enjoy tie clips, cufflinks and money clips accented or set by pearl. As long as it keeps a masculine look, don’t be afraid to give a valuable gift of pearl to the guy in your life!

  • Share/Bookmark

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Corporate Beholder – 3/3

Published on December 5, 2010 in Designer Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Hand-made Jewellery, Jewellery and Pearls. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

We’ve now got a pretty good picture of what it means to be attractive or unattractive in the corporate world. It can be unfair, discriminating (although not legally so because who can make a lawsuit based on the claim: He thinks I’m ugly!), biased and more – but as with any saga, there are two sides to every story.

Since the last two thirds of this segment have been about how being unattractive and/or short in stature may have an ugly effect of lower salaries or opportunities, we’ll turn it around and see how being attractive can also be misconstrued within the workplace.

It’s what’s known as the beauty premium. Just to give you a little background on how this concept was created, Dr. Daniel Hamermesh and Jeff Biddle conducted a study in 1994 which indicated that workers of above-average beauty earn more than workers with below average looks.[i] Dr. Hamermesh took this data one step further stating that the ‘beauty premium’ exists in all industries, even those where beauty would not seem to matter.[ii]

This caused an uproar because what company wants to admit that they do, in fact, make a very quiet but very biased, not to mention, shallow decision when hiring a person? And as we all know, once any controversial study is completed, another must follow to negate such discriminatory data.

The logic coin gets tossed up in the air and the question then becomes: Is the beauty premium all it’s cracked up to be?

The answer is absolutely yes…that is, initially. As with anything that sounds too good to be true, this is certainly one of those instances. While beauty gets you in the door and offered a higher salary, it’s often quite a different story after the first couple of months.

An experiment completed by Markus Mobius of the Harvard economics department and Tanya Rosenblat of Wesleyan University where pretty people were asked to perform certain tasks, they found that employers overestimated the productivity of beautiful people. The economists estimated that about 15 percent to 20 percent of the beauty premium is a result of the self-confidence effect, while oral and visual communication each contributes about 40 percent.[iii]

According to a survey done by Newsweek, looks matter in every aspect of the workplace and they matter even more for women[iv] indicating that beauty can be a double-edged sword that can either make your career come to a halt or propel it forward.

There was a recent lawsuit filed against Citigroup (you’ve probably heard about it) by a woman who stated she was fired solely because her bosses thought she was too hot.[v] Awww, she must have it so rough, right?

While chances are this particular woman is probably milking publicity for fame (please note her photo shoot to back up her horrifying experience), the honest truth is when a woman is considered beautiful in the workplace, many times she loses credibility the higher up the corporate ladder she climbs. Then comes the famous, ‘Oh, she only got there because of her looks’ snub that’s heard ‘round the entire office.

So what’s a pretty girl to do?

The answer most professionals give is simply to dress more conservatively, which is just common sense but do you want to know the real trick? It’s adding a pearl necklace!

It may sound a little strange that an oyster can spit out one little pearl that can forever change your destiny. That may sound a bit dramatic; however, this tiny little accessory can make all the difference in a female’s professional appearance. Pearls make such a strong impression in the corporate environment because they’re timeless, old-fashioned but forever trendy, sentimental pieces that for some reason or the other, keeps a woman looking credible and trustworthy. Who knows the exact reason for this? Maybe it’s just the simple fact that because our mothers wore it, their mothers wore it and their mothers did, it carries a safe and comforting feeling.

To flawlessly pull off this look in a way that’s office savvy and at the same time, fashionable, the idea is to wear one set of pearls at a time. If you’re going to wear pearl earrings, then forego the necklace and bracelet. Maybe you’re a bracelet kind of person in which case, drop the earrings and necklace – so on and so forth. If opting for the necklace, remember to keep it collarbone level to draw attention upwards!

Remember that pearls are not just an accessory; they’re a means to bring focus to the professional side of you and trust me, pearls never let a girl down!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

References:

[i] http://www.cfoinnovation.com/content/do-looks-matter-getting-promoted-ceo

[ii] http://media.www.harbus.org/media/storage/paper343/news/2008/11/17/Viewpoints/The-Beauty.Premium-3547361.shtml

[iii] http://www.thirdage.com/career-transitions/the-beauty-premium-why-good-looks-pay

[iv] http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/08/10/business-school-research-finds-beautiful-women-face-discrimination.html

[v] http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-06-01/news/is-this-woman-too-hot-to-work-in-a-bank/1/

  • Share/Bookmark

The Beauty of the Pearl; A Series Part III

Published on November 12, 2010 in Designer Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Pearls and South Sea. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

This exploration of the different available pearls has taken us through the process of the creation of a pearl and the uniqueness in the freshwater cultured pearl. Now, I will take you on a different leg of this journey to the South Sea. This is a favorite stop for me as South Sea pearls are considered to be exceptional in quality.

South Sea pearls get their name from the location of the white-lipped variety of the pinctada maxima oyster – also known as the Silver Lip Oyster – which provides the perfect canvas for the South Sea pearl. The oyster is typically found around the coast of Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines. The pearls produced within the South Sea are cultured and of the saltwater variety, generally in colours of white, silver and gold.

The pinctada maxima oyster is much larger than those that typically create Akoya and freshwater pearls, ensuring that South Sea pearls are much larger. The pinctada maxima oyster is also much more rare and sensitive, making cultivation of the pearl that much more challenging. As the pinctada maxima lives and cultivates its pearls in the wild, production can be limited. With obstacles to its creation firmly in place, the South Sea pearl is more valuable than other pearls.

In addition to its larger size, the South Sea pearl is also known to offer a smoothness and roundness that is exceptional when compared with other pearls. The almost silver color of the natural, South Sea pearl is luminous, offering a unique beauty that is truly all its own. The most extraordinary and rare of the available pearls, South Sea pearls create exquisite pieces of jewellery.

When the South Sea pearl is farmed, a mother of pearl bead is placed inside the oyster to help start the process that will result in a pearl. The pearl famers often hope the bead, the right conditions and a little bit of luck will help to contribute to the creation of a perfectly round, clean, beautiful, lustrous South Sea pearl.

The unpredictability of the process involved in the forming of the South Sea pearl dictates that not all pearls will emerge from the oyster as perfectly round or the same size. A South Sea pearl that is a perfect sphere is the ideal piece, yet the slightest environmental change can lead to changes in shape, create blemishes or ensure that no pearl is created at all.

With this potential variation in the South Sea pearl, three shapes are typically found, including round, semi-round and button. Round is ideal when the shape is perfect. It is measured with a caliper and the variation in the circumference should be less than 2 percent. A semi-round pearl gives the appearance of round, yet its measured circumference is more than 2 percent. The variation in circumference on the button pearl is roughly 20 percent, yet tall buttons can also appear to be round.

There is truly no pearl as exquisite as the South Sea pearl, but our journey has not yet ended. Next, we will explore the Keshi pearl and the interesting process that leads to its creation. See you then!

  • Share/Bookmark

Eskae Private Jeweller – Our New Apprentice!

Published on September 10, 2010 in Eskae Private Jeweller, Hand-made Jewellery and Pearls. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Firstly I would like to introduce myself to you, my name is Holly, I am 23 years old and last week I started my jeweller’s apprenticeship with Sam at Eskae Private Jeweller.

So far it has been a very exciting week and a half. I have been lucky enough to start not only making jewellery straight away but begin creating and designing my own pieces of jewellery too.

My first day began with making probably the most exciting piece – a silver gents wedding style band. This is my first ring and piece of jewellery I have ever made, which made it even more special and exciting.

I started creating the ring by rolling out a piece of silver on a machine called a ‘rolling mill’, I then used a handsaw to cut the metal to size, I then learnt a very important technique in making jewellery – ‘soldering’. This is where you are able to join two or more pieces of metal together, in this case the ends of metal are soldered together to form one flowing circle. After soldering, I was shown how to file the metal to make it even and smooth. Lastly I put a bevelled edge on each side of the ring, which gives the ring interest and definition. All I need to do now to finish the piece is to polish it so that it comes up nice and shiny.

One of the other pieces of jewellery I hand-made  was a pair of 18ct yellow gold and Akoya salt water pearl earrings. Sam gave me a design to create – a smooth shepard  hook of fine wire, with one Akoya pearl suspended on the end of each pair. I found this piece quite challenging, as I had to begin by rolling and drawing out a piece of gold into very thin wire. (I must say, muscles are definitely required for this kind of work). Another reason why the earrings were challenging to make was that earrings of course need to be completely matching. And as the hooks were hand made individually, it was tricky matching and bending them into the same shapes. During the making of the earrings, I was able to learn a lot about using pliers and which directions and positions to place them, in order to achieve a particular curve.

18ct Yellow gold and Akoya Pearl Earrings

This week the most important technique I learnt was what sort of flame to use on various heating techniques e.g. if I am soldering something I need to use a stronger smaller flame, which has more blue in the tip of the flame, as opposed to a technique called ‘annealing’ which is where you heat up the metal to make it more malleable. In annealing I need to use what Sam calls a ‘fluffy’ flame, which not only has a blue flame, but the tip of the flame has an orange colour to it, it is softer and less aggressive than a soldering flame, which allows me to achieve a more even heat across the length of the gold or silver I am working with.

18ct Yellow Gold and Akoya Pearl Earrings

All in all, last week has been great! I met suppliers, began my journey as a jeweller and even got to create some fun pieces of jewellery.

I can’t wait to tell you what this week entails.

Cheers, Holly

  • Share/Bookmark

The Beauty of the Pearl; A Series Part I

Published on July 24, 2010 in Freshwater, Keshi, Pearls and South Sea. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

In my jewellery profession, there are a number of different stones and metals that combine to create true works of art – worn for both pleasure and purpose by my clients. One of the most exotic items included among these gems is the pearl. As the variety of pearls is vast, I have dedicated a series of posts to explore different pearls and the beauty they bring to you – the wearer.

Pearls are something that truly emulates miracles in nature, the idea of something so beautiful emerging from a process so simple leaves many in awe. If you are not familiar with the birth of a pearl, they are the result of a biological process inside a living creature – an oyster. (While clams and mussels also have the ability to produce a pearl, those will be discussed in a future post in this series on the pearl.)

As an oyster is a living creature; it moves, grows and eats just like other living creatures. The two valves (one part of a two-part shell) usually stay open to allow the oyster to eat. This process can sometimes also allow a foreign substance to get between the shell and the mantle, or the organ that produces the oyster’s shell.

When this happens, the mantle is irritated by the foreign substance and its natural reaction is to cover the irritant with the same substance it uses to create the shell. This substance is known as nacre.

The oyster continues this process over and over, covering the irritant with a number of layers of nacre. The result is the formation of a pearl. The most valuable pearls are those that were shaped beautifully within the oyster; but not all resulting pearls are the perfectly rounded objects you find in jewelry settings. Pearls that form in uneven shapes are known as baroque pearls.

Round and unique products of nature, pearls formed perfectly through this natural process are found in a range of colors such as white, red, black, gray, blue and green. Pearls can be found all over the world, although black pearls are indigenous to the South Pacific.

Aside from their shape and color, pearls vary in a number of others ways. While we have already discussed the natural pearl, there are also cultured pearls often found on the market. The process for creating these pearls is very similar to that of the natural process, although pearl harvesters help move the creation of the pearl along by cutting a small slit in the mantle tissue and inserting an irritant.

Both cultured and natural pearls discussed here take place in saltwater environments, although pearls are also formed in fresh water. This process is different from that of saltwater pearls and requires a much closer look. Join us next time as I continue this series on pearls by diving in for a closer look at fresh water cultured pearls.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

  • Share/Bookmark

Pearls. How are they Made?

Published on April 9, 2010 in Freshwater, Gemstones, Keshi, Pearls and South Sea. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Pearls are made how, I hear you ask?

Pearls are formed inside the shell of particular types of mollusks: as a defense mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite or a foreign body inside its shell, the mollusk secretes a protein which forms around the irritant, which in turn creates a pearl around the irritant to seal it off from potentially causing damage to the mollusks insides.

The difference between natural and cultured pearls focuses on whether the pearl was created spontaneously by nature — without human intervention — or with human aid.

The mantle (or shell) of the mollusk deposits layers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite (both crystalline forms of calcium carbonate) held together by an organic horn-like compound called conchiolin. The combination of aragonite and conchiolin is called nacre, which makes up mother-of-pearl.

The commonly held belief that a grain of sand acts as the irritant is in fact rarely the case. Typical irritants  include organic material, parasites, or even damage that displaces mantle tissue to another part of the animal’s body into the inside of the mollusks membrane. These small particles or organisms enter the animal when the shell valves are open for feeding or respiration. In cultured pearls, the irritant is typically a cut piece of the mantle, together with processed shell beads, the combination of which the animal accepts into its body.

Natural pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It is thought that natural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions when a microscopic intruder or parasite enters a bivalve mollusk, and settles inside the shell. The mollusk, being irritated by the intruder, secretes the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. This secretion process is repeated many times, forming many layers of nacre thus producing a pearl. Natural pearls come in many shapes, with perfectly round ones being comparatively rare.

The rounder and more perfect the pearl is the more rare and more valuable they become, in a similar way to the way diamonds are valued as they become bigger and better in quality.

Without getting overly technical here, a pearl is basically formed when a foreign body enters the animals membrane while the shell is open for feeding or breathing. The mollusk then secretes a protein called nacre to cover the foreign body, which will help minimise any damage it can potentially do to the muscular structure inside the shell. It does not stop there as the mollusk will continually secrete the nacre to form many many layers over the foreign body, which over time creates the pearl we are after.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller

  • Share/Bookmark