Everything You Need to Know
About Pearls

With a jungle of opportunities it can be difficult to sort through information about all different kinds of pearls and how to take proper care of your unique pearl jewelry. This is why we at Mermaid Stories have prepared this comprehensive one-page guide for you where you can learn everything there is to know about pearls and pearl jewelry.

We help you understand the technicalities about pearls, present you with the way we select and use pearls for our premium jewelry collection, as well as we help you make sure that your pearl jewelry will never lose its shine and beauty by taking good care of it.

What are pearls?

How are pearls produced?

When an irritant penetrates a mollusk’s shell, the mollusk defends itself by producing layers of nacre around this irritant. The nacre, which is also called the mother of pearl, is the outer coating of the pearls and consists of many mineralized tissues overlapping.

What is the difference between natural pearls and cultured pearls?

The pearls can be either natural or cultured. 

Under the term of natural pearls, we understand pearls that are produced by the mollusques naturally, without any human intervention.

Cultured pearls, on the other hand, are results of human intervention and artificial placement of an irritant inside the mollusques. The procedure for that has been so well developed over the course of time that nowadays most of the pearls on the market are cultured.

What is the difference between saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls?

Depending on the place of their origin, all pearls can be divided into two categories: Saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls.

Saltwater pearls come from seas and oceans and their color can be white, soft grey, faded golden, deep grey and purple. However, the most common and the most popular color of saltwater pearls is soft pink.

Freshwater pearls have their origins in streams, lakes and rivers and can naturally be white, beige, pink, lilac or peachy. Freshwater pearls are also often dyed, which results in a wide variety of nuances to choose from. For our jewelry we only use freshwater pearls in their natural nuances.

In what shapes do pearls typically come?

Pearl shapes can vary substantially, given the fact they are little organic gemstones which grow inside the mollusks and, as a result, their development can be easily affected by many factors.

Some factors that influence the shape of the pearl is the pearl’s position inside the mollusque under the process of its development, as well as the size and shape of the irritant that penetrated the mollusque.

In the pearl world there are several recognized shapes:

• Baroque pearls - These are the pearls that do not have a symmetrical shape. They have free forms and their appearance can vary greatly. For our jewelry collection we use baroque pearls in many of our styles, as their asymmetric appearance gives our pearl earrings and pearl necklaces a stylish, untraditional and personal touch. 

• Semi-baroque - These are the pearls which have slight irregularities in their shape. Oval, drop and button-like pearls are represented in this category.

• Near-round or off-round - As the name reveals it, the shape of these gemstones is almost perfectly round.

• Round - Pearls in this category are perfectly round and look like the pearls we all know from the women’s magazines or old photographs. They are highly desirable for the “classic” jewelry types and are also very expensive.

How do I take proper care of my pearl jewelry?

The conventional personal care products, such as cosmetics, SPF containing creams and hairsprays, contain a wide range of chemicals that easily can damage the pearl jewelry. Therefore, it is important that you wait at least 30 minutes  after the use of personal care products before you put on your pearl jewelry. Always take off your pearl jewelry before you go to bed. The rule of thumb here can be that your pearl earrings or your pearl necklaces are what you put on as the last thing in the morning, and take off as the first thing in the evening.

Remember to regularly polish your pearl jewelry with a soft, lightly damped cloth. This way you will make sure that no acids from your body or personal care products build up on the pearl jewelry over time. Store your pearl jewelry separate from other jewelry pieces to prevent the pearls from getting scratched. Never store your pearl jewelry in airtight ziplock bags, as pearls are natural, organic products that contain remains of water, and airtight bags or other similar packaging will damage the pearls and their appearance. We suggest that you store your pearl jewelry in the same jewelry box that we ship your jewelry in.

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If you have any further questions about pearl jewelry details, get in contact with us at hello@mermaid-stories.com. We're happy to help!