Did you know that most pearls used to come from saltwater molluscs? Freshwater pearls were rarer and less suitable for items of jewellery. For one thing they’re less round and they don’t have as high a lustre as certain types of saltwater pearls. With the advent of cultured pearls however, freshwater pearls have found a new lease of life. Their odd shapes and colours are increasingly popular because jewellery design allows for more variety than ever before.

Saltwater pearls are cultured differently to freshwater pearls. You may know that pearls are formed when a foreign object is inserted into the pearl, for example a bead. Nacre grows around the bead to form a pearl. In freshwater pearls instead of a bead, a small piece of tissue is inserted instead and the nacre grows around this. The tissue isn’t round and therefore the resulting bead is an irregular shape.

Even though freshwater pearls are irregular that doesn’t mean they’re of a lower quality. Because they’re completely made of nacre and don’t have a bead in the middle, they are actually very durable.

There’s no set way of grading pearls although many retailers use a common system. To a large extent it comes down to personal taste. You may prefer your jewellery in a classic design with round or teardrop shaped white pearls, or you may prefer a necklace made of irregular and multi-coloured pearls. The choice is endless and because there are so many different varieties of pearls, you’re sure to find something you like.

Pearls have been valued for their beauty and rarity from ancient times, with texts from as far back as over 2000 BC detailing their use in China as gifts to and from Royalty. When explorers first found America, the native population used pearls in their jewellery and as items of trade. The Romans valued them so highly that they tried to ensure only the very highest echelons of society were allowed to wear them. It seems that almost everywhere in the world where pearls were discovered, they were valued as gemstones and items of worth.

So why were pearls so highly valued? Well their rarity probably had a lot to do with it. Pearls grew in nature and had to be found by divers or fishermen, and even if you found a mollusc that produced a pearl, the pearl wasn’t necessarily round or smooth. It might be full of flaws and an odd shape making it difficult to use in jewellery. The sheer time and effort that gathering pearls took meant that only people of status could afford them.

The natural lustre of pearls also certainly contributed to their popularity - there’s simply nothing in nature quite like the colour and shine of a pearl and it’s no wonder that ancient people coveted them.

Why are pearls so affordable today? Natural pearls are actually still very rare and expensive - even more so than ever before in fact. Over-fishing and pollution have wiped out much of the mollusc population so places where pearls used to be found don’t produce them any more. The pearls that everyone uses in their jewellery are actually cultured pearls. Not quite man-made, these come from molluscs that are specially bred, and the process of pearl formation is physically triggered by people. The supply is therefore predictable and steady, and the pearls that are produced have a uniform colour and size so it’s a lot easier to match them for jewellery.

Having said this, there are still varying qualities of pearl even in the cultured pearl market. Some have very thin layers of nacre (the shiny surface) and are of a lower quality than pearls with a thick nacre layer. We only source the best cultured pearls from reputable suppliers - the better quality the pearl the longer it will last if you take care of it, so the better the investment.

Unlike for diamonds, there’s no industry-wide system of grading pears. This means that it can be difficult for buyers to understand exactly what quality of pearl they’re getting. When it comes to pearl jewellery there are a lot of different considerations including the size and the matching of all the pearls that make up the piece (for example a necklace). To some extent individual quality is less important than the overall effect. However, sellers do have systems for grading the flaws, lustre and nacre - the three most important aspects of a pearl.

The two main grading systems are called the AAA-A system (usually used by sellers) and the A-D system (usually used by producers). The highest quality pearls (AAA and A respectively) have the least flaws and the highest lustre, whereas the lowest quality (A and D respectively) have the most flaws and the lowest lustre. Pearls with many flaws are considered unfit for use in jewellery.

Nacre is the outer surface of the pearl and the thickness of this nacre determines how durable a pearl is. Looked after properly pearls can last for generations but a thick layer of nacre helps - Tahitian pearls in fact aren’t even sold if the nacre is less than 0.8 of a milimetre.

Pearls are organic gemstones, meaning they’re produced by a living creature (as opposed to inorganic stones like rubies and diamonds). Because of this they are more fragile than other stones and need more care and attention. If looked after properly however pearls will remain beautiful for generations. There are just a few golden rules to follow:

Put pearls on last and take them off first

Pearls can be damaged by make-up, perfume and other substances, so when you’re getting ready for an evening out be sure to put your pearls on last. This will minimise their exposure to harmful chemicals.

Don’t wear pearls for sport

Similarly you shouldn’t expose your pearls to chlorinated water or even body sweat as these can eat through the delicate layers of nacre. We’re sure you’ll keep your necklace for special occasions, but even so it’s worth warning not to wear your pearls when playing sport!

Clean pearls with a damp cloth

Pearls shouldn’t be exposed to any cleaning solutions, but you should gently wipe them after you wear them. This will remove any traces of perfume, sweat etc that can damage them over time.

Store pearls in a soft box

Because pearls are relatively fragile they can be damaged by rubbing against the rest of your jewellery. To prevent this always store your pearls in their own padded bag or box. Don’t shut them away however – pearls actually need a little moisture in the atmosphere so airtight boxes are to be avoided, as is direct sunlight!

Re-string them every year

All of our pearls are strung on silk and over time this can become stretched and discoloured. Depending on how often you wear them, you’ll need to have your pearls re-strung every so often. This means your necklace will always look fantastic and you’ll never have to worry about it breaking.

Now that you know how to look after your pearls, take a look at our gorgeous collection of pearl jewellery - the perfect gift for any special occasion.