THE WISDOM OF PEARLS - Michael's Diamond & Gold Club · pearls embody sophistication and worldly elegance. The first pearls to be cultured, by the famous Kokichi Mikimoto, their uniformity

THE WISDOM OF PEARLS

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A STUNNING DISPLAY OF CULTURED PEARLS FROM STULLEROf all gems, the pearl is perhaps the most mysterious. For thousands of years, its rarity meant that it eluded all but the most wealthy. The stories of famous and phenomenal pearls are still with us — how Louis and Pierre Cartier traded a glorious strand of matched natural pearls for the Fifth Avenue Cartier Mansion, or how Empress Marie Feodorovna received a glorious drop pearl and cabochon sapphire pendant as a wedding gift from the Prince and Princess of Wales.

But today, fine pearls have been democratized, with modern culturing operations putting a range of gorgeous specimens within our reach. We still covet them, but now they are readily available across a range of colors, sizes, shapes, and prices. From the soft radiance of South Sea cultured pearls to the vintage elegance of a cultured seed pearl cluster, the major cultured pearl types are well represented in the following pages. Read on to learn the stories behind these beautiful gems of the rivers and seas.

SOUTH SEA CULTURED PEARLSPRECIOUS TREASURES FROM DISTANT SEAS

Coveted for their rarity and beauty, South Sea cultured pearls grow in the clean, warm waters of the Indian and southern Pacific Oceans. Given birth by the mighty pinctada maxima oyster, found in the crystalline Indonesian coves and the nurturing heat of Australian bays, these pearls conjure the luxuriance and abundance of the Southern Seas.

Because of the size of the pinctada maxima, South Sea cultured pearls can grow within the shell with a larger bead as their nucleus. They also grow more quickly and over a longer period. This results in exquisite, luxurious pearls that measure on average 13mm, glistening with a spray of satin glow whites, silvers, and golds.

Featured items: pendant 85520 and bracelet BRC745


TAHITIAN CULTURED PEARLSBEAUTIFUL DARK CULTURED PEARLS FROM FRENCH POLYNESIA AND BEYOND

Cultured in the massive black-lipped pinctada margaritifera oyster, native to Tahiti and French Polynesia, Tahitian cultured pearls are strikingly distinct — naturally dark when pearls are almost by definition white. But that thing that makes a pearl a pearl — that entrancing, subtle, playful luster, is just as strong in these dark gems, whether produced by a dusky silver, charcoal

smudged with quiet iridescence, or a deep, flickering green.

For most of human history, a rare and almost impossible-to-afford luxury, Tahitian pearl harvesting was only recently standardized, and they are now within your grasp, each one dark, shimmering, and unique.

Featured items: pendant 64914 and ring 65134


AKOYA CULTURED PEARLSTHE PINNACLE OF PERFECTION

The beauty of Akoya cultured pearls is of a special kind. Not derived from exotic shape or color, but rather from an uncanny, perfect roundness, and a tendency to pure or creamy white, Akoya cultured pearls are iconic. Neatly arrayed in perfect strands of softly shimmering light, these classic cultured pearls embody sophistication and worldly elegance.

The first pearls to be cultured, by the famous Kokichi Mikimoto, their uniformity of size and shape and their understated beauty is what brought the miracle of cultivated pearls to the broader world. Strung in a perfectly matched, hypnotic strand, they are an essential staple of every discerning woman’s jewelry chest.

Featured item: clasp 28841


FRESHWATER CULTURED PEARLSFRESH, BEAUTIFUL, AND UNIQUE

Found in freshwater mussels instead of oysters, freshwater cultured pearls are as lovely as they are affordable. Though natural freshwater pearls from the Tennessee River and even the Mississippi have enjoyed periods of popularity, their cultivation has its roots in the area near Shanghai, and most commercial production of freshwater cultured pearls is located in China today. Not as consistently round or as purely white as Akoyas, they are nonetheless popular with designers for their wide variability of form and color, and their uniquely durable nacre — not to mention their attractive price.

Featured item: clasp 28885


MABÉ CULTURED PEARLSBEAUTY ON THE HALF-SHELL

Imagine it — a glorious flying saucer of pearl. There you have the Mabé. Grown against the inner side of an oyster’s shell, instead of in the soft tissue, Mabé cultured pearls are designed to be domed hemispheres, with an almost flat back.

While this means that they are not as valuable as round cultured pearls, and certainly not as suited for knotting on a naked strand, they are uniquely suited to the jeweler’s art when set en cabochon in earrings or a pendant.

Featured items: pendant 81642 and ring 6288


CULTURED SEED PEARLSTHE BEAUTY OF THE SMALL

Formed by the early, accidental dislocation of a cultured pearl, seed pearls are just that — seeds of cultured pearls that never fully form. But that is the key to their beauty and their special purpose. Cultured seed pearls are the melee diamonds of the pearl universe — meant to enhance, to ornament, and to mesmerize.

When clustered together to frame a sapphire, or laced liberally through the floral lines of a vintage-style brooch, cultured seed pearls add a regal, stately charm to any piece of jewelry they adorn.

Featured item: pendant 83735

Pearl Stringing ServicesAt Stuller, a team of highly skilled knotters stand ready to work for you at a moment’s notice. This allows you to make sales without increasing inventory.

With this service, you can encourage customers to create a customized pearl necklace. They can choose from an unbeatable inventory, including a vast selection in all the cultured pearl types presented in this book, and design the strand of their dreams, complete with the perfect clasp.

Learn more at Stuller.com/PearlCenter.

Pearl CareLike any precious heirloom, pearl jewelry requires care to sustain its beauty. One of the few organic gems, pearls are more susceptible to damage than stones created by intense geological pressure and heat. To maintain their luster, pearls shouldn’t be worn while exercising or during the application of make-up and styling products, which can damage them.

To clean pearls, avoid using an ultrasonic cleaner, or any rough materials, which can damage their nacre. Use a simple cloth dipped in mild, soapy water, or a gentle jewelry cleaner safe for pearls, and wipe each pearl delicately. To properly maintain your strands over time, check the clasps or screws to make sure they are secure, and keep an eye out for looseness in the strand. With wear, even well cared for pearl strands may loosen and require restringing. If you wear your pearl strand often we recommend restringing it at least once a year. When storing your pearls, or pearl strands, place them by themselves in a soft jewelry box or pouch to avoid scratching them with metal or other gems.

Learn more at Stuller.com/PearlCenter.


Items are shown larger than actual size. Visit Stuller.com for our complete product selections and current pricing.

06/2017 MKTGMEDIA:9845Stuller.com 800 877 7777

THE WISDOM OF PEARLS - Michael's Diamond & Gold Club · pearls embody sophistication and worldly elegance. The first pearls to be cultured, by the famous Kokichi Mikimoto, their uniformity

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