About Pearls

Keishi pearls are totally natural and usually occur when an oyster or mussel thinks there is an irritant and so continually spits nacre creating this accidental but beautiful bi-product!  Cultured pearls, on the other hand, will have a piece of tissue or a bead implanted within.  Keishi pearls get their name from the Japanese word for poppy seed as when they were first discovered they looked like little seeds.  Today these pearls are coveted for their exquisite lustre and fascinating shapes including flat, thin shapes and long stick shapes.  This is in contrast to years ago when farmers first started culturing...

Whilst there is a range of tests requiring varying levels of technique and, in some cases, sophisticated equipment, the easiest test for the lay person is called the ‘tooth test’. Rub the pearls lightly along the biting edge of your upper front teeth. If they feel gritty or sandy, it’s likely they are cultured or natural pearls. If they feel smooth, they are probably imitation!  It is important to rub it lightly as imitation pearls can be scratched. We would recommend (because of today’s technology and imitation pearls can look very convincing) that if you are unsure it is worth...

  South Sea pearls are regarded as the crème de la crème of sea pearls and are famous for their large size, striking colours and stunning lustre. South Sea pearls are cultured in the Pinctada maxima saltwater oyster, of which there are two types: the silver-lipped and the gold-lipped oyster. It is generally the colour of the oyster lip that determines the natural colour of the pearl produced. Silver-lipped oysters typically produce the whites and creamy South Sea pearls and the gold-lipped oyster produces shades of gold, champagne, pink and other warm-based hues. The oysters are native to the warm, tropical waters of the South...

Pearls, throughout history, have been regarded as prized gems of beauty and rarity. They have been sought after for as long as 4,000 years and are unlike any other precious gemstones as they need no man-made enhancements such as cutting or polishing to reveal their exquisiteness and are the only gem to come from a living organism. These symbols of wealth were highly revered by Romans, rulers of Ancient India and the Chinese. The ancient Greeks believed that pearls should be a part of weddings. It was believed that if a bride wore pearl jewellery on her wedding day that she...