Qualities of a Black Pearl Earring Set

Imitation black pearls can cost much less than real black pearls and by knowing the difference of the qualities between the two, you can save yourself some money and possibly some disappointment. It is always much better to purchase pearls from a specialized store, than it is to purchase from a souvenir shop, or from people or places that you are completely unfamiliar with.

From the tracing of legends, black pearls have been tracked to the south pacific regions, including the wide stretches of the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Tuamotu Archipelago and the French Polynesia, more specifically, the Gambier Islands. However, in recent years, both of the nearby islands of Kiribati and the Cook Islands, have begun producing black pearls which account for approximately three to four percent of the world's supply.
The natural black pearls are also known as the 'Queen of Pearls' or as the 'Pearl of Queens'.

Historically, the majority of black pearls originally came from Tahiti and these pearls are known as the famous Tahtitian black pearls. While the Tahitian pearl has a black body, it will vary in it's overtones which will most often be either green or pink. Even though they are cultured in modern times, as opposed to being 'natural', their black color is still produced naturally by the oyster, which makes them a 'naturally black' cultured pearl. Only the black lipped oyster can exist in tropical temperatures such as that found in the French Polynesian archipelago. It is in this temperature setting that makes the coating of the Tahitian black pearl such a valued and much sought after treasure. These fine black pearls are rare, very beautiful and costly.

Black pearls are named after the oyster from which they are produced, the Pinctada Margaritifera. The Pinctada Magaritifera is a black lipped oyster found in the crystal clear waters of the Tuamotus islands in French Polynesia.
Black pearls are black because the nacre (mother-of-pearl), will not reflect white light, but instead, will reflect other colors such as red, green and yellow. They are also known for their large size, a rainbow of colors and also for their luster. Black pearls in general, are graded on the quality of their surfaces, using a scale from A to D and are classified according to their lustre, diameter, color and surface purity. Within each grade are the many variations of sizes, shapes and colors.

As an example, a 'GEM' has absolutely no imperfections, a 'A Grade' pearl will show to have minor imperfections of less than ten percent of it's total surface. A 'B Grade' will show less than one third of surface imperfections, a 'C Grade' will show less than two thirds and a 'D Grade' will show more than two thirds of the entire surface to have minor imperfections.

All black pearls, regardless of where they originate from, come in a very wide range of natural shapes. These can appear as pear shaped, button, mushroom, barrel, acorn, baroque and tear shaped. With regards to it's shape, all black pearls are both desirable and marketable. The round shaped pearls are the most expensive, because only about 1-3 percent of all harvested pearls are round.

By means of nature, black pearls are larger than white pearls, because the mollusks that produce them are most generally larger. This larger size of pearl has been associated with a luxury class in jewelry and many prestigious necklaces and bracelets, made of these larger pearls, are worn by the elite and royalty.

Today, many black pearls are farmed commercially and it normally takes about five years to produce one pearl.

To better distinguish the difference between an imitation pearl and a real, natural pearl, the true black pearl is very rarely completely black and will possess a color that is far from being a matte black. Instead, it will have an overtone of colors such as blue, pink, peach copper, indigo, bordeaux, melon, sea green, gold, silver and a reddish purple, called 'aubergine', which is a French word meaning 'eggplant'. The finest of the black pearls will have a green overtone that is called a 'peacock green'. A solid black pearl that has no overtones whatsoever, is considered undesirable and may cost as much as 50 percent less, than that of a black pearl with similar qualities, and having a green overtone.

The natural black pearls will have a faint reddish glow when they are viewed through cross filters while being subjected under a blue light from a copper sulphate solution and examined through a red filter. The artificially stained pearls will not have this red glow reaction.

A single, high quality black pearl will sell for around $1,000 US and the Tahitian black pearls are one of the most popular types of pearls on the market today.
It has been noted that of all the black pearls found, about 20 percent of them are suitable for jewelry and of that percentage, only about 5 percent are of gem quality.

Other than black pearls being the ultimate gift of romance and love, they are also less expensive than white pearls. Traditionally, white pearls have been the most favored pearl to be given either as gifts, or have been purchased as an addition to an existing jewelry collection, but black pearls are becoming increasingly popular as well as earrings and pendants, mainly because of their uniqueness, plus they require very little matching with other pieces.

If you are wanting to wear real Tahitian cultured pearls without having to sell everything you own, you could choose to wear a pendant styled necklace with a single pearl, a pair of black pearl studded earrings, a single black pearl ring, or perhaps black baroque pearls (non-symmetrical type). These can make for some very exotic designs and yet remain more affordable than a strand of matching black pearls.

When you are buying black pearls, a lifetime guarantee should always accompany your purchase.

Special care should be taken for all pearls. Never use a chemical or cleanser on a pearl. Use only water and a soft cloth during cleaning. Pearls should never be put in an ultrasonic cleaner and they should never be steam-cleaned.