 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
From top to bottom
• Necklace made of seed pearl strands, holding a gold pendant set with diamonds, pearls and a sapphire, from Amrapali, amrapali@amrpalijewels.com
• Arabian night earrings and Brunilde bracelet with diamonds and multiple micro-pearl strands from Scavia, info@scavia.it
• Romeo & Juliet ear pendants in titanium with seed pearls, brilliant- and marquise-cut diamonds
• A drop cabochon blue sapphire and rare abalone pearl from Wallace Chan, wallace_gems@yahoo.com |
|
|
|
STORY BASIL LEONG
Micro miracle and connoisseurs’ prize.
MORE than seven years ago, I came across an exhibitor at a jewellery show in Hong Kong with just two hanks (about ten strands each) of pearls at his booth. Curious, I approached him. The Japanese man got up and introduced himself, before carefully removing one hank of pearls from his display cabinet. Before me were the tiniest pearls I have ever seen. They had excellent lustre and were round. Each pearl measured less than 1.5mm in diameter. The man proudly told me that these pearls were harvested in his pearl farm and they were some of the best quality pearls they have ever produced. The man went on to tell me that they were called seed pearls.
What are seed pearls?
Many sellers in the trade claim they sell seed pearls. In fact, it is quite common for them to label anything that is small as seed pearls. So, what exactly is a seed pearl?
A seed pearl:
- is very small, less than 2mm in diameter
- must be natural, not cultured
- must weigh less than 0.06cts
- can be round, near-round or irregular in shape
- can come from both fresh and saltwater molluscs
Buying Seed Pearls
Most jewellers purchase seed pearls only from wholesalers who specialise in them. They are usually sold by weight, and not by pieces. The price range is quite wide, depending on the quality of the pearls. Many pearl connoisseurs will tell you that all pearls, regardless of their quality or shapes, are beautiful. It is, therefore, best to buy pearls that appeal to you, pearls that you really like.
There are no definite methods to identify seed pearls by sight, though gem laboratories can identify them using advanced scientific equipment. Knowledgeable jewellers will be able to explain and inform their customers about the products they are selling, so question your jeweller thoroughly before buying.
Through the years Hundreds of years ago, seed pearls were used as medicines as well as money. Seed pearl jewellery were very popular in the late 18th and throughout the 19th century. The increase in demand for such jewellery coincides with the emergence of the middle classes of Europe and the United States. At that time, natural pearls were found in abundance. The pearls were usually drilled and strung on either very fine silk threads or white horsehair.
Pearl Care
• Clean gently with a soft damp cloth after wearing
• If pearls are set into metals like gold or silver, do not immerse the entire piece of jewellery into commercial jewellery cleaners, as the chemicals will damage the pearls. Instead, clean the jewellery with warm, mild soapy water, avoiding the pearls.
• Seed pearls are not individually knotted, so check the strands often to make sure the thread is secured. Restring at least once a year.
• Wear pearl jewellery after you have applied perfumes and lotions.
• Keep all pearl jewellery separately as they are very soft. |
|
Craftsmen wove them into intricate, lace-like designs, which were very popular during the Victorian era. These jewellery pieces were especially fashionable as bridal gifts because they represented purity and gentility. Seed pearls were sometimes also halved and set into jewellery pieces. Construction of such intricate pieces requires very skilled craftsmen and are very labour intensive. Sadly the art of seed pearl weaving has almost disappeared.
Antique seed pearl jewellery is also quite rare. Most of those that survived the last two centuries are usually family heirlooms passed on from mothers to daughters. Today, you can find seed pearl jewellery still being made, but with a modern twist. Jewellers continue to set seed pearls into
jewellery pieces, as well as string them into multiple-strand necklaces.
While seed pearls were once harvested in nature, they are now found growing beside implanted nucleus within molluscs. Just in case anyone was wondering if I did purchase the seed pearls seven years ago - I did not. And till this day, I still regretted my decision.
To read more about pearls under this series, click here.
|
