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Creamy Vanilla, peachy Allspice, orangey Cinnamon, and lavender Eggplant are the pastel hues of the naturally occuring colors of Spice Pearls |
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Spice Pearls are freshwater cultured pearls. Pearls are organic gems, created when a mollusk covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre, the mother of pearl. Freshwater pearls are cultured in mussels: skilled technicians implant bits of mantle, causing the mussel to form a pearl around the irritant. Unlike saltwater cultured pearls, which have a bead in the center, Spice Pearls are solid nacre. |
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These glowing pastel pearls are cultured in the lakes, rivers, and ponds of three provinces in China: Zhejiang, Jianhsu, and Hubei. |
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All Spice Pearls have a rich bright luster and must be free of serious rings or blemishes. Less than one in a thousand freshwater cultured pearls is fine enough to be classified as Spice Pearls: they must have top luster, smooth even surfaces, and be free of any blemish. |
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7.0-7.5mm and larger for strands, 7.0-7.5mm for earrings, rings and pendants. Some rare Spice pearls are as large as 12mm! |
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Spice pearls are available in button, semi-round, drop, and egg shapes. Because Spice pearls are solid nacre with no round bead in the center, perfectly spherical pearls are rare. |
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The glowing pastel colors of Spice Pearls are not enhanced in any way. Like most white pearls, the Vanilla color is lightly bleached to allow for better matching of earrings and necklaces. Like most pearls, Spice Pearls are tumbled after being removed from the shell to clean them and bring out their luster. |
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According to ancient Chinese legend, the moon holds the power to create pearls, instilling them with its celestial glow and mystery. The ancient Greeks thought pearls were dew from the moon collected by mollusks by opening their shells at night. |
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Pearls have a hardness of 2.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. |
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The solid nacre of Spice Pearls makes them one of the most durable pearls. However, pearls are organic and must be protected from chemicals and oils. Always put pearls on after you put on makeup, perfume, and hair products. Before putting your pearls away after wearing them, wipe them with a soft cloth to remove dust and oils. Store them in a cloth-line box or pouch and keep them away from other jewelry, which might scratch them. All Spice Pearls necklaces and bracelets have been individually knotted to keep them from rubbing against each other when worn. If after years the thread should ever become discolored, stretched, or frayed, the pearls can easily be restrung and reknotted. Never put any pearls in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. |
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$10 to $50 per pearl. Strands range from $150 to $750. Exceptional strands may be priced at $3,000 or more. |
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It takes two to five years to culture a freshwater pearl that is 7mm in size. Freshwater pearls above 8mm take five to seven years to grow that large. These lustrous globes take much longer to grow than saltwater cultured pearls but the beautiful colors and the luster of the solid nacre are worth waiting for! Only one-tenth of one percent of Chinese freshwater cultured pearls have the quality and lovely natural colors to qualify as Spice Pearls. Although lower quality freshwater cultured pearls can be dyed to imitate them, they don't compare in rarity, luster, or durability. |
