Pearl

About Pearl

A pearl is nacre: thousands of microscopic layers of aragonite laid down by a mollusc around an irritant. Light entering those layers is refracted and reflected back in a way that produces the depth people call orient. That depth is the single best measure of quality — a thick, well-formed nacre gives a luster you can see across a room, while a thin coating looks chalky no matter how round the pearl is.

The families differ more than most people expect. Tahitian pearls, grown in the black-lipped oyster of French Polynesia, come in grays, greens, aubergines and peacock overtones and are naturally dark rather than dyed. Freshwater pearls from China now reach remarkable size and shape variety, including the baroque forms that Sharon uses so often. Mabé pearls are grown against the shell, producing a domed half-pearl ideal for earrings and rings.

Baroque and off-round pearls deserve more credit than they get. A perfectly round pearl is a feat of cultivation, but an irregular one has personality, and it lets a designer build a piece around a specific shape rather than dropping an interchangeable sphere into a standard mount.

Why Sharon works with pearl

Pearls are the largest single category in Sharon’s work. She buys loose and selects for luster first, matching pairs and strands by hand — an operation no supplier does as carefully as the person who has to set them. She favors Tahitians for color and freshwater baroques for shape.

Caring for pearl

Pearls are soft and porous. Put them on after perfume, hairspray and lotion, wipe them with a soft damp cloth after wearing, and store them apart from harder stones. Never use ultrasonic cleaners, steam, or any commercial jewelry dip.

Common questions about pearl