National Pearl

Akoya Saltwater Pearls

Akoya Pearl Overview
Akoya pearls are bead-nucleated pearls cultured primarily in Japan and China. They are named after the oyster in which they are cultured, whose scientific name is Pinctada fucata martensii.

Also known as saltwater, seawater or cultured pearls, Akoya pearls are known for their perfectly round shape and bright reflective luster.

Akoyas are thought of as the classic pearl and are what most think of when pearls come to mind.

Bead Nucleation
The culturing of Akoya pearls begins with a rounded, polished mother-of-pearl bead. The bead is implanted into the gonad of the saltwater mollusk along with a small piece of mantle tissue. Over time, the mollusk creates a hard, natural coating (called 'nacre') around the nucleus. After several months of meticulous care, the pearls are harvestd, processed and created into beautiful jewelry.

Common Misconceptions
Though Akoya pearls are often referred to as 'cultured pearls', culturing is not exclusive to the Akoya pearl. In fact, the vast majority of pearls available today are cultured. Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls are all cultured pearls.

Akoya pearls are often referred to as 'saltwater pearls', which they are, but did you know that Tahitian and South Sea pearls are saltwater pearls as well?

Cultured pearls are sometimes confused with 'fake' or 'faux' pearls. Some companies do produce imitation pearls with organic and inorganic material, but there is no comparison between the two. The nacre created by the mollusk/oyster during the culturing process is 100% natural. It is the means by which this creation was started that makes a pearl 'cultured'. A natural pearl occurs without the help of human hands. A cultured pearl simply had a little help in getting the process started. Natural pearls are still available today, but are very rare and costly. Even the most expensive pearls, including Mikimoto brand, are cultured pearls.

Pearl Type Comparison

	Freshwater	Akoya	Tahitian	South Sea
Cultured	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Natural Colors	White, Peach, Pink, Lavender	White, Cream	Black, Grey, Silver,Purple, Green, Other	White, Silver, Gold
Shapes	Baroque to Round	Round	Baroque to Round	Baroque to Round
Waters	Freshwater	Saltwater	Saltwater	Saltwater
Origin	China (Vast Majority)	China, Japan, Few Others	French Polynesian Islands (Vast Majority)	Australia, Phillipines, Indonesia, Myanmar
Pearl Sizes in Millimeters (fading color indicates rarity)

Freshwater Pearls

Chinese Freshwater Pearls are recognized as the most varied and beautifully cultured freshwater pearls in the world. With pristine freshwater lakes and abundant mollusk populations, Chinese harvesters continue to awe the pearl-loving community with gems in every size, shape and color and have been doing so for more than four thousand years!

In contrast to the Akoya pearls and other saltwater pearls, the freshwater pearls are not nucleated with round mother-of-pearl beads, but by inserting a small piece of mantle tissue from one mollusk between the mantle tissue and mother-of-pearl shell lining of the host mollusk. After nucleation, the pearl producing oysters are returned to their freshwater environments and nurtured for up to 6 years before the pearls are harvested.

While saltwater oysters are often nucleated to produce a maximum of two pearls, the freshwater oyster can be nucleated to produce upwards of fifty pearls per oyster. While the freshwater pearl rarely rivals the luster and roundness of the Akoya saltwater pearl, they abound in a beautiful variety of shapes and natural colors including white, pink, lavender and peach. Because of the greater abundance of the freshwater pearls, they offer a beautiful and affordable alternative to more expensive Akoya pearls.

As the Chinese have continued to increase their skill in pearl culturing techniques, the quality of freshwater pearls has increased dramatically, so much so that the top percentages of the harvest has begun to rival the quality of many saltwater pearls. Additionally, because of the larger size of the freshwater pearl oyster, it is not uncommon to see freshwater pearls many times larger than their saltwater counterparts (as large as 16mm) at a fraction of the cost.

Pearl Type Comparison

	Freshwater	Akoya	Tahitian	South Sea
Cultured	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Natural Colors	White, Peach, Pink, Lavender	White, Cream	Black, Grey, Silver,Purple, Green, Other	White, Silver, Gold
Shapes	Baroque to Round	Round	Baroque to Round	Baroque to Round
Waters	Freshwater	Saltwater	Saltwater	Saltwater
Origin	China (Vast Majority)	China, Japan, Few Others	French Polynesian Islands (Vast Majority)	Australia, Phillipines, Indonesia, Myanmar
Pearl Sizes in Millimeters (fading color indicates rarity)

Tahitian Pearls

The famous Black Tahitian Pearl is produced by the "black-lipped" oyster (pinctada maxima family) along the islands of French Polynesia.

Because of the extremely large size of the black-lipped oyster (up to 1 ft. long), they produce some of the world's largest pearls in primarily blackish body colors (charcoal/metallic/gray etc.). They are often accentuated with a beautiful array of colorful overtones. The nucleating and culturing of the Tahitian pearl is quite difficult with relatively high mortality rates for the host oyster. For this reason along with the large size and high quality of pearls harvested, Tahitian pearls often command very high market prices.

Black Tahitian pearls are among the most exotic and sought after pearls in all the world. Because this oyster is much larger than either the Akoya bearing or Chinese freshwater pearl oysters, Tahitians are harvested in larger diameter sizes. Typical harvests yield pearls ranging from 8-14mm.

Tahitian pearls have become extraordinarily popular due to the variety of dark body colors such as gray, silver, charcoal etc. as well as rare, naturally occurring vibrant colors. National pearl offers high-quality Tahitian pearls with rarely occurring exotic colors such as copper, pistachio, taupe, peacock, aubergine, steel gray, olive, sea green, black and others.

Tahitian pearls are a favorite for use in pearl pendants, a popular choice for women who prefer stylish and exotic pearl designs over more traditional pearl strands.

Pearl Type Comparison

	Freshwater	Akoya	Tahitian	South Sea
Cultured	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Natural Colors	White, Peach, Pink, Lanvender	White, Cream	Black, Grey, Silver,Purple, Green, Other	White, Silver, Gold
Shapes	Baroque to Round	Round	Baroque to Round	Baroque to Round
Waters	Freshwater	Saltwater	Saltwater	Saltwater
Origin	China (Vast Majority)	China, Japan, Few Others	French Polynesian Islands (Vast Majority)	Australia, Phillipines, Indonesia, Myanmar
Pearl Sizes in Millimeters (fading color indicates rarity)

South Sea Pearls

South Sea pearls are cultured mostly in Australia, Myanmar and Indonesia. They are grown in the Pinctada maxima mollusk.

South Sea pearls are by far the most valued and cherished pearl type on the market today. Known for their uncommonly large size and natural white and golden colors, they have a unique luster and appearance shared by no other pearl type. South Sea pearls are often seen adorning the necklines of the world's most famous and powerful women.

South Sea pearls have thicker nacre than Akoya pearls (3 to 8 times thicker), but their luster has a completely different, softer appearance.

Pearl Type Comparison

	Freshwater	Akoya	Tahitian	South Sea
Cultured	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Natural Colors	White, Peach, Pink, Lavender	White, Cream	Black, Grey, Silver,Purple, Green, Other	White, Silver, Gold
Shapes	Baroque to Round	Round	Baroque to Round	Baroque to Round
Waters	Freshwater	Saltwater	Saltwater	Saltwater
Origin	China (Vast Majority)	China, Japan, Few Others	French Polynesian Islands (Vast Majority)	Australia, Phillipines, Indonesia, Myanmar
Pearl Sizes in Millimeters (fading color indicates rarity)

Pearl Grading Criteria

The value and quality of a pearl or strand of pearls is based on several different characteristics.

• Luster: The reflectivity or shine of the pearl. Low quality pearls appear chalky, whereas high quality pearls seem to glow with mirror-like reflectivity.
• Surface Quality: The quantity and severity (or lack) of blemishes on the pearl's surface. Even the lowest quality pearls we normally offer (AA+) have very few and insignificant blemishes. We do not sell pearls with heavy blemishing, which would include cracks, grooves, blisters or peeling skins. Blemishes should not be obvious to the naked eye at arm's length.
• Nacre Thickness: The thickness of the natural coating the pearl's host develops around the implanted nucleus during the culturing process. Pearls with thick nacre have a brighter shine that will last for years. Special and costly methods are required to determine the exact thickness of a pearl's nacre, however thin nacre is easily detectable by the naked eye. Freshwater pearls are effectively 100% nacre as they are implanted with mantle tissue which dissolves/decays during the culturing process and is then likely removed completely when the pearls are drilled.
• Shape: Pearls come in many shapes, from baroque to perfectly round. Akoya pearls should be perfectly round. All other pearl types have varying shapes.
• Size: Although irrelevant to pearl quality grading, pearl size affects the value of the pearl and is a factor in determining matching.
• Matching: How closely multiple pearls match each other for all of the factors listed above.

Pearl Quality Guides

Akoya Saltwater Pearls
Akoya pearls are known for their perfect roundness and luster strong luster. They have long been the preferred pearl type and are thought of as the 'classic pearls'.

Freshwater Pearls
For Freshwater Pearls, the AA+ and AAA grades will refer to the Luster and Surface Quality. Shape will be "Near Round" and Matching will be "Excellent" unless stated otherwise in various items such as drop, button and coin pearls.

Tahitian Pearls
For Tahitian Pearls, the AA+ and AAA grades will refer to the Luster and Surface Quality. Shape will be "Round" and Matching will be "Excellent" unless stated otherwise in various items such as drop and baroque pearls.

South Sea Pearls
For South Sea Pearls, the AA+ and AAA grades will refer to the Luster and Surface Quality. Shape will be "Round" and Matching will be "Excellent" unless stated otherwise in various items such as drop and baroque pearls.

Necklace Length Guide

16 inches	18 inches	20 inches	24 inches	30 inches

The images above illustrate an approximation of how several of our most popular lengths will lay on most women. Our most popular lengths are 18", followed by 16" and 20" respectively. For petite women, 16" and 18" necklaces fit well. For medium sized women, an 18" or 20" necklace is usually the best choice. Women with somewhat larger builds generally prefer lengths between 20" and 24".

If you would like a length we don't have listed on the website, please contact us at service@nationalpearl.com.

Pearl Diameter Guide

Buying pearls online can be difficult, especially if you are not familiar with pearl sizes. For those who aren't sure what pearl diameter they prefer, we have provided these images comparing pearl sizes to a U.S. dime.

The image above is not actual size. For those who are still having difficulty visualizing the size of each diameter, you may print the Pearl Diameter Guide in PDF format (284 kb). The printed version of this file will show actual size. Verify the document has printed correctly by placing an actual dime over the coin's image. If it is not actual size, make sure Adobe Acrobat is not scaling the document to fit your printer's settings. If you need assistance, please contact us at service@nationalpearl.com.

Pearl Overtone Guide

Appreciation for pearl color and overtones, as with beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While the choice of pearl color should be based purely on the personal taste of the customer, it is helpful to have a general understanding of the elements that constitute pearl color before making a decision to purchase.

In general terms, pearl color refers to the following three elements:

Body Color: The body color is the primary color of the pearl. Depending on the type of pearl (Akoya, Freshwater, Tahitian etc.), the body color of pearls could range from white to black with many variations in between.

Overtone Color: Overtones are a subtle, secondary hue that can be seen in the luster of the pearl. They are sort of an accent to the body color of the pearl and, unless very strong, are best seen when the pearls are compared to a solid white background.

The most popular overtone color for Akoya Saltwater pearls is rosé, which complements the widest range of skin tones. Other overtones include ivory, silver, and green on white pearls and emearld, blue and others on black pearls.

Orient: A very rare color component of some types of pearls normally found on baroque or irregular shapped pearl surfaces, orient color will appear as an iridescent or rainbow-like coloring that will reflect upon the surface of the pearl as light shimmers across the surface.

Pearl Dyeing

Some of the most common form of pearl treatments today include color enhancing treatments. Pearl color treatments are employed today in order to help satisfy the variety of requirements from the pearl purchasing public. For example, Akoya pearls harvested from their oysters come in one basic body color: white. The pearls may be naturally accented by a few gentle overtones such as rosé, silver or green.

Customers around the world have different tastes and preferences when it comes to body color and overtones. How then are these pearl color preferences satisfied? The answer is color enhancement of one form or another.

The most common form of pearl color enhancement is dyeing. Pearls are dyed after the drill holes have been completed. As such, if pearls are presented to a buyer as being of natural color, an easy way to discover the truth to such a claim is by examining the drill holes with a loupe. A build-up of the dye is often detectable at the surface of the drill hole revealing which pearls have undergone a dyeing treatment. Another way to detect pearl color enhancements is to simply evaluate the overall matching of a strand. If you are examining a strand of pearls that exhibits an exotic color and the matching and surface seem all too perfect, yet the pearls have an exceptionally low price, the chances are that the pearls have been color enhanced in one form or another.

It is important to note that pearl dyeing is not frowned upon in the pearl industry. On the contrary, it is quite a common practice. What is important is full disclosure of the various treatments a pearl has undergone. Every client has the right to understand what treatments a pearl has undergone from the time it leaves the oyster until the time of their purchase. Unfortunately, the many "middlemen" that participate in the pearl trade may not receive honest disclosure from the pearl farms concerning the various pearl treatments that have been employed on their pearls. As a farm-direct purchaser of pearls, National Pearl has full access to pearl treatment information and freely discloses such information to our customers immediately upon request.

Pearl Polishing

Unlike other gems such as precious stones that are cut and polished in order to reveal their hidden beauty, many believe that pearls are harvested and presented in their natural state without any enhancing treatments. In reality, this is not the case. Nearly all pearls harvested and sold today undergo some form of pearl treatment.

One treatment common to most harvested pearls is pearl polishing. Pearl polishing was not too common 20 years ago, but today has become standard practice in order to enhance the natural beauty, surface quality and luster of most pearls. The polishing process consists of an initial tumbling and cleaning process that removes various natural deposits and residue that might cause irregularities in the pearl surface as well as sea-borne odors. Next the pearls may be tumbled again with various natural materials such as bamboo slivers to further smooth out imperfections in the pearl's surface.

Though these processes are rather benign and do not decrease the quality of the pearl, some practices that include infusion of oily substances to help increase luster are frowned upon by National Pearl. Such practices only increase luster temporarily, fading with time and wear.

Almost universally frowned upon is the practice of coating lower quality pearls with various luster-increasing epoxy resins. While such materials do increase luster dramatically, they are prone to chipping and cracking over time, eventually revealing the low quality pearl surface. One way to detect such treatments is to use a loupe to closely inspect the pearl's surface. Often, imperfections in the epoxy coating that are not visible to the naked eye will become visible after magnification. National Pearl does not employ any form of luster-increasing post-treatments such as oily coatings or epoxy resins on any of our pearl products.

Pearl Bleaching

Another common practice within the pearl industry is called pearl bleaching. The pearl bleaching process is often employed after the initial cleaning process in order to help even out color irregularities within the top layers of pearl nacre. The forms of bleach used are very mild, allowing gentle lightening of the pearl nacre without damaging pearl nacre quality.

While the vast majority of white pearls on the market today have undergone some form of mild bleaching, the practice is not commonly disclosed and is often denied by pearl farmers and distributors. National Pearl believes that educating our customers is far preferable to deception and hopes to make the full and honest disclosure of pearl industry practices the basis of long-term relationships with our clients.

A Brief History Of Pearls

"The richest merchandise of all, and the most sovereign commodity throughout the whole world, are these pearls"
-C. Plinius Secundus,
Roman historian from Natural History, 77 A.D.

Enchantment for the pearl is timeless and universal. Since the beginning of human history it has been regarded as one of the rarest, most beautiful and most valued of all gems. It has been treasured and praised by ancient cultures of every age including China, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome. Poets have sung its praise and scripture have extolled its beauty as a symbol of love, wisdom, spirituality and righteousness.

Since ancient times, pearls have been given as exquisite gifts from Kings to queens, grooms to brides and fathers to daughters as a symbol of their everlasting love.

"And Krishna brought forth pearls from the depths of the sea to give to his daughter on her wedding day."
- The Rigveda, Ancient Hindu Book, c. 1000 B.C.

Because of their exceedingly high value, enjoyment of pearls has traditionally been reserved for the ultra-rich and powerful such as European royalty or the kings and queens of Asia. However, by the early 1900's pearls finally began to come within reach of the larger pearl-loving community, thanks in large part to the culturing techniques developed by enthusiasts such Japan's Kokichi, Mikimoto. Mikimoto is widely considered the father of today's pearl culturing techniques, and due to his passion for the pearl, these natural treasures are finally available to those of us who fall short of royalty status...

Pearl culturing is the process of creating an environment that encourages natural oysters to yield genuine pearls and has mitigated the traditional randomness associated with scouring the ocean depths for these treasures. Pearl culturing has also become quite necessary in recent decades, since the wealth of the earth's ancient oyster beds were long ago diminished or destroyed by over fishing and pollution.

The pearl culturing technique itself consists of implanting a piece of an oyster's mantle tissue into the silky wall lining of another oyster. The oyster's reaction to this implanted tissue is identical to an oyster's reaction to a natural intruder such as a sharp piece of sand or burrowing parasite. In order to soothe the irritant, the oyster begins to release a milky substance known as "Nacre". Nacre is the same substance that forms the inner lining of the oyster's shell and consists of microscopic calcium carbonate crystals. Gradually, these crystals form layer upon layer, and after several years they evolve into beautiful organic gems!

Although there are over 100,000 species of oyster. Only a very small number of Oyster's are actually capable of developing genuine pearls. Each variety of pearl producing oyster will yield pearls quite unique in appearance, size, color and beauty. The most famous and traditionally treasured of all varieties is the "Akoya" pearl and is originally native to Japan. "Akoya" is synonymous with "saltwater pearls", and are among the most beautiful and expensive, due to their perfect roundness, beautiful color, as well as the extreme difficulty associated with the Akoya culturing process.

Also famous but much less expensive are the lustrous Chinese freshwater pearls. Chinese freshwater pearls often rival the luster of even the finest Akoya pearls. However, because they are much easier to culture, the market price is often much more affordable. Available natural colors among the Chinese freshwater pearls are also quite diverse.

Akoya Culturing History

It is often said that Kokichi Mikimoto single-handedly invented the modern Akoya pearl culturing industry. Although this is not entirely correct, Mikimoto did play the largest role in both developing Akoya pearl culturing techniques and successfully marketing cultured pearls and gaining acceptance from the greater pearl-loving community.

Mikimoto was born in Toba City, Japan in 1858. He began raising Pearl producing mollusks (oysters) in 1888 and was awarded a patent for culturing "mabes" (hemispherical pearls) soon after. During the following 20+ years, he continued his research and development on pearl culturing and was eventually awarded a patent on developing techniques for producing spherical or round pearls from mollusks/oysters, resulting in the now-famous "Akoya Pearls".

From that time forward, Mikimoto was a champion for new and ever-evolving Akoya pearl culturing techniques. His efforts are largely responsible for the blossoming pearl industry that exists today. All who now benefit from Mikimoto's Akoya pearl culturing techniques (including National Pearl) owe Mikimoto a great deal for his innovation as a true pearl culturing pioneer!

Natural vs. Cultured Pearls

Both natural and cultured pearls are formed as a result of very similar processes. When an irritant such as a parasite (natural) or mantle tissue/mother-of-pearl nucleus insert (man-made) becomes lodged or implanted within the tissue of a saltwater oyster or freshwater mollusk, a natural substance known as nacre is secreted to soothe the irritant. It is this gradual build up of nacre encapsulating the irritant that eventually takes shape as a natural or cultured pearl.

The primary difference between natural and cultured pearls is whether the irritant that causes the creation process is insterted naturally or by human hands. While natural pearls grow in a completely uncontrolled environment, cultured pearls are planned and nurtured by pearl farmers who carefully monitor the environment of the oysters and mollusks.

Cultured Akoya pearls were made famous by Kokichi Mikimoto and are primarily harvested off the coasts of Japan and China. While Japan still dominates the market for saltwater akoya pearls of 8.5mm in diameter and above, China now produces more than 80% of all Akoya below 8.5mm in diameter with quality that rivals Japan and at much lower prices.

Cultured black Tahitian Pearls are produced by the black-lipped oyster (pinctada maxima family) among the islands of French Polynesia. Because of the extremely large size of the black-lipped oyster (up to 1 ft. long), they produce some of the world's largest pearls in primarily blackish body colors (charcoal/metallic/gray etc...) and are often accentuated with a beautiful array of colorful overtones.

Because pearl quality and frequency can be controlled and better predicted within the pearl culturing process, almost 100% of today's pearl market consists of cultured pearls. While natural pearls are still reported to be harvested on a very limited basis within the Persian Gulf region, most natural pearl beds have long since been exhausted either through over-harvesting or destroyed by pollution. As a result, most existing natural pearls are typically only available at auctions or estate sales.

National Pearl's pearl products consist of cultured pearls primarily harvested from dedicated pearl farmers in East and South East Asia.

About Pearl Farming

Pearl farming is the process of nucleating freshwater or saltwater oysters to produce genuine cultured pearls of varying sizes, shapes, colors and qualities. Pearl farming is a business that relies as much on good fortune (luck) as it does on the high skill and dedicated care of each pearl farmer. Since most pearl producing oysters require 2-5 years of tender care and nurture prior to a successful harvest, many man-made and natural forces can destroy an entire harvest. Those dangers include pollution, disease, severe storms and irregular spikes of heat or cold. Given the severe risks associated with this business, what elements are needed to increase the chances of a successful pearl farm?

Stable water conditions are very important to Akoya and Freshwater pearl culturing. For example, freshwater mollusks thrive best in temperatures ranging from 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. The waters should be calm with proper circulation and should maintain nominal depths (typically 6-8 feet). If the water is too shallow, temperature changes can occur rapidly, resulting in "shock" and high mortality rates among the pearl producing oysters/mollusks. pH is also important to pearl culturing. If the waters are overly acidic, the pearl nacre will erode resulting in smaller pearls. If too alkaline, the pearl nacre will exhibit undesirable "yellowing". While many freshwater lakes readily meet these conditions, finding appropriate ocean locations (such as protected gulfs) that have not been sullied by man-made pollutants is exceptionally difficult.

Before pearl farming can begin, a farmer first needs thousands of healthy oysters or mollusks. Typically, oysters are either harvested directly from the ocean for this purpose, or in recent years, bred for pearl culturing. Bred oysters/mollusks are typically kept in a "nursery" for up to 2 years until they have reached sufficient maturity for nucleation. During those 2 years, the baby oysters are given exceptional care and proper nutrition in order to ensure a healthy and mature oyster population capable of producing high quality pearls.

Once an Akoya oyster or freshwater mollusk is mature, it is prepared for nucleation. In the case of a freshwater mollusk, the shell is opened very slightly in order to avoid injury. A slit is then cut between the mother-of-pearl surface and the mantle tissue lining. A piece of mantle tissue from a "donor" mollusk is then implanted into the slit and carefully shaped using a thin needle. This is a very meticulous process that is repeated up and down each side of the mollusk shell until upwards of 50 nucleations have been completed.

The nucleation of an Akoya Oyster is very difficult indeed. The implant used for the Akoya is a small mother-of-pearl bead along with a thin layer of mantle tissue that envelopes the bead. Very carefully, a skilled technician implants a maximum of 2 beads into the gonad of the Akoya oyster before allowing the oyster to close.

In both cases, the implant within the oyster or mollusk becomes the "nucleus" of the future pearl. As the oysters react to this new irritant, they respond in the same manner they would had a natural irritant such as parasite been introduced. The pearl begins to secrete a calcium carbonite substance known as "nacre". This is the substance that constitutes the many layers that eventually formulate into genuine pearls.

Once the oyster or mollusk has been nucleated, it is suspended in open containers at varying depths of the lake or ocean and provided meticulous (and often tedious) supervision and care over the next 2-5 years. Nutrients are provided as needed and each oyster is regularly inspected and cleaned to ensure that harmful bacteria or organisms (such as barnacles) do not spread disease or interfere with their feeding . Depending on ocean temperatures, oyster depths are continually adjusted to ensure the best possible environment for healthy and happy oysters.

After many years of preparation and constant nurture, it is finally time for the pearl farmer to collect their harvest. The harvesting process is typically carried out in the winter months of October through February. Pearls are collected from the oystsers and mollusks, cleaned and dried. They then go through a rigorous sorting process based on many parameters such as size, color, shape, and surface quality. The pearls are then sold to pearl dealers who distribute them to manufacturers and jewelers around the world.

Pearl Care Guide

Pearls are highly treasured gems and require proper care in order to ensure a beauty and luster to last a lifetime! Whether you purchase these gems from National Pearl or from your own trusted jewelry retailer, we hope to provide you with special tips for preserving and caring for your precious pearls.

Storage: As pearls are a relatively soft gem (2.5-4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale) Pearls are best stored separate from other jewelry types such as metallic chains or diamonds. If stored together with other jewelry types, there is significant risk that the pearl nacre could be marred due to rough surface contacts. This can be avoided by storing your pearls in a separate jewelry box, soft bag or satin pouch. Pearls can also be sensitive to long periods of heat, resulting in drying and discoloring of the natural nacre. Therefore, never store your pearls in locations such as safety deposit boxes etc.

Harmful Chemicals: Natural pearl nacre consists primarily of calcium carbonate which is quite sensitive to various types of acids. While wearing your pearls, be aware of typical harmful chemicals that your pearls may commonly be exposed to. They include: vinegar (salad dressing), alcohol, ammonia, hair spray, bleach, perfume, chlorinated water and a variety of cosmetics. As such it is best to apply cosmetics prior to putting on pearl jewelry. Perspiration is mildly acidic. As such we suggest using a dry or damp cloth to wipe down your pearls before putting them away for storage.

Cleaning: If harmful chemicals have come in contact with your pearls, it is appropriate to clean the pearls with water and a very light detergent such as baby soap. Ensure to rinse clean and wipe with dry or moist towel after cleaning. While the pearls are still wet, be sure not to wear them as wet silk strings are more likely to stretch and weaken. Also, the wet silk string will easily attract dirt which is quite difficult to remove.

National Pearl recommends "The Pearl Doctor" pearl cleaning kit. For more information, visit http://www.thepearldoctor.com. All National Pearl customers receive a 10% discount on any Pearl Doctor products using coupon code nppearls10.

Restringing: If you like to wear your pearls often, it is advised to restring your pearls once every 1-2 years. Most jewelers will perform this service at a nominal cost.

Pearls love to be worn! Since pearls are an organic gem, they benefit greatly from fresh air and moist environments. Pearls should be worn at least once a month to ensure healthy nacre and a beautiful shine.