Buying pearls in China, there is some tips you have to be aware of

Colors:

Fresh water pearls naturally occur in white, ivory, pink, peach and coral. You'll find an amazing range of colors in the markets from silvers and dark grays, electric blues and greens, firey oranges and yellows, and neon purples and lavenders. Most of these colors are achieved using a special laser-dye process common to mainland China and Hong Kong.

Avoiding Fakes:

Telling the difference between imitation pearls and the real ones is quite simple: the tooth test! When you rub a real pearl - natural or cultured - across your teeth, the pearl will feel slightly gritty. Do the same with a fake and it's likely to feel smooth and slippery.

If you're still having trouble deciding whether it's real, ask the vendor to scrape the pearl with a knife. Powder will result in scraping a real pearl, a white plastic bead will be revealed from a fake pearl.

Q:Valuing Pearls

The most important factors taken into consideration when valuing cultured pearls are lustre, colour, shape, surface and size.

Lustre

The most important indication of a pearl's quality is lustre. The lustre of a pearl refers to the glowing appearance of its surface, and is judged by it brilliance and ability to reflect light. A pearl with a high lustre will be very shiny and show reflections like a mirror while a pearl with poor lustre will appear very milky or chalky.

Lustre is determined by the quality of a pearl's nacre-its transparency, smoothness and overall thickness. Factors affecting the quality of the nacre include the cultivation place, the health of the mother oyster, the length of time spent in the oyster, pollution and the type of oyster used. Only strong layers of nacre can produce deep lustre.

It is better not to compromise on lustre as this feature cannot be hidden or enhanced by its jewellery mount.

Colour

Pearls present a whole palette of colours to choose from. Light coloured pearls are produced in shades of white, pink, silver, gold and blue, while dark coloured pearls range from peacock green and aubergine purple to all the shades of grey.

Above all, a pearl's colour is a question of personal taste. Although some shades are especially rare or popular and therefore highly valued, such as rosy white, silvery white and pale gold, the colour of a pearl is certainly not an indication of its quality.

Shape

The shape of a pearl plays a major role in determining its value. Pearls can be divided into four basic groups of shape. These are in order of value:

ü         Round

ü         Off-round:Slightly round or ovalish

ü         Semi-baroque: Not round. Some examples are pear, drop, egg and button shapes.

ü         Baroque: Very irregular in shape with a surface that is often very uneven, occasionally resembling teeth, cacti, tadpoles and mushrooms

Throughout history, the round pearl has been considered the most valuable and popular shape. However, most of the world's most famous and valuable pearls are often not symmetrical in shape, and that is because the other grading factors are also important.

Shape is a good category to compromise on if you need to cut down on price. Actually, baroque and circled pearls can make for very interesting jewellery pieces.

Surface

The fewer the spots or blemishes a pearl has, the higher its value. But again flaws can also be positive features. They may serve as identifying marks that a pearl is yours and not somebody else's, and help prove that it is real and not imitation.

Flaws can also lower the price of a pearl without necessarily affecting its overall beauty.

Size

The size of a pearl is expressed in terms of its diameter, which is measured in millimetres. Size has a significant impact on price. One millimetre's difference has been known to raise a price by between 100 and 200 per cent.

Q:The Symbolism of Pearls in China

The Symbolism of Pearls in China

In China, pearls symbolize "genius in obscurity", or in our words, a diamond in the rough. This metaphor is illustrated by the beautiful pearl hidden inside the unattractive oyster. Because of its pale, shimmering hue, the pearl has lunar, and therefore feminine, associations. Pearls also symbolize patience, purity and peace.

Q:Pearl Shape Classifications

Pearls are classified by their origins and their shapes.

Spherical pearls

Spherical pearls are round, which is traditionally the most desirable shape. The rounder the pearl, the more expensive its price tag.

Symmetrical pearls

Symmetrical pearls include pear shaped pearls and other shapes that have symmetry from one side to another, but are not round.

Baroque pearls

Baroque pearls are irregularly shaped pearls. They are often the least expensive category of pearls, but are unique and quite beautiful.

Q:Pearl Origin Classifications

Pearls are classified by their origins and their shapes.

Natural Pearls

Natural pearls are formed when an accidental intruder enters a mollusk's shell and continuous layers of nacre grow like onion skins around the particle. Natural pearls vary in shape depending on the shape of the piece being coated.

Natural pearls have always been considered rare and are quite expensive. They are usually sold by carat weight. Most natural pearls on today's market are vintage pearls.

Cultured Pearls

Like natural pearls, cultured pearls grow inside of a mollusk, but with human intervention. A shell is carefully opened and an object is inserted. Shapes of objects vary, depending on the final shape of pearl that's desired.

Over time the object becomes coated with layers of nacre. The depth of the nacre coating depends on the type of mollusk involved, the water it lives in, and how long the intruder is left in place before being harvested. As nacre thickness increases, so does the quality and durability of the cultured pearl.

Cultured pearls are sold by their size in millimeters.

Saltwater Pearls

http://heartsdesirejewelry.com/blog/uploaded_images/5.flat-white-round-pearls-736939.jpg

Saltwater pearls originate within a saltwater mollusk. Saltwater pearls can be either natural or cultured.

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls grow inside of a freshwater mollusk — one that lives in a river or a lake.

Q:Pearls

Pearls are an organic gem, called that because they are created by living creatures. Each pearl begins its existence as a piece of grit or other particle that makes its way into the shell of a marine or freshwater mollusk — some types of oysters and clams. A defense mechanism kicks-in and coats the particle with layer after layer of a substance called nacre, or mother-of-pearl, which eventually becomes thick enough to form a pearl.

Nacre(mother-of-pearl)

pearls

Q:Seven Principles Of Evaluation Of Pearl

l          Luster

 Luster strong or not is to assess the most important when purchasing pearls a factor. Because the gloss depends on the thickness of nacre, delicate and transparency.

l          Nacre thickness

the thickness of nacre pearls directly affect the durability and aesthetics.

l          Shape

Pearl shape is divided into several categories: round, flat round, drop-shaped, semi-profiled and profiled. Is round is the best form. However, ingenious style allows non-round pearls are a beautiful and unique jewelry.

l          Defects

the surface to smooth fine pearl is the best, but such a rare, after all. As long as the naked eye is not obvious, does not affect the appearance should be regarded as a good bead.

l          Color and with color

evaluation of pearl quality is an important factor. In addition to the color of the outside of some floating in the body such as the rainbow of color with the same color as the color, and with color often seen in the local pearl. Compared with colored pearls are not pearls with color cute.

l          Size

large size and value relationship. Under the same level, the greater the more precious.

l          Structure

and coordination: hand is a very important part. From this we can see a professional mosaic manufacturer level. Pearl jewelry in the evaluation of a seven-point when the above factors, can not be generalized, because the little fly in the ointment to deny its value.

Q:June Birthstone Jewelry - Pearl

Pearls and Alexandrite are both June birthstones, but genuine Alexandrite is rare, and usually expensive. So most Junies wear pearls to represent their birth dates. There's no shortage of pearls. You'll find them in so many colors and shapes that you might have a hard time choosing just one piece of jewelry. Try wearing an assortment of pearls in different sizes and colors, or mix them with other jewelry like Sandra Bullock did for a movie premiere.

Most pearls are very affordable -- if you love them you can build a collection without too much strain on your budget.

Pearl Bracelet with Silver Heart Toggle

Multi Strand Pearl Bracelet

Woven Pearl Choker

Pearl Suspended from Silver Chains

Q:About Seed Beads——Finishes

Finishes refers to the appearance of the seed bead in general or often the coating placed on top of the glass. There are several different types of finishes and many seed beads have more than one kind. Sometimes the differences between them can be quite subtle. Some of the more common types of finishes include:

Transparent, meaning the glass is clear or see-through. For example, Miyuki Seed Beads,  Transparent Ruby, 11/0 has a transparent finish.

Matte, meaning the bead does not shine but rather has a soft finish. For example, Miyuki 6-402f, Matte White has a matte finish.

Opaque, the opposite of transparent, means the glass can not be seen through but rather has a solid color. For example, Miyuki 8-412, Opaque Turquoise Green has an opaque finish.

Lined, meaning the bead is made of clear glass and features multiple colors inside of it, often with a silver lining through the center of the bead if specified as “silver lined.” For example, Miyuki 6-3205, Magic Emerald Marine Lined Crystal has a lined finish.

Metallic, meaning the glass has the appearance of metal, such as copper, gold, silver or bronze. For example, Miyuki 6-457, Met Dk Bronze, 6/0 has a metallic finish.

Luster, meaning the bead has a very shiny, almost silvery appearance over the bright base color. For example, Miyuki 8-366, Shell Pink Luster has a luster finish.

 Pearl, meaning the bead appears to be “pearlized,” or covered with a coating which allows it to shine similarly to a genuine pearl. For example, Miyuki 8-528, White Pearl Ceylon has a pearl finish. Fun Fact - “Ceylon” is the name of an island located south-east of India.

Aurora Borealis (AB) or Iris, meaning the bead has a sort of “rainbow” effect. A variegated coating of all the colors of the rainbow is placed over the base colored glass. For example, Miyuki 8-462, Metallic Gold Iris has an iris finish.

Dark (DK) or Light (Lt), refers to how saturated the color is. Dark hues will appear more saturated while light hues will appear less saturated. For example, Miyuki 6-155, Tr Lt Tea Rose, 6/0 has a light finish while Miyuki 8-134f, Matte Tr Dk Topaz, 8/0 has a dark finish. 

Q:Beading Tools——Nipper Tool

This is probably the most important tool you will ever own. 

It is a cutting tool that has an angled blade which enables you to get in between beads for a tight, close cut.  This tool works best on beading wire and wire that is 20 gauge or softer.

Q:Crimp Tube Sizes

There are generally three choices of crimp tube bead sizes, 1x1mm, 2x2mm and 3x3mm.  The most commonly used size is 2x2mm. Novice beaders should know that they will likely be able to fulfill most of their basic beading needs with .018” or .015” diameter 49-strand jewelry wire and 2x2mm crimping tubes.  19-strand is also completely satisfactory.    

One by one millimeter crimp beads are quite tiny and are generally used for things such as illusion necklaces, on which a crimp bead is used on either side of a bead to hold it in place on a piece of clear beading wire.  Three by three millimeter crimp beads are comparatively large and are used with bigger, heavier beads on very large diameter beading wire (approximately .030” diameter and up) as well as smaller diameter leathers, such as 1mm, silks etc. 

Q:Crimping Bead Materials

When it comes to the material of your crimp bead, I recommend using sterling silver, gold filled or other precious metal crimp tube beads.  

Precious metals and the tube shape are less likely to crack or split.  Where other precious metal findings may increase the quality of your finished piece in comparison to a plated base metal, the crimp tube bead is the foundation of strength for your design.  Don't scrimp on the crimp!

Q:Crimp beads

If you’re new to beading, you may have found yourself confused by the many choices of crimp beads and various crimping tools.  Crimp beads themselves differ in size and material, while crimping tools differ in the technique and the end look of the crimped bead.

Q:Surface patterns of beads

After shaping, glass and crystal beads can have their surface appearance enhanced by etching a translucent frosted layer, applying an additional color layer, or both. Aurora Borealis, or AB, is a surface coating that diffuses light into a rainbow. Other surface coatings are vitrail, moonlight, dorado, satin, star shine, heliotrope.

Faux beads are beads that are made to look like a more expensive original material, especially in the case of fake pearls and simulated rocks, minerals and gemstones. Precious metals and ivory are also imitated.

Faux ivory

Tagua nuts from South America are used as an ivory substitute since the natural ivory trade has been restricted worldwide.

Q:Origin of Miscellaneous ethnic beads

Tibetan Dzi beads and Rudraksha beads are customary for making Buddhist and Hindu rosaries (malas). Magatama are traditional Japanese beads, and cinnabar was often used for beads in China. Wampum are cylindrical white or purple beads made from quahog or North Atlantic channeled whelk shells by northeastern Native American tribes, such as the Wampanoag and Shinnecock. Job's tears are a popular seed beads among southeastern Native American tribes.

Rudraksha beads

Q:Origin of Vintage beads

Vintage beads, in the collectibles and antique market, refers to an items that are at 25 or more years old. Vintage beads are available in materials that include lucite, plastic, crystal, metal and glass.

Q:Origin of Czech glass

Czech glass beads are made in the Czech Republic, centralized around an area called Jablonec nad Nisou. Production of glass beads in the area dates back to the 14th century, though production was depressed under communist rule. Because of this long tradition, their workmanship and quality has an excellent reputation.

Q:Origin of Austrian crystal

Austrian crystal is a generic term for cut lead-crystal beads, based on the location and prestige of the Swarovski firm.

Q:Origin of African trade beads

African trade beads or slave beads may be antique beads that were manufactured in Europe and used for trade during the colonial period, such as chevron beads; or they may have been made in West Africa by and for Africans, such as Mauritanian Kiffa beads, Ghanaian and Nigerian powder glass beads, or African-made brass beads.

Q:Shapes of Seed beads

Seed beads are uniformly shaped spheroidal or tube shaped beads ranging in size from under a millimetre to several millimetres. "Seed Bead" is a generic term for any small bead. Usually rounded in shape, seed beads are most commonly used for loom and off-loom bead weaving.

Q:Shapes of Hair pipe beads

Elk rib bones were the original material for the long, tubular hair pipe beads.Today these beads are commonly made of bison and water buffalo bones and are that popular for breastplates and chokers among Plains Indians. Black variations of these beads are made from the animals' horns.

Q:Specialized glassworking techniques

There are several specialized glassworking techniques that create a distinctive appearance throughout the body of the resulting beads, which are then primarily referred to by the glass type.

If the glass batch is used to create a large massive block instead of pre-shaping it as it cools, the result may then be carved into smaller items in the same manner as stone. Conversely, glass artisans may make beads by lampworking the glass on an individual basis; once formed, the beads undergo little or no further shaping after the layers have been properly annealed.

Most of these glass subtypes are some form of fused glass, although goldstone is created by controlling the reductive atmosphere of the glass batch rather than by fusing separate components together.

Dichroic glass beads incorporate a semitransparent microlayer of metal between two or more layers.

Fibre optic glass beads have an eyecatching chatoyant effect across the grain.

There are also several ways to fuse many small glass canes together into a multicolored pattern, resulting in millefiori beads or chevron beads (sometimes called "trade beads"). "Furnace glass" beads encase a multicolored core in a transparent exterior layer which is then annealed in a furnace.

millefiori beads

More economically, millefiori beads can also be made by limiting the patterning process to long, narrow canes or rods known as murrine. Thin cross-sections, or "decals", can then be cut from the murrine and fused into the surface of a plain glass bead.

Q:beads Manufacturing_Glassworking

Most glass beads are pressed glass, mass-produced by preparing a molten batch of glass of the desired color and pouring it into molds to form the desired shape. This is also true of most plastic beads.

A smaller and more expensive subset of glass and lead crystal beads are cut into precise faceted shapes on an individual basis. This was once done by hand, but has largely been taken over by precision machinery.

"Fire-polished" faceted beads are a less expensive alternative to hand-cut faceted glass or crystal. They derive their name from the second half of a two-part process: first, the glass batch is poured into molds with faceted shapes and allowed to cool; the faceted beads are then poured onto a tray and briefly reheated just long enough to melt the surface, "polishing" out any minor surface irregularities from the mold.

faceted beads

Q:Manufacturing of beads

Modern mass-produced beads are generally shaped by carving or casting, depending on the material and desired effect. In some cases, more specialized metalworking or glassworking techniques may be employed, or a combination of multiple techniques and materials such as cloisonné.

Cloisonné is a combination of multiple techniques and materials

Q:Components of beads__Synthetic materials

The oldest-surviving synthetic materials used for beadmaking have generally been ceramics: pottery and glass. Beads were also made from the ancient alloys such as bronze and brass, but as those were more vulnerable to oxidation, those have generally been less well-preserved at archaeological sites.

Q:Components of beads__Natural materials

Beads are still made from many naturally-occurring materials, both organic (i.e., of animal- or plant-based origin) and inorganic (purely mineral origin). However, some of these materials now routinely undergo some extra human processing beyond mere shaping and drilling, such as color enhancement via dyes or irradiation.

The natural organics include bone, coral, horn, ivory, seeds (such as tagua nuts), animal shell, and wood.

Q:Components of beads

Beads can be made of many types of materials. The earliest beads were made of convenient natural materials; when found, these could be readily drilled and shaped. As human technology became capable of obtaining or working with more difficult natural materials, those were added to the range of available substances. The same was true of new synthetic materials when created.

In modern manufacturing, the most common bead materials are plastic, glass, metal, and stone.

Q:Types of beads

Q:what's bead

A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 millimetre (0.039 in) to over 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in diameter.

A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery.

Nassarius

Beadwork is the art or craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or soft, flexible wire, or adhered to a surface (e.g. fabric, clay).