| Brought to you by the people at The Crystal Cork Wine Shoppe, Trein's Jewelry, and Distinctive Gardens, working cooperatively to expand our area's strong community support for the arts. |
Linda Brantley
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Crystal Cork Art Quarterly No. 2
Fresh Water Pearls: Unique creations by Linda Brantley
Where: The Crystal Cork Wine Shoppe, 219 W. 1st Street, Dixon, IL
When: November 21, 2008 - January 31, 2009
STATEMENT
History of pearl acquisition…
For thousands of years, saltwater pearls were retrieved primarily by divers working in the Indian Ocean, in the
areas like the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Manna. Before the 20th Century, pearl hunting by divers
was the most common way of harvesting pearls. Divers manually pulled oysters from the ocean floor and river
bottoms. Of course, not all mussels and oysters produce pearls, in fact in a haul of three tons only three or four
oysters would produce perfect pearls. Today, almost all pearls used for jewelry are cultured by planting a core or
nucleus into pearl oysters. They are usually harvested for fresh water pearls anywhere from 2 to 7 years. The
nucleus is generally a polished bead made from freshwater mussel shell. The Mississippi River is a source for
the polished bead. Along with the bead, a small piece of mantle tissue from another mollusk serves as a catalyst
for the pearl sac, which is surgically implanted. Recent pearl production shows that China has overtaken Japan
in pearl production. China produces more than 1500 metric tons per year of fresh water pearls.
Creation of pearls…
Thinking about the difference of natural and cultured pearls is defined by whether the pearl was created by nature
without human aid. Both natural and cultured pearls form inside the shell of certain mollusks: as defense
mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant inside the shell creates a pearl to seal off the irritation. Natural
pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin and come in many shapes. The perfectly round ones
are more rare, consequently the more expensive. Cultured pearls show different growth rings when x-rayed.
Pearl values…
Like colored gems and diamonds, there are factors that help determine the value of pearls used in jewelry. The
most important attribute is luster. Also important are color, size, lack of surface flaws and symmetry.
Special vocabulary for length of pearls…
Pearls are described by the length they hang around the neck:
Collar : 10 to 13 inches in length and lays directly against the throat.
Pearl chokers : 14 to 16 inches and nestled just at the base of the neck.
Princess length : 17 to 19 inches and comes down to or just below the collarbone.
Matinee length : 20 to 24 inches and falls just above the breast.
Opera length : 28 to 35 inches and long enough to reach the breastbone of the wearer.
Pearl rope is longer yet and is any length that falls farther than the opera.
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Crystal Cork Art Quarterly No. 2
Fresh Water Pearls: Unique creations by Linda Brantley
Where: The Crystal Cork Wine Shoppe, 219 W. 1st Street, Dixon, IL
When: November 21, 2008 - January 31, 2009
STATEMENT
History of pearl acquisition…
For thousands of years, saltwater pearls were retrieved primarily by divers working in the Indian Ocean, in the
areas like the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Manna. Before the 20th Century, pearl hunting by divers
was the most common way of harvesting pearls. Divers manually pulled oysters from the ocean floor and river
bottoms. Of course, not all mussels and oysters produce pearls, in fact in a haul of three tons only three or four
oysters would produce perfect pearls. Today, almost all pearls used for jewelry are cultured by planting a core or
nucleus into pearl oysters. They are usually harvested for fresh water pearls anywhere from 2 to 7 years. The
nucleus is generally a polished bead made from freshwater mussel shell. The Mississippi River is a source for
the polished bead. Along with the bead, a small piece of mantle tissue from another mollusk serves as a catalyst
for the pearl sac, which is surgically implanted. Recent pearl production shows that China has overtaken Japan
in pearl production. China produces more than 1500 metric tons per year of fresh water pearls.
Creation of pearls…
Thinking about the difference of natural and cultured pearls is defined by whether the pearl was created by nature
without human aid. Both natural and cultured pearls form inside the shell of certain mollusks: as defense
mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant inside the shell creates a pearl to seal off the irritation. Natural
pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin and come in many shapes. The perfectly round ones
are more rare, consequently the more expensive. Cultured pearls show different growth rings when x-rayed.
Pearl values…
Like colored gems and diamonds, there are factors that help determine the value of pearls used in jewelry. The
most important attribute is luster. Also important are color, size, lack of surface flaws and symmetry.
Special vocabulary for length of pearls…
Pearls are described by the length they hang around the neck:
Collar : 10 to 13 inches in length and lays directly against the throat.
Pearl chokers : 14 to 16 inches and nestled just at the base of the neck.
Princess length : 17 to 19 inches and comes down to or just below the collarbone.
Matinee length : 20 to 24 inches and falls just above the breast.
Opera length : 28 to 35 inches and long enough to reach the breastbone of the wearer.
Pearl rope is longer yet and is any length that falls farther than the opera.
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