The day’s events took me to Mikimoto in Costa Mesa.
In between sips of champagne and nibbles of tea sandwiches, I learned about the classification and making of pearls. They are formed slowly over time after a foreign object gets lodged inside the oyster or other mollusk having two shells. As a natural defense, the foreign object becomes a nucleus that is surrounded by layers of a protective coating, called a nacre. This sums up the formation of a pearl, which takes 6 months to 3 years in the making.
Mikimoto says that it only selects 3-5% of pearls harvested for its collections. In terms of size, pearls typically range from 3.5 mm to 14 mm. Although it is extremely rare to find pearls over 10mm in diameter, I saw many large pearls at Mikimoto, with one being identified as being over 20 mm. There are also sustainability issues surrounding pearls, with some species of mollusks being placed on the endangered species list due to environmental issues and overfarming.
Mikimoto says that it only selects 3-5% of pearls harvested for its collections. In terms of size, pearls typically range from 3.5 mm to 14 mm. Although it is extremely rare to find pearls over 10mm in diameter, I saw many large pearls at Mikimoto, with one being identified as being over 20 mm. There are also sustainability issues surrounding pearls, with some species of mollusks being placed on the endangered species list due to environmental issues and overfarming.
Pearls come in a wide spectrum of colors from cream, to pink, gold, champagne to black, with white and pink rose rising in high demand for flattering the widest range of skin tones.
The different colors originate from different species and reflect the environments that the pearls originate from. The colour of the pearl tends to mirror the mollusk’s inner shell. They are cultivated in Australia, China, and Japan, to name a few. Gray pearls which range from having a greenish luster to varying shades of grey are often known as the South Sea variety. Other common areas of cultivation span from Tahiti, Philippines, Indonesia, to China. Pearls can also be dyed into different colors as is more common with the freshwater variety.
The different colors originate from different species and reflect the environments that the pearls originate from. The colour of the pearl tends to mirror the mollusk’s inner shell. They are cultivated in Australia, China, and Japan, to name a few. Gray pearls which range from having a greenish luster to varying shades of grey are often known as the South Sea variety. Other common areas of cultivation span from Tahiti, Philippines, Indonesia, to China. Pearls can also be dyed into different colors as is more common with the freshwater variety.
My trip was highlighted by an exquisite, show-stopping necklace combining large South Sea pearls, diamonds, and dark gemstones. Tres magnifique!
Sources: www.fieldmuseum.org/pearls and Mikimoto
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