Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2008 | Page 31

FEATURE
like a prized art collection
imprisoned from the eyes
of the world. The human
skin warms and protects
the pearl.
There is still a
hierarchy in the pearl
world, and their price
reflects this. Southsea
and Tahitian Pearls
come from two of the
largest molluscs and can
only be grown in the warm
seas surrounding Tahiti,
Polynesia and Australia. The
more perfect they are in shape
and lustre, the more costly
they are.
Pearls are formed when a
piece of grit or other irritant
gets into the shell of a mollusc:
not necessarily an oyster,
though the hinged nature of
the oyster or mussel shell,
coupled with their way of
feeding, means the shell is
always slightly open – which
means pearl potential.
The creature deals with the
irritant by secreting concentric
rings of nacre, calcium
carbonate. It is the build-up of
layer on layer of this iridescent
substance which gives a pearl
its luminosity. Sadly a grain
of sand is not sufficient to
irritate the mollusc: if it were,
our seashores would be littered
with precious pearls.
Pearls today are cultured,
of course, that is they are
created by nature but induced
by man. Their availability
is greater so their price has
become affordable. But what
man cannot do is ensure their
perfection, however hard we
try.
And we try! This is no hit
and miss affair. To emulate the
irritant in an oyster, a mother
of pearl bead – the nucleus of
the pearl-to-be – is inserted,
by one very skilled “nucleator”
into the shell. The water
temperature has to be raised
slightly to trick the mollusc
into voluntarily opening up. A
wedge keeps the shell open

while
the nucleator does his stuff
- quickly so as not to cause
the mollusc any discomfort.
The same process is used for
Freshwater pearl nucleation
except a piece of mantle tissue
from a donor mussel is used.
You might think that a
simpler solution could be
found – and indeed other
materials have been tried as
nucleus beads. But in order
for the pearl to expand and
contract in every environment
from a chilly day at Ascot to a
steamy nightclub, the nucleus
has to do the same. It needs
to resist cracking and hold its
own shine just like the pearl it
has formed.
In Julius Caesar’s time a
whole war was funded on the
cost of one pearl. Cleopatra
demanded that Mark Anthony
crush a pearl into his wine and
drink it: to prove the cost of
his love. Today the mystery
of pearls remains – because
we have almost got control of
their creation, but not quite.

Caring for your
pearls :
advice from Isle of Wight Pearl
Last on, first off: perfume,
hairspray, and make-up can
harm them, so your pearl
jewellery should be the last
thing to put on when getting
dressed.

www.wightfrog.com/islandlife

Best when worn:
don’t stash them
away for your
grandchildren.
Enjoy wearing them!
Keep them clean: but
only with a damp cloth
now and again (solvents
can harm them).
Re-string pearl necklaces
regularly: Isle of Wight Pearl
offers a such a service, as well
as undertaking repairs and
bespoke design commissions.
Avoid perfume: the nacre will
be damaged so the pearls will
become dull.
Storage: place pearls in a soft
box or pouch before placing in
a jewellery box with
other items.

life

For an insight into the world
of the pearl, visit

Isle of Wight Pearl
Military Road
Brighstone
tel 740352.
31