Semi-precious stones and crystals from GAVBARI
August 10, 2021
The most fashionable chain types – part 1
March 8, 2022
What does the pearl symbolize?
According to some sources, pearls were used for decorative purposes as early as 6,000 years ago, and people inhabiting areas near the occurring pearls attributed magical powers to them, therefore many myths have arisen about their origin. In antiquity, it was believed that pearls were formed after a storm, where the rainbow touched the ground, and that visible blemishes on their surfaces are the effects of their contact with lightning. According to the Greeks, pearls were congealed drops of water that formed after the emergence of Aphrodite – the goddess of love, from the sea foam. In Persia, they symbolized virginity, and in China, purity and the highest value. In Japan, they were believed to be the tears of the ocean, angels, nymphs and mermaids. Hindus and Christians associate them with perfection and purity, which is why they are often chosen as wedding jewelry. Despite the wide spread of cultural beliefs, there is one trait that is common to all, that it was, and continues to be, unique, magical and immensely valuable to all. Especially that, in addition to the visual qualities, it was also credited with healing properties, and treated as a protective amulet. Formerly, it was believed that pearl stimulates femininity and fertility, and protects the expecting mother from negative emotions and toxins so that she can give birth to a healthy child. It is also identified with the power to strengthen self-confidence and self-acceptance. Pearls help to appreciate the value of life and also symbolize honesty, sincerity, innocence and purity.
Over time, however, the pearls gradually changed their face. Initially, they were formed only in natural conditions – in mollusks’ shells without human intervention. However, at the end of the 19th century, the growing demand for pearls resulted in the introduction of cultured pearls to the market. The development of pearl culture technology has been gradually improved, so it hit the pearl industry hard. Cultured pearls are also being formed by shelled mollusks in a natural way, but the only difference is a little human help in the initial stage, when the graft (mantle tissue) needs to be implanted inside the shell. From this moment, the mollusks starts producing layers of nacre around the implant, in the result of which the pearl is formed. Progressively, cultured pearls replaced the natural ones and dominated the jewelry industry until today.
For those who are interested in astrology, it says that they should be worn by people born in June, as well as those from the sign of Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces, but due to their nobility and versatility, we recommend them to every woman of all ages.
Types of pearls
Pearls are most often classified according to: origin, color and shape. We, however, will focus on the sorting based on their origin, according to which we distinguish:
- natural pearls (saltwater and freshwater),
- cultured pearls (saltwater and freshwater),
- shell pearls or imitation pearls – usually made of mother of pearl, coral or conch shell, and other artificial pearls and synthetic pearls – usually made of glass or plastic and coated with a solution a containing fish scales or other enamel resembling the surface of natural pearls.
As we have already mentioned, the rarity of natural pearls and the growing demand for them have led to the emergence of pearl farms. For this reason, the harvesting of natural pearls has been limited, and the majority of them currently sold come from farmed pearl oysters and freshwater mussels. Cultured pearls are often also called real pearls, because although they are made with a little human intervention at the beginning, the further process of producing the pearl is natural. This cycle takes about two years. Due to the natural formation of pearls by mollusks, they have become known as real pearls, in contrast to synthetic pearls, which are fully man-made, typically in laboratories. However, we will focus on cultured pearls.
Value of pearls
- origin (freshwater, saltwater, geographical location of the farm, species of mollusk forming the pearl),
- shape,
- size: spherical pearls most often reach about 1 mm – 20 mm, the most sought-after baroque pearls are those over 15 mm,
- color: the most common are white and cream pearls, less often: pink, blue and green in pastel overtones of rainbow,
- quality of surface,
- orient and luster.
GAVBARI pearls
GAVBARI pearls include cultured freshwater pearls, meaning they are made by mollusks that inhabit rivers and lakes, and seashell pearls. In our offer you will find models in various shapes, sizes, colors, hole sizes, and the method of their assembly. The largest group are classic white round pearls, which are available in sizes 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mm, with a half hole (for pasting) and a through hole (for threading) in sizes from 0.7 – 1.2 mm. This group also includes colored pearls: black pearls, golden pearls and pink pearls.
Another group consists of irregular pearls, in which we can find pearls with or without a hole, of various shapes and sizes. When making jewelry with pearls, it is worth paying attention to their sizes, because some specimens are huge, as well as the diameter of their holes. This category includes baroque pearls, keshi, peanuts, fireballs and flowery pearls. Contrary to the classic spherical pearls, this group represents irregular shaped pearls, also called in general as baroque pearls. The name comes from the Portuguese word “barocco”, meaning “strange”, as the first specimens of this type of pearl were found off the coast of Portugal. The second mysterious name “keshi” comes from the Japanese language and means “poppy seed”. They arise as a by-product in culture after the inserted implant has been discarded, and therefore are entirely composed of nacre only. Keshi is the rarest type of baroque pearl. The other names were adopted because of their association with a peanut, flower, fireball or comet. In this group, pearls larger than 15 mm are the most popular, so in our collection you will find specimens with dimensions ranging between 15 – 30 mm. Due to their fanciful forms, they are of great use in designing artistic jewelry – one of a kind.
Jewelry with pearls
The trends of past seasons and those to come – are the feast for pearls! Once again, these “gems from the sea” are undergoing their renaissance. This time they surprise with large sizes, different shapes and, above all, unconventional compositions! Of course, classic jewelry with round pearls has been well known for years, most often in the form of pearl strings, bracelets and delicate stud earrings. However, today, both jewelers and craftsmen go a few steps further and surprise with more and more extravagant ideas. If they make pearl necklaces – they are layered. Frequently combined with massive chains and many pendants, decorating not only the neck, but also the neckline, reaching up to the waist or beyond. If chokers – these are made of large pearls of various shapes, with an attached huge toggle clasp or a massive pendant with a letter, coin or moon. If earrings – they are necessarily sumptuous, richly ornamented, dangling, often asymmetrical – that is, different from each other. The spectacular solo earring also turned out to be a hit of recent seasons.
Regardless of whether you create modest compositions or more sophisticated ones, remember that pearl ornaments suit every type of beauty and are suitable for every occasion. Undeniably, pearls in any form add shine and harmonize wonderfully with evening outfits, but it is worth taking into account that delicate accessories also add elegance during business and casual meetings, and also diversify comfortable and even sporty outfits worn every day. To create jewelry with pearls, pearl beads (pass-through spherical) are most often used, which can be threaded on various types of carriers, and half-hole pearls, which are most often pasted into dedicated silver blanks.
Pearl beads for jewelry making
Pearl beads are most often used to make necklaces, chokers, bracelets, as well as pendants, earrings and rings. Necklaces, chokers and bracelets can be created on elastic bracelet strings, and they do not need jewelry clasps. Alternatively, pearls can also be threaded on steel jewelry lines – and in this case we recommend attaching a clasp.
Regardless of which option you choose, it is worth decorating accessories with spacers for pendants, which offer the possibility of adding additional components, such as pendants and charms – depending on the season, occasion or styling. For example, in spring, a butterfly pendant is a good choice, for summer – a sun pendant, for autumn – a leaf pendant, and for winter – a star pendant. In addition to seasonal decorations, the most popular for all occasions are heart pendants, infinity pendants or letter pendants.
In addition to necklaces and bracelets, pearls turn out to be very useful in making pendants that can be created in several ways. One option is to use a silver headpin, on which we thread a pearl, and then form the end of the pin into a loop, also called eye or hook. This loop will block the strung decorations and will be used to connect with other components such as: jump rings, bails, earring settings or chain links. If you plan to create a longer pendant, then choose a longer pin, thread a few pearls on it, and then finish it with the above-mentioned loop. The strung decorations can also be separated with decorative spacers, beads, cups, silver balls or tubes. When choosing jewelry pins, consider three features:
- the type of its ending: head, cap, hook, ball, nail, cone,
- the length of the pin,
- wire thickness.
To design a vertical pendant in which the pin is the last element – it is worth going for a pin with a head that will blend perfectly into the outline of our pearl. If the pin is an in between element, intended to be connected with subsequent decorations (e.g. earwires from above, other pendants from the bottom) – then best is choosing a pin with hook and after threading, form the other end into the same hook (eyelet). Such pendants can be used as a necklace pendant, choker or bracelet charm, but also as a pendant for earrings or rings.
The length of the pin should be selected depending on the number of elements that you have planned to thread on it, and here we recommend going for a bit longer, because if it turns out to be too long – you can always shorten it after threading the decoration. If the pin turns out to be too short – there’s not much you can do about it. Additionally, when creating this type of decoration, it is worth remembering that in order to conveniently form a hook, you need extra about 1 cm of the length of a pin.
As for the thickness of the pins, make sure that its stud goes through the pearl’s hole. In our offer you will find all options of endings and lengths with diameters from 0.4 mm – 0.9 mm, but taking into account the fact that our bead pearls have a hole diameter of 0.7 mm, it is best to choose pins with a wire thickness of 0.7, or for safety even a little smaller, e.g. 0.65 or 0.5 mm.
If, on the other hand, you plan a horizontal pendant in the form of a connector to a necklace or a bracelet, go for a pin with a hook here as well, so that it can be connected with other elements, most often with jump rings or chain links.
Another proposal for creating jewelry with bead pearls, in addition to strands and pins, is jewelry wire, which we offer in various variants by the meter, which broadens the creative possibilities. When selecting silver wires, consider their hardness and thickness. Hard wires are suitable for creating basic structures, while soft wires are great for more intricate patterns. The thickness of the wires should be adjusted to the hole size of the pearls you plan to thread on them. More advanced jewelry makers may think about creating pins on their own, because silver pins are made of such wires. Here, jewelry pliers will come in handy: flat (to hold) and round (to form a loop). If you plan to finish the wire with a ball or cap, melt the tip – for example, with a jewelry torch. If you are looking for more sophisticated solutions, one method is to solder other sterling silver blanks to the wire. See the offer of our findings for soldering.
Pendants created with the use of ready-made pins or properly formed wires can be used in many ways. They will act as pendant for bracelets, necklaces or chokers. Another option is to hang them on earrings hooks or other earring bases – creating more or less ornamented ear accessories. Such a pendant will also be perfect as a decoration for a ring for charms. If you design rings, it is worth trying to use our charm ring base, on which you can create interesting compositions of pearls threaded on an elastic line or silver pins.
Half drilled pearls
In addition to pass-through pearls, our offer also includes half drilled pearls. Most often they are pearls for glueing, therefore, as a sterling silver findings manufacturer, we have designed components dedicated to pearls, facilitating the creation of earrings, clips, pendants and rings. Although, if you cannot find the product you need in our database, please contact us, and we will be happy to discuss the idea and design it especially for you. However, we are sure that most of you will find in our offer, which includes almost 10,000 semi-finished products, the ones you need. Below, we present some inspirations, using only the elements from our assortment.
If you create delicate and minimalist jewelry – we recommend silver stud earrings , in which you only need to paste the pearls and match the earrings clasps to create charming earrings with pearls. These semi-finished products are available in three cup sizes, so you can use them not only for small pearls, but also for larger pieces. An alternative to the studs are open earwires or leverbacks. Delicate earrings will be perfectly complemented by a simple pearl bail, suspended on a subtle base for the necklace. It is also worth adding a bracelet with the same weave as the necklace to the set and hang a charm on it created by pasting a pearl into a pearl cup.
If you create more spectacular jewelry, put on dangling earrings, combining earwires with a shell charm or a moon pendant. These components are also perfect for decorating a necklace or choker. It is worth adding variety to the set, by using a universal ring finding, which allows you to decorate not only with the pearl itself, but also with the popular Rivoli crystal.
Pearls as a gift
Jewelry with pearls has always been fashionable and will probably remain so, because these wonders of nature, despite changing their forms of use in jewelry, are considered timeless ornaments, reflecting the chic, elegance and sensuality of the owner. Since the pearl symbolizes pure love, faithfulness and devotion, it has been nominated a symbolic gift for the Pearl Wedding Anniversary, celebrated on the 30th anniversary of marriage. However, the round wedding anniversary is not the only perfect occasion to present jewelry adorned with these jewels, as the pearl carries many other meanings. It is definitely a great idea for Valentine’s day gifts – provided, of course, that your loved one likes pearls. In the past, it was believed that pearls protect against evil, which encourages giving them to a loved one, as a gift for Mother’s Day, Grandma’s Day, Women’s Day or Christmas gifts. A pearl also symbolizes a new beginning, so it can be a great gift for a wedding, birthday or starting a new job. However, depending on the age or style of the potential owner, it is worth considering the form of jewelry.
For example, when creating jewelry for an elderly person, it will probably be more convenient to use a classic string of pearls and an elastic bracelet, or with a massive clasp that will make it easier to fasten and unfasten the accessory. For younger people, silver studs with pearls, a delicate necklace pendant or ring with a pearl will be safe. For someone who likes expressive jewelry, it is worth trying bolder compositions, consisting of several larger and irregular pearls, adorning long earrings, layered necklaces with chains, or necklaces with massive pendants. When choosing pendants, you should also try personalized jewelry. Depending on what the person is interested in, you can apply elements with motifs. An example is the cat pendant, which may be perfect for a lover of these four-legged animals. If we do not have an idea for a suitable pendant, a letter pendant will probably be a safe option – referring to initials, a name or an inscription that will carry some meaning. You can also try tags for engraving. There are many options, but it is worth remembering that any jewelry with pearls is undoubtedly a synonym of beauty and elegance, which perfectly emphasizes the charm of every woman, therefore it is a great gift idea – regardless of age.
Pearl wedding jewelry
Pearls in jewelry, due to their most common color, have also become a popular choice, complementing the beauty of a wedding creation. An additional argument is the fact that pearls also symbolize virginity, purity, innocence, pristine beauty and, above all, happiness. For people looking for discreet jewelry, small pearls on earring studs – subtly decorating the earlobes – are perfect. And depending on the dress neckline – a single pearl suspended on a light cable chain, and a delicate ring with a pearl adorning the finger on the hand. For those looking for expressive accents, we recommend a solo necklace made of spherical pearls or with a matching pendant, a bracelet made of the same pearls and pearl earrings – short and not too stylish so that they do not overshadow the necklace. An alternative are long dangling earrings, decorated with pearls and additionally with tassels, feathers or fragments of light material such as chiffon or silk. In this case, the neck decoration may not be necessary, but the earrings can be completed with a bracelet or a ring with a pearl. Regardless of which option you choose, pearls close to the face, thanks to their natural color and lightness, will add glow to the skin, brighten the eyes and highlight the charm of every bride.
Pearl care
Pearls, due to their natural origin, are susceptible to the aging process, but their lifespan is estimated at about 100-150 years, although there are exceptions to this rule. As they are an organic product, they show reduced resistance to external factors. Excessive humidity may cause them to swell, while too dry air may cause them to crumble. In order to extend the durability of pearls, foremost, they should be properly stored. Jewelry boxes will fulfill their task here. In the case of pearls, an additional advantage will be lining the inside of the box with a soft material.
In addition to the storage itself, it is also worth treating them properly, because pearls are adversely affected by various types of acids, sweat, alcohol, and chemicals – present in cosmetics, deodorants, perfumes and most cleaning agents. Therefore, it is recommended to wear pearl jewelry after applying cosmetics and not before (makeup, creams, lotions, deodorant, perfumes), preferably giving them some time to absorb. It is also recommended to remove jewelry immediately after returning home, especially before starting any household chores, such as washing dishes, washing or dusting. If the pearls become dull over time or lose their natural charm, they can be gently cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with salt water.
Pearl was once a symbol of wealth, and only a few could afford it. Much has changed with the emergence of pearl farms, which made these sea gems available to a wider group of customers. Despite its lower price and greater commonness, pearl is still considered the queen of jewels and is constantly used to create high-class jewelry that not only delights, but also adds glamour, style and elegance. Pearls, due to their nobility, look most phenomenal in combination with precious metals such as silver and gold. A popular solution is also covering the silver with a layer of yellow or rose gold. All options of gold, as well as rhodium and platinum plating, can be found on our website in the table next to the product. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the offer of GAVBARI pearls, as well as dedicated jewelry findings made of the highest quality nickel-free silver.
Get inspired by jewelry with crystals
Want to know more?
- Find out: 925CRAFT – Polish manufacturer and jewelry findings wholesaler
- Read the article: How to make jewelry for communion
- Get inspired: Popular jewelry motifs – part 2
- Check out also: Types of jewelry clasps
- Discover: How to clean silver jewelry at home?
