Luster of Pearls

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Luster of Pearls

What is luster and why is it important?

When light reflects of the built up layers of nacre on a pearl it
creates a remarkable effect making the pearl appear to glow
with an inner shine. The intensity of this is determined by
the thickness and quality of the built up layers of 'nacre'.
This effect is very important and eye-catching and is what
makes pearls so desirable. The more intense the effect
the more lustrous the pearl and the more valuable it is,
the differences in the luster of pearls is easy to see.

What affects the luster of a pearl and how can I make sure that I get the most lustrous pearl?

The layers of nacre that create this visual effect do not always build up evenly within the oyster. Often this creates marks, spots or bubbles commonly referred to as 'blemishes'. As with flaws in gemstones these blemishes affect the value of a pearl as they distort the luster and at their most extreme can have an overall affect upon the durability of the pearl weakening it to the point that it can crack or be easily damaged. Pearl jewelry comes in a range of values but you can be assured that the surface markings will only vary between slight to none and will not affect the overall durability of the pearl. Additionally we have included a grading system to ensure that customers have the opportunity of purchasing pearls with the highest luster.