Beautiful Cultured Pearls from Lombok Island, Indonesia

Diamonds are forever, as they say. Almost all ladies want diamonds as their engagement or wedding jewelry. Now, I would like to introduce ladies or bride-to-be to other gem stones we call pearls.

PEARLS are organic gems, created when an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. Long time ago, pearls were important financial assets, comparable in price to real estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched for only one pearl. They were rare because they were created only by chance. So, it made pearls very valuable.

Today, pearls are cultured by man. Shell beads are placed inside an oyster and the oyster is returned to the water. When the pearls are later harvested, the oyster has covered the bead with layers of nacre. Most cultured pearls are produced in Japan. In the warmer waters of the South Pacific, larger oysters produce South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian black cultured pearls, which are larger in size. Freshwater pearls are cultured in freshwater mussels.

Countries in Southeast Asia which surrounded by ocean such as Philippines and Indonesia also produce cultured pearls. In Indonesia, Lombok Pearls are cultured in salt water and fresh water of Lombok seashore. Salt-water pearls are generally more expensive and of higher quality than the fresh-water ones. They have good luster and the shape are more round. On the other hand, fresh-water pearls are characterized by their asymmetrical surface shape giving imperfect appearances yet unique.

The quality of pearl is judged by the orient, which is the soft iridescence cause by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and luster, the reflectivity and shine of the surface. Fine pearls do not have any flaws or spots in the nacre. It has an even smooth texture. Other factors which affect value are the regularity of the shape, size, and color. Usually rose tints are the most flavored.