Pearls - The Connoisseur's selection

As a buyer, seller, collector, and glutton of world's most historically coveted gemstone, there is one question I have answered more than any other. A question which is likely the wisest a potential customer may ask. My reply will surprise most, as it goes against the perceptions of the mean consumer. It is based on a veritable appreciation and comprehension of an astoundingly changeable gem.

If you were me, what type of pearl would you choose? What type of pearl do you most appreciate and why?

Pearls

I appreciate the charm of all pearls, either they are cultured or natural. I love the metallic luminosity of a fine seacoast of Akoya pearls. I appreciate the various hues of a dark peacock Tahitian pearl. I respect the size and regal elegance of South Sea pearls. But there is one pearl that has captured my eye, my imagination, and finally my heart in the last decade. It is the cultured freshwater pearl.

Pearls - The Connoisseur's selection

To those who have researched or naturally admired pearls, the word freshwater has a colorful, fun connotation. These are the pearls that are known for their whimsical shapes and natural hues unique to the species of mollusk which produces them. They have long been a beloved of the hobby designer, and have been an affordable alternative to the more costly saltwater pearls. Because of their abundance, their affordability, and mean lower qualities, freshwater pearls have held a lowly status among the gem-world of pearls. This status has now changed.

For the past half decade, we in the business have been privy to one of the most extraordinary developments in the pearl market today. Freshwater pearls have morphed from fun, playful baubles, into gems of predicted stature. The best of them now not only rival the highest grade of their saltwater counterparts, they often transcend to a level never concept imaginable. As freshwater pearls are the only cultured pearls composed solidly of nacre today, they exude the fancied attributes of natural pearls from the days of old, and they will not discolor or wear out over time.

Freshwater pearls of the crème de la crème variety, to which I refer as 'Freshadama', are what I believe to be the world's finest pearls. Not only do these pearls have the luster, shine, and shape of their saltwater cousins, they have something rarely seen in any pearl of cultured origin. They exhibit orient - the rare diffraction of light exuding from within the pearl, creating a soft prismatic glow that floats translucently on the surface. It is the charm of pearl in its purest form.

The vast majority of consumers today have never seen freshwater pearls of this grade, and my reply is often met with bewilderment. "Freshwater pearls are still referred to as potato pearls and rice crispy pearls. How can a seacoast of these be excellent to the famed Akoya, or the opulent South Sea?" they often challenge.

The surprising reply is that no more than just two years ago, they could not assess to their saltwater cousins. They would rarely exhibit the lustrous qualities of Akoya pearls, or the size and symmetrical perfection of South Sea. But today they can, and they do.

Gem quality, cultured freshwater pearls of this grade are still very rare today. Only a master is likely to carry them. They are sold under the trade name freshadama, or marketed under the potential grade "gem" - a grade never before related with freshwater pearls in the past.

As a retailer and distributor of all types of pearls; together with Akoya, Tahitian, South Sea, freshwater, and even natural, I can and really do appreciate them all. My job is to find and select the most beautiful of each variety. But as a connoisseur, I can only favor one above them all - the gem potential freshwater pearl.

PearlParadise.com is proud to offer a full line of 'freshadama' freshwater pearls at http://www.pearlparadise.com

Pearls - The Connoisseur's selection