67 ESSENCE OF DUBAI
THE MAIN THING TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN SELECTING A PEARL IS THE GLOWING APPEARANCE OF ITS SURFACE AND ITS ABILITY TO REFLECT LIGHT.
MOON LOOP - Cultured pearl earrings, 18ct white gold and brilliant cut diamonds. © Schoeffel
PEARLS There is an Arabic legend that says when moonlight filled dewdrops descended to the sea from the sky, they were swallowed by oysters and thus formed pearls inside their shells. Dubai’s association with pearls goes as far back as this old adage – long before the discovery of oil on the Gulf, pearl trading was the source of most of Dubai’s wealth. Today, while we may have a more scientific explanation for the formation of pearls, the concept of their creation is still similar – when a foreign object slips through into an oyster and irritates it (much like a splinter in a toe), the oyster naturally tries to protect itself by coating the object with layers of the same substance of which its outer shell is made (nacre) and eventually over time these layers form into a pearl. Generally, cultured pearls are less sought after than natural pearls, despite their equalled quality, simply because they are not as rare. Pearls are on a par with diamonds as symbols of elegance and natural beauty, and their
value, like that of a diamond, is also determined by factors like size, colour, lustre, shape and surface quality. The main thing to look out for when selecting a pearl is the glowing appearance of its surface and its ability to reflect light. Look at the pearl and, if you find your reflection looking back at you, then it’s made of exceptional quality, thanks to the layer of nacre coating it. The quality of the pearl’s lustre is attributed to two main factors – the health of the mother oyster and the length of time the pearl spent in the oyster. Pearls can be found in a whole range of colours, from shades of white, pink, silver, gold and blue, through to darker colours such as peacock green and aubergine purple, to shades of grey. The shape of a pearl varies from round to baroque (irregular) with the spherical and symmetrical shapes being the most popular choice with consumers today. The size of a pearl is also important, and is measured in millimetres. This has an impact upon the price, where a millimetre’s difference can raise the price by up to 200 percent.
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3/04/14 2:05 PM