Say ‘White’ and the instant picture that comes to mind is that of a round and luminescent pearl or else why sparkling teeth are described as pearly white. A quite, gentle shine and softness of the pearl has endeared it alike to men and women over the ages. Pearls come in many colours- black with tinges of yellow, blue, salmon, pink, red, brown and even green. But the most popular is the white pearl. Often called the ‘Queen of the Sea‘, pearls are known for their beauty, purity and luster. Like many of other jewels, pearls too has been a favourite with the kings and the queens of the world. Queen Victoria always wore a pearl necklace studded with diamonds and precious stones like rubies and sapphires.
Nizams and the Nawabs of Hyderabad patronized dealers of pearls and preferred wearing pearl jewellery. Hyderabad was a princely state and one of the richest too. Wanderers and traders would come from as far as Basra in Iran, with their best of the pearls.
Today, with real pearls almost non-existing, cultured pearls have taken over. Surprisingly, the love and passion for pearl jewellery hasn’t diminished. The lure for the sheen and lustre of pearl is still in vogue.
The lustre of the pearl (also called ‘Teri’) is the most important factor in the evaluation of a pearl’s price. The lustre is caused by a rainbow effect. Each pearl has a highlight- a bright spot where light is reflected. The shaded area next to this highlight will have a subtle glow that seems to come from beneath the surface.The thickness of the pearl layer is a basic point in deciding the pearl quality. The pearl layer that forms regularly under certain conditions has a good lustre.
