THE PEARL GUIDE

BUN Signature Swarovski Pearls: BUN Signature Swarovski Pearls are manufactured in Austria, mimicking the weight, feel, luster and colour of a perfect natural pearl. BUN Pearls are the highest quality glass based pearls available in today’s market. To ensure sustainability and quality the pearls are coated with a lustrous lacquer. Bun is an official partner of Swarovski.

Cultured Pearls: A cultured pearl is individually harvested in its shell for 2-7 years. British biologist William Saville-Kent founded this method of producing natural pearls. To produce cultured pearls, either freshwater or seawater shells are used. Cultured pearls can only be distinguished from natural pearls by x-ray.

Freshwater Pearls: A freshwater pearl is a pearl that is grown and harvested in freshwater rivers and lakes by pearl bearing mollusks. Although freshwater pearls do not share the same lustrous shine or perfectly roundness by their saltwater counterparts, freshwater pearls are extremely durable and inexpensive, making them a popular choice for mass jewelry production.

South Sea Pearls: South Sea pearls are the largest and rarest pearls in the world. They are predominately recognized for their soft inner glow, and for their large size, ranging from 9 millimeter till 20 millimeter in diameter. South Seas pearls are cultured in the warm South Sea waters off Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Thailand.

Tahitian Pearls: Tahitian pearls are bead- nucleated pearls from the warm waters of the South Seas and are grown in a Black-Lipped oyster. They are the only pearl to achieve a black body color naturally and are typically very large. Tahitian pearls although mostly dark, can come in a wide range of hues including black, gray, silver, green, blue and purple.

Natural Pearls: Natural pearls are extremely rare and very few natural pearl necklace strands exist in the world. Natural pearls are 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It is thought that natural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions, which prices the precious gems at thousands of dollars per pearl. This system grades pearls on a scale from AAA to A, with AAA being the highest grade. This grading scale is common to freshwater and akoya pearls only, but is accepted by many with South Sea and Tahitian pearls as well:

AAA:The highest-quality pearl, virtually flawless. The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 95% of the surface will be free from any type of defect.

AA: The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 75% of the surface will be free from any type of defect.

A: This is the lowest jewelry-grade pearl, with a lower luster and/or more than 25% of the surface showing defects. In many cases, if the pearl is being mounted into a piece of jewelry, it can be mounted so that the defects are hidden -- thus providing a lovely jewelry piece at a lower price.

Pearl Necklace Lengths:

Collar 12-13 inches
Pearl collars are usually comprised of three or more strands and fit snugly around the middle of the neck

Choker 14-16 inches
A pearl choker will rest along the collar bone.

Princess 17-19 inches
This is by far the most commom strand length, resting below the collar bone, upper mid-chest.

Matinée 20-25 inches
The matinée length rests just below shoulder height.

Opera 26-36 inches
An opera length necklace falls to the middle of the chest.

Majesty 37 inches or more
A Majesty length necklace will fall to the waist, or longer, depending on the length of the strand.

Caring for your Pearls:

-Store pearls in a soft material

-Minimize contact with grooming products

-Minimize contact with perspiration

-Gently wipe pearls with damp cloth after each wear