Month: January 2015

Mysterious, whole and absolute, one can’t deny that black is a beautiful colour. Wearing black as jewellery, especially in the form of pearls brings out the beautiful best in a woman. It is not a surprise that Black Pearl Jewellery is so sought after then, for all the unearthly beauty that black pearls seem to radiate.

Although it is widely assumed that black pearls are formed by dyeing white pearls black, black pearls are as natural as their more common cousins, the white pearls. Only that, they are extremely rare as the oyster that forms black pearls, the Tahitian black lipped oyster, is also extremely rare. This rarity is what makes the black pearl jewellery very expensive and also mysteriously exotic.

Tahitian pearls come in different shades of grey. Sometimes they are entirely black and sometimes they are a very light shade of grey. All the beautiful shades of these pearls are because of the difference in the amount of pigment that is released from the black lipped oyster as it makes these pearls. The more the pigment, the darker the shade.  And as the pearls get darker, they have an increasing shine to them.

A Black pearl can be worn in many different ways. Embed it in the midst of white pearls or gold or silver or just wear it as just a black pearl necklace, it’s just bound to look as beautiful in every form.

We at JPearls have some really enticing black pearl jewellery crafted into some of the beautiful designs.

Wearing black pearls as they are, whole and sole like the black pearl necklace ‘JPearls Pre-eminent set’ brings out their beauty like no other mix up of them does, making the wearer looking classy, elegant and indefinitely beautiful. What’s more, it goes with just about any dress or for any occasion.

Embedding black pearls in the middle of a chain of white pearls can make the whole set look enduring and this ‘Jpearls New Trendy Pearl Necklace’ is an example of that. This classy black pearl necklace can make a woman the cynosure of a crowd.

Black Pearls go with just about anything. When inserted into a thin silver chain like in the ‘JPearls Stylish Designer Pearl set’, they can bring bling and beauty into it while still looking very simple. A chain like this can be worn over any outfit and it would be perfect.

The best way to emphasize the beauty of a black pearl is to wear a singular black pearl pendant. The ‘Tahitian golden pendant’, a black pearl pendant by JPearls where in a single black pearl is hung from a golden hook can make a simple gold chain look elegant.

The popularity of pearl watches has gone up recently for all their grandeur and elegance. Among all the pearls that are used for pearl watches, it is grey pearls that are much loved for the obvious reason that they look the most beautiful as watches. The ‘JPearls CZ grey pearl watch’, made with chains of grey pearls and CZs is one of a kind.

With all their exquisiteness and eerie glow, it is hardly surprising that Black Pearl Jewellery is getting increasingly popular with each passing day.

One of the most common questions that we get asked is how do we grade and value our pearls. Just like diamonds, there are quite a few factors that play a major role in assessing a real pearl necklace’s value.

In order to assess the right value of a pearl, one must first spot the difference between a natural pearl and a cultured pearl. Naturally occurring pearls hold a higher value as they are produced by oysters. Cultured pearls, on the other hand, are synthetically manufactured; a process in which an agent is surgically implanted inside the oyster to produce a pearl. Although each variety of oysters create a different style of pearl, cultured pearls are perfectly spherical as most consumers desire.

Irrespective of whether a pearl is cultured or natural, the real pearl necklace value is determined in the same manner as that of other precious gems. There are 5 main aspects that are taken into consideration and affect both the grade and value of pearls used at Jagdamba.

1. Size – Though the size of the pearl does not affect its grade, there are pearls in rarity that determine a higher price. In the case of some pearls, the difference of half a millimeter can make a considerable price difference. Therefore, it is always best to measure the size of a pearl. Pearls range greatly in size and can be anything in between 1mm to 20mm. Cultured pearls are usually found in between sizes of 6mm to 7.5mm. However, the larger the pearl, the bigger the price tag.
2. Colour – The colour of the pearl does not affect its quality and is a matter of personal preference, silver-pink, white-pink and deep gold are the most sought after colours. The higher the demand, the higher the value it has.
3. Surface – Imperfections in pearls is what adds to their natural texture and individual character. Only a very small percentage of pearls have a totally smooth surface. The pits, bumps and cracks on a pearl occur because they are created naturally. The more spotless the surface, the more valuable the pearl. Flawless pearls are quite rare and tend to be priced higher.
4. Shape – Pearls that are perfectly spherical are of a much higher value and grade. Tear drop, oval, baroque, button and semi-round shaped are often preferred for that alternative look. Due to the rareness of shape in which these pearls are found, the price tag goes steeper.
5. Lustre – It is the way in which a pearl will reflect light off its surface. The exceptional the lustre, the more mirror-like its reflection will be turning it into a pearl of a higher value. Only surface quality and the thickness of the nacre (the composite material produced by mollusks to create the pearl) will affect the lustre of the pearl.

When the above factors have been taken into consideration, each individual pearl is given a grade and value. Below is a chart of how both lustre and surface are used to determine the grade of a pearl.

Pearls and Hyderabad have been synonymous with each other for years now. Hyderabad acquired the name “City of Pearls” due to the generous benefaction of the Nizams whose reign lasted for about 200 years. The Mughal Nizams were an imperial group of Persian-influenced Muslims that gained power over India, and brought with them their aesthetic ideals and highly skilled craftsmanship to the Indian sub-continent in the 1500s.

The Nizams led a very lavish lifestyle. Right from their food habits, and their hobbies, to the way they dressed, the Nizams were deeply rooted in tradition and were well-intact with their culture.

Their imperial patronage and prosperous lifestyles attracted the likes of many a gem trader and jewelers from all over the world particularly more so from the Middle East, where the rare original pearls are found in profusion. The pearls were then brought in abundance to Hyderabad and the Nizams, during their glorious reigns, showered gratitude by offering pearls in variety to their subjects. This is how Hyderabad became the one-stop destination for pearls.

The Nizams adorned pearl jewelry in the form of head jewels, chokers, earrings, baju bandhs, and anklets. Women of royalty would wear bangles or choodiyan with characteristic pearls and stones and haath-phool which is a kind of delicate hand jewel extending from the wrist to the fingers.

Since then, pearl jewelry became an important aspect of Hyderabadi culture. After Hyderabad was stripped off its princely state title, the jewels of the Nizams were transferred to the government. The collection consisted of 173 pieces of jewels which included 25,000 diamonds weighing over 12,000 carats, 2000 emeralds weighing over 10,000 carats and pearls weighing more than 40,000 chows (Pearl merchants in the Arabian Gulf used chow as a unit of measurement of pearls). Another favourite of the Nizams was the Navratan, the nine stones representing the nine planets is basically Hindu in origin. It is believed that the entire collection of pearls in the Nizam’s collective collection could fill up an Olympic size swimming pool!

In the Hyderabad’s pearl jewelry industry, it is interesting to find that traditional designs have survived side by side with modern western designs. What remains significant to traditional Hyderabadi pearl jewelry is the Satlada Haar which refers to a seven strand necklace and Panchlada Haar which is a five-strand necklace. The Haars or necklaces are made up of strands of graded Basra pearls. Earrings such as “karanphool” and “cholaphool” set with uncut diamonds and pearls are some of the more preferred and popular jewelry items as part of the wedding attire. Another popular traditional pearl jewelry item that is worn with Cholaphool earrings is the Gulubund choker made up of five strings of pearls, interspersed with three gold pendants set with rubies and emeralds.

Hyderabad has grown to be the hub of India’s most famous pearls for over 400 years. The most famous concentration of pearls is clustered in and around Charminar area. Gulzar Houz, Chaar Kamaan, and General Bazaar are the more popular areas to shop Hyderabad pearl jewelry from.