What are biwa pearls? Biwa pearls in fashion jewelry. South Sea Pearls, “South Sea Pearls”

Since 1924, Japanese researchers, inspired by their successes in cultivating saltwater pearls, began actively experimenting with freshwater mussels on Lake Biwa near Kyoto.

Through trial and error, they came to the conclusion that to obtain a high-quality pearl there is no need to introduce an embryo bead into the mussel. As a seed, the Japanese used pieces of the mantle tissue of the donor mussel, which were placed in the mollusk and served as the necessary “irritating” element around which the pearl later began to form.

In 1946, Japanese farmers began cultivating Biwa pearls using the “all-nacre Biwa pearls” technology (pearls consisting entirely of nacre). For cultivation, the freshwater mussel Hyriopsis schlegeli (ike-cho-gai - Japanese) - symmetrical oval shape about 30 cm long and 20 cm wide. Japanese cultured freshwater Biwa pearls were born with excellent shine and in a whole range of delicate pastel shades, not typical for sea pearls - pink, orange, purple.

The growth cycle of a pearl is from 3 to 6 years. Pearls reaching 15 - 16 mm in diameter and possessing a combination of all the highest evaluation characteristics: symmetry of shape, surface clarity, thickness of the mother-of-pearl layer (1.5 - 3.0 mm or more), delicate color and stunning luster level, are extremely rare. These factors determine the high cost of Biwa pearls.

The result of many years of painstaking work by Japanese farmers caused ripples in the water, which later turned into a real wave of low-quality freshwater pearls from China, which flooded the world 30 years later. Japan held the leading position in the freshwater pearl market until the mid-1970s.

The quality of Biwa pearls was so high that it became the benchmark standard for all freshwater pearls. For decades, the term "Biwa" became synonymous with the highest quality freshwater pearls in the world.

Unfortunately, the advancement of the coastline, Agriculture and water pollution led to the halt of mass cultivation at Lake Biwa in the mid-1980s. Today there are several Japanese farms on the lake that grow Biwa pearls using the nuclear method.

Since 2008, Ksenia Podnebesnaya has been working closely with these farms and selecting the best pearl strands from the latest harvests of Biwa pearls.

The harvest is so small that after selection according to the highest quality standards of the House of Pearls, it is possible to collect 2-3 strings of pearls with a diameter of 12-14 mm. At the House of Pearls of Xenia Celestial Empire, Biwa pearls and pearl necklaces are accompanied by unique numbered certificates from a Japanese farmer-producer. Every year we receive requests from collectors to select a necklace or pearls for a set from Russia and Europe.

In 1963, a freshwater pearl farm also opened on Lake Kasumigaura, northwest of Tokyo. Today, high-quality pearl cultivation continues on this lake. The shellfish used is a hybrid that took Japanese farmers 10 years to create. This hybrid is more resistant to environmental pollution and is able to anatomically accept a round seed. High-quality Kasumigaura pearls are rare today and also highly prized.

In the fashion industry, Biwa pearls have become the intersection between everyday life and glamour. Jewelers readily incorporate it into their beautiful pieces, but it also finds use as decorative details for clothing and interior design. Biwa pearls are cultured pearls produced by mussels from Lake Biwa in Japan. It has gained immense popularity all over the world due to its low price and its unique uneven shape.

Pearls have always been in high demand, both for their rarity and their soft, iridescent glow. Natural pearls have been mined thousands of years ago from oysters and mussels in many parts of the world. Asian countries have always been among the main suppliers of these jewelry. And at the beginning of the 20th century. In Japan, a technique was developed to stimulate the formation of pearls inside oysters. They began to call it cultivated. 35 years later, the Japanese first used this method on freshwater mollusks. This is how Biwa pearls were born.

Cultivation method

In nature, pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a grain of sand or a piece of shell, gets inside the shell of a mollusk. Around this irritant, a limestone substance is layered - mother of pearl. To produce cultured pearls, they insert small piece mantle and bead. The mantle becomes a catalyst for the formation of nacre around the bead.

Peculiarities

Uneven oblong shape - distinguishing feature Biwa pearls. But, in addition, its color is also different from other species. Biwa pearls can be either traditional pearl white or different shades pink, blue, green and cream. Many people believe that Biwa pearls are superior to all other varieties, and even natural pearls, with their play of color.

The Second World War stopped the cultivation of Biwa pearls for many years, but in the 1970s they came back into fashion and were widely exported. Since Lake Biwa became too polluted, freshwater pearl cultivation has slowed down. And today, most of the jewelry known as Biwa pearls is produced in China.

Application

Since Biwa pearls are relatively inexpensive and produced in large quantities, it is used not only for making jewelry, but also for decorating clothing and producing decorative items. Although most often seen in necklaces and pins, Biwa pearls are often used to make clothing buttons or decorative borders. Sometimes they are even covered with decorative pillows or inserted into the design of wall tapestries.

Biwa pearls are freshwater pearls that get their name from Lake Biwa(Biwa) in Japan, where high-quality pearls are cultivated.

The history of the emergence of cultured pearls is similar to any product that becomes less available on the market for any reason (depletion of resources or huge demand) or sellers who are trying to convert an exclusive product into one available to the average consumer. The laws of the market dictate their own rules. This situation also affected pearls. In the 20s of the last century, the production of natural pearls fell very sharply, and it was necessary to replace this sought-after product. But it can only be called natural in part; nevertheless, a person takes a very direct part in this birth of pearls. Since then, everything has remained as it has been since the 20s of the last century: a person obtains cultured pearls by growing the mollusks Hyriopsis schlegeli. When forming round pearls, an irritant is always involved - a small grain of sand; when forming nuclear-free biwa pearls, a different technology is used, it is less expensive. It is impossible to introduce a foreign body into the body of a mollusk, whose insides are “twisted” and too dense, without damaging the mollusk, and with large production volumes it is unrealistic. Therefore, tiny incisions are made along the edge of the mollusk’s mantle and pre-crushed strips of the pearl-secreting mantle of another mollusk are inserted, after which all the “fertilized” mollusks are collected in a special cage and suspended on the edge of the raft, all this “wealth” is immersed in shallow water.

If you look closely, all cultured pearls have an oval or flattened shape and a pleasant bright shine.

Baroque pearls - any (sea, freshwater, natural, and cultured) non-round pearls correct form.

Baroque pearls are one of the most unusual and intricate of the entire pearl family. The shape of baroque pearls can be ellipsoidal, teardrop-shaped, pear-shaped, or oval, similar to tablets and buttons. And the color ranges from pure white to almost blue-black, but the most important advantage is its bizarre shape, sometimes reminiscent of a work created by a sculptor. All baroque pearls have dynamic outlines that are not very smooth with sagging, and in these outlines you can see the head of a horse, the wings of a bird, and a dog’s tooth.

France18th century Dragon pendant, Spain 1500-1599

pendant "Swan". Netherlands 1590s Hermitage collection

Pendant “Toothchit”. Germany or Italy 16th century Collection “The Trustess of the British Museum”

Traditionally, pearls of regular shape with a smooth surface are considered the most valuable. However, casual, which emerged in the 20th century, began to dictate its terms. Modern fashion often excludes overly formal elements of style, and baroque pearls fit perfectly into new image life.

Baroque (Italian barocco: “bizarre”, “strange”) is a pearl of irregular contours.

The fashion for baroque pearls appeared in the Middle Ages. At that time, specimens were in use whose outlines resembled a person or an animal (“monsters” or “paragons”). They were framed precious metals and stones, creating figures of birds, animals, heroes and mythical creatures.

Today, baroque pearls are used not only as cabochons, but also as independent beads for necklaces and bracelets.

The mystery of the birth of pearls with irregularities

The principle of Baroque formation is common to all pearls: the mollusk forms a mineral layer around a foreign object that has entered its body.

Contrary to popular belief, the appearance of baroque pearls does not depend on the type and age of the oyster or the properties of the reservoir.

An irregularly shaped pearl is formed for the following reasons:

• formation in muscles or in parts adjacent to them;
• individual characteristics or painful condition of the mollusk - when forming beads in the central part of the shell.

Famous Baroque pearls

1. Pearl of Lao Tzu or Allah- a snow-white giant with a porcelain shine and weighing 6.37 kg. Due to its size, it is of interest only as a museum exhibit. Cost - 40 million US dollars.
2. The Pearl of Canning- a white baroque pearl, reminiscent of a male torso, became part of a pendant in the form of a sea king. Mined in the 16th century, the pearl belonged to Francesco I de' Medici, the Mughal kings of India, and the Viceroy of India, Count Charles John Canning. The jewel is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum of Decorative Arts in London and is not for sale.
3. - has a cone shape, a gradient from silver-white to greenish-bronze and is decorated with a precious crown. Its first owner was collector Henry Hope. But they learned about the pearl only after Hope’s death, when a catalog of his collection was published. The last known value of the pearl is $200 thousand. Its current owner wished to remain anonymous, but with his permission the jewel is exhibited at the Natural History Museum in England.

TYPES OF BAROQUE PEARLS

In Moscow, as well as throughout the world, the following types of Baroque pearls are most common.

This new method in the field of cultured baroque pearls: dry powder is added to the formed pearl bag. The powder absorbs surrounding moisture and expands, thereby inflating the bag. Hence the name of pearls from the French. “souffler” - breathe, blow. And a new pearlescent layer is formed around a large object.

Kasumi pearls

Baroque pearls, which are produced only in one place - in Japan on Lake Kasumi-ga-ura. The Japanese Sheichiro Uda crossed the Chinese pearl oyster Hieriopsys cumingii with the local oyster Hieriopsys schlegeli, producing pearls with unique characteristics.

Recently, China and Australia have learned to create baroque pearls with similar qualities - kasumi-like. Therefore, in order to purchase genuine Kasumi, you should pay attention not only to the name indicated in the passport, but also to the country of origin.

Abalone pearls

Abalone is the name given to uneven baroque pearls produced by the oldest single-vave mollusks - abalone. Due to their structural features, mollusks are practically impossible to cultivate.

Since pearl mussels are traditionally considered bivalve shells, not all experts classify abalone derivatives as pearls. However, Abalones are highly valued in the jewelry market.

Keshi pearls (Keshi pearls)

Keshi (translated from Japanese as “grain”) can be called pearl production waste. It is usually formed due to the rejection of nuclei implanted into the shell or due to the pathology of the mollusk itself. But it also has its connoisseurs.

The baroque “half-pearl” Mabe is grown only in Japan and Southeast Asia. It can be both marine and freshwater.

Nuclear-free baroque Biwa pearls gained worldwide popularity in the 60-70s of the 20th century in the wake of hippie culture.

The species was created in Japan in the lake of the same name. However, the lake was polluted at the end of the 20th century and Biva production migrated to China.

NON-PEARL PEARL

Separately, it is worth focusing on non-pearl pearls. It is not directly related to Baroque, since it basically has a regular shape. But the lack of pearl shine in the beads does not allow them to be classified as classics.

Melo melo pearl (“flaming pearl”)

These rare pearls are created by large Melo-Melo snails that live off the coasts of Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. Snails simply do not produce nacre, so not all experts consider melo beads to be pearls. However, the largest gemological organizations in their certificates classify Melo as a pearl with the “non-pearl” mark.

It is also classified as a non-pearl pearl.

Quahog comes from the shellfish Venus mercenaria, which is typically used for food rather than jewelry.

SECRETS OF A GREAT PURCHASE

Proportionality and uniformity of beads in jewelry- one of the criteria of its value.

It is difficult to select identical baroque pearls due to the variation in configuration, size, depth and nature of the relief. Therefore, items with well-fitted baroque pearls may cost more than similar items made from regularly shaped pearls.

The original or a fake

Baroque pearls are much more difficult to counterfeit than regularly shaped pearls. The fact is that it is almost impossible to artificially recreate the fantasy surface and characteristic shimmer of mother-of-pearl.

However, if in doubt, you can distinguish artificial jewelry from natural baroque pearls by the following signs:

• regularly repeating surface relief is a clear sign of a fake, since nature does not create identical shapes;
• the surface is too smooth - if you lightly run the edge of a tooth over a natural baroque pearl, you can feel the “sandy” structure;
• a clear boundary between the bead and the upper mother-of-pearl layer - this is only possible in synthetic beads; natural pearls consist entirely of mother-of-pearl and do not have a clear boundary between the inner and outer parts.

Jewelry storage

Baroque pearls are delicate jewels that require proper care and careful storage:

1. The product can be easily scratched, so it is worth storing it separately from other jewelry and not allowing the beads to rub against each other.
2. Baroque pearls should only be cleaned with water and a soft cloth.
3. Avoid contact with any chemicals or alcohol-containing products - under their influence the mineral is quickly destroyed.
4. Baroque pearls are often fixed into items using bar settings or a threaded pin with glue. Due to the irregular shape of the beads, the frame does not always fit tightly, so you should make sure that the fastening does not come loose.

Unformatted Baroque pearls captivate with their unconventional shapes and shades. Their importance for jewelry style is confirmed by the frequent appearance of such pearls on the red carpet: baroque beads, bracelets and pendants are in the collections of Sharon Stone, Keira Knightley, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and other media persons.

Keshi pearls, or “seeds” (Keshi) are very shiny, bright and elegant pearls of irregular shape, which are a by-product of the cultivation of freshwater or sea pearls.

Jewelry term Pearls Keshi, Biwa used in the modern jewelry industry, means oval or irregularly shaped cultured, non-nucleated pearls.

These are nuclear-free pearls, they appear sometimes, like a pleasant surprise in case of implant rejection during oyster grafting. Thanks to this, Keshi pearls are 100% mother-of-pearl in composition, and their shine surpasses even the best natural pearls.

The name "keshi" comes from the Japanese word "seed, poppy", "poppy seed".

The size and color of such a pearl “grain” depends on the type of oyster in which it was formed. Keshes among the large varieties of the South Seas are very rare today, because thanks to the development of new technologies for growing pearl oysters, oysters that have rejected the main kernel are eliminated as rejects.

Keshis in pistachio and lavender shades are very popular.

Its size is usually small and varies. The size depends on the type of oyster: in Akoya shells, Keshi pearls grow on average to 2-3 mm, and in the shells of large South Sea pearl oysters, Keshi reaches 10 mm or even more.

Thanks to its interesting shape and shine, Keshi pearls have won the sympathy of many designers who use them in making jewelry. It is good as precious flower petals, for small pendants or beads in necklaces, beads and earrings.

Keshi is the only sea pearl culture product obtained without human help , and that's what makes Keshi unique. It is very highly regarded among pearl connoisseurs and lovers.

The mollusk rejects the nucleus placed in it during the grafting process in such a way that the mantle tissue (epithelium) remains and forms nacre around this tissue to produce "Keshi" pearls, just like natural pearls are born.

The second reason for the appearance of Kesha; The mollusk's mantle has been damaged during the implantation operation by inexperienced processing causing epithelial cells to be lodged in the mantle tissue and this can create a sac which in turn can produce Keshi pearls. If this had happened without human intervention, the shell would have grown natural pearls.

Another option for the appearance of Keshi: epithelium, mantle tissue cells are grafted into the body of the mollusk on purpose to create Keshi pearls, which in this case grows without including the core of the bead.

There are both Saltwater and Freshwater (river) cultured Keshi pearls.

Since the mollusk does not differentiate between embedded or non-corened pearls, the resulting pearl has the same characteristics in colors and properties as the natural one, although it is rare to find a round Keshi due to the randomness of its original shape. In addition, the size of Keshi is usually small due to the absence of a core - a bead.