This Edwardian natural pearl necklace with GIA Identification Report # 15049857 weighs 6.9g and measures 19.5 inches long and 5.5mm wide. Composed of iridescent, increasingly rare silk-strung spherical natural pearls ranging from 2.25 to 5.7mm in diameter and graded an enchanting 'cream' color, this natural pearl necklace offers timeless elegance, a delectible adornment to any attire for each and every occasion. The original platinum clasp of marquise design is bezel-set with a 0.50ct marquise diamond measuring 7.22mm long and 4.08mm wide, graded G-H color and SI1 clarity, surmounting pierced openwork, finely mille grained marquise shape plaque. A delicately designed slide-in clasp secures this refined natural pearl necklace.
Natural pearls are organic gems created when an oyster covers a foreign object with smooth layers of nacre. Since ancient times pearls have been prized for their beauty and the magical powers assigned to them. Queen Victoria possessed a genuine passion for collecting Baroque natural pearls and the Victorian gemologist George W. Kunz defined them most appropriately in his words: 'The pearl owes nothing to man. It is absolutely a gift of nature on which man cannot improve'. Natural pearls exist in a variety of shapes such as round, pear-shape, egg, teardrop, and button, the latter being flat on one side. In fact, perfectly round and regular shapes do not occur in nature but are available as cultured pearls. Pearls are differentiated by their origins: Completely oyster- made pearls are called 'natural' and and would bear the name of 'Oriental' pearls if their origin is in the saltwaters of the Persian Gulf which were the only source of natural pearls until a century ago. The term 'French pearl' has been used in recent times to identify irregular pieces of oyster shell with certain characteristics of natural pearls. Freshwater pearls are produced by oysters living in rivers and cultured pearls are made with the help of mankind. The quality of all pearls is determined by the soft iridescence resulting from the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and the reflectivity and shine of their surface. Fine quality pearls are denoted by a smooth, even texture and a relative regularity of shape, size, and color. Besides the Persian Gulf as their primary origin, natural pearls are found in other parts of the world today, such as the tropical waters of the South Sea including Tahiti, Burma, the Gulf of Manaar, the North Coast of Australia and the Pacific shores of Venezuela.
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