Posts Tagged ‘ brown pearls ’

I’ve talked about brown pearls before, but in all honesty it’s not just any type of brown that’s garnering publicity lately. So-called “chocolate” Tahitian pearls are a very specific, rare, type of pearl that has come into vogue over the last decade. I thought I’d give you a little more information about these pearls – what to look for, where the color comes from, and who sells them.

Sometime around the year 2000, Ballerina Pearl in New York began to sell chocolate pearls created through a unique treatment process. Truly uniform brown isn’t a natural color – in fact, most brown Tahitians have red or purple overtones – but Ballerina Pearl created this color through a combination of bleach and heat. It is a proprietary process that they maintain preserves the integrity of the pearl without using dye. Basically, the color is stripped to reveal brown underneath. These pearls are in short supply and demand was high, so, naturally, knock-offs began to enter the market in droves. If you want true chocolate pearls watch out – the knock offs are usually dyed using a silver nitrate process in order to mimic the real thing.

It’s not so much dyed freshwater pearls that has the pearl industry upset. Rather, they object to dyeing Tahitians because they are considered a high integrity pearl rather than one that is mass-produced. Jewelers also worry that retailers will price gouge customers without disclosing the true nature of the pearls they carry. If you just want a beautiful chocolate color – stick to freshwater pearls. Irradiating freshwater pearls is easy to do without sacrificing anything.  Dyed chocolate Tahitians lose some of their beautiful luster, whereas the bleached kind are usually extremely high quality.

Now, after the mini-rant/explanation….you’re probably wondering why anyone would choose brown in the first place. It’s not a color that tops many women’s list of favorites, after all. That’s a shame, I think. Brown is a color that suits and flatters many different skin tones and, because it’s a neutral color, can be paired with anything. Fall, with its deep, rich, colors, almost demands that women wear brown! Chocolate pearl necklaces may be just what you’re looking for to achieve that dramatic fall look.

Chocolate freshwater pearls can be found just about anywhere, but where should you go for Tahitians? As far as I know, Ballerina Pearl Co. was the first company to use a bleaching process rather than dye, but I’ve heard that Shanghai Gems may use a similar process. It seems that Ballerina sells most of their pearls to Emiko Pearls in Bellevue, Washington. From there, they are sold to designer Erica Courtney (who provides many celebrities with their red carpet jewelry) and jeweler Paul Johnson in Houston, Texas. As you can see, getting real chocolate pearls is difficult and most likely expensive. That’s why there’s so many dyed pearls on the market.

In short, chocolate pearls are created through a unique bleaching process because a true, uniform brown doesn’t occur in nature. They are rare because there are few companies that distribute them, though if you’re okay with dye, you will have a much easier time buying some of your own. I really don’t have anything against dye, personally, but I do dislike it when retailers aren’t completely honest about their merchandise. As always, buyer beware.

If you want a unique pearl necklace, then you might want to consider brown pearls. These pearls have recently come into fashion for several reasons but are still uncommon enough that you may be the only one wearing them! Here I’ll tell you everything you need to know about brown pearls and why you may like them.

I know a lot of people don’t care for brown, but it’s actually a good choice. First of all, many women look good in brown and because it is a neutral color, it is easy to match. Brown is also a great color for fall, when fashion generally turns to dark, rich colors. Furthermore, as I said above, you will stand out because no one else will be wearing brown pearls and they will want to know where you got them! If you’ve changed your mind, let’s cover what your options are.

The most popular choice right now are “chocolate” Tahitian pearls. This variety doesn’t occur in nature, but is generally put through a two-step process of heating and bleaching to bring out their color. Another type of brown is natural but is fairly rare. This type has red or pink overtones – similar to aubergine but with a beautiful definitely brown body color. Don’t care for either of these options? I’ve got one more for you.

Freshwater brown pearls are always dyed; however, there are a couple reasons why you may want them instead of Tahitians. First of all, the main appeal of Tahitians is their rainbow of colors – generally they have overtones that consist of many color combinations on the same pearl. The treatment used to bring out the chocolate color may make the pearls look flatter in comparison. Don’t worry, the color and luster are still exceptionally beautiful – but if you want to buy Tahitians, why not try the natural option?

Dyeing freshwater pearls, in contrast, doesn’t take anything away from the pearls at all. In fact, many freshwater pearls are treated whether through water irradiation, dye, or heat. Furthermore, they may be less expensive than Tahitians so it’s definitely worth it to shop around.

So I’ve covered why brown is a better choice than you may think and explained your options: treated Tahitian chocolate pearls, natural Tahitian pearls with red or pink overtones, and dyed freshwater pearls. Now that I’ve given you the knowledge, finding the perfect piece of jewelry is up to you!