PEARLS & MATERIAL 有關珍珠與材質

🌘 All About Pearls 我們的珍珠

ooocycle 主要有兩種天然珍珠：淡水珍珠及海水珍珠。現在市場上大部份的珍珠都是養殖及有核種植的。一般珍珠核都是用貝殼製造，珍珠蚌會圍繞珠核生長一層又一層的包裹珍珠質，這樣圓形珍珠的產量也會比較多了。

ooocycle carries two types of natural pearls. They are Freshwater and Saltwater Pearls. Most of the pearls in the market are cultured pearls with nucleus. The nucleus is mainly made of shells and it is then coated in many layers of this nacre. This is why round pearls are getting more common nowadays.

 

🌗 Freshwater Pearls 天然淡水珍珠

淡水珍珠蚌一般可以養20顆或以上的珍珠，主要在湖泊或河流養殖，每年產量較多也比較穩定。珍珠顏色一般有白色、粉橘及紫色。色澤及光澤一般比較平淡。形狀方面，最常見的有饅頭形 (珍珠較扁像一顆饅頭)、圓形、水滴形、巴洛克 (也有人叫她們異形珍珠，形狀很天然自由生長的感覺)，等等。產地主要為中國，而日本、印尼及澳洲等地都有少量產量。

Freshwater pearls are pearls grown in fresh water sources such as lakes, rivers and are found in mussels or oysters. Generally speaking, freshwater pearls are almost all cultured pearls and can be found at least 20 pearls in each mussel. Colour wise they often come in a cream variation including white, pastel coral and purple. Both colours and sheen are slightly paler. Pearls come in several Shapes including Button (Slightly flat, shaped like a bun), Round, Drop, Baroque (in Chinese, they are called Aliens as the irregular shapes) and etc. These pearl farms are mainly cultured in China, Japan, Indonesia and Australia. 

 

🌗 Saltwater Pearls 天然海水珍珠

• Japanese Akoya Pearls 日本海水珍珠
  
  很多客人都在問什麼是 Akoya？什麼是日本珍珠？
  Akoya 的取名來自日本海水珍珠的母貝「あこや」，日語發音念 'Akoya'，這就是名字的由來了。
  
   Akoya 最有名的是珍珠的光澤，很多人形容像小燈泡，配戴起來也讓臉色更精神，更年輕! 珍珠主要在馬氏貝生長，蚌的體積比較小，每隻母貝只能生產幾顆甚至只有一顆珍珠。養殖出來的珍珠尺寸從 2mm 到 9mm 左右，9mm以上比較稀有，非常值得收藏。珍珠主要是白色，最有名的是帶粉紅或幻彩色的伴色。另外，也有香檳金色及銀藍色。
  
  日本真珠研究所按照表皮品質、光澤、珠層厚度及圓潤度為珍珠制定了幾個等級。最常聽到的有彩凛 (<6mm)、花珠及天女，而藍灰珍珠當中則有真多麻。而天女是白色珍珠當中最高等級的，少於3%的產量可被鑑定為花珠，而幾千顆花珠當中也不一定能挑選到一顆天女。
  
  天女最有名的是 Akoya 珍珠獨有的三種共存的干涉色，這是一種透過儀器才能看到的珍珠色澤，如果用肉眼看的一般會是白色透粉紅 + 彩虹光。鏡面就當然是最基本的啦!
  
  What's Akoya? What's Japanese Pearls?
  Akoya pearls are the classic cultured pearls of Japan. The name comes from the name of mussel. 
  
  They are the most lustrous of all pearls found anywhere in the world. Some described her as a tiny light bulb. It gives an instant glow and young look once your put it on. Since the clam size is rather small, only few or even one pearl can be grown in each clam. The pearl size is also limited to 2 - 9mm. 9mm Pearls are quite limited, worth the collection! The Akoya pearl is mainly white with a hint of pink or halo tone. Other than these, there is also Champagne and Greyish Blue. 
  
  Japanese Pearl Science Laboratory has set up a system to grade pearls according to surface quality, luster, nacre thickness and perfection of shape. Hanadama is the Japanese word for spherical flower and is the grade assigned to Akoya pearls considered as 'extra fine'. Generally speaking, only the best 3% Akoya pearls would be graded as Hanadama. For those who comes in an iridescent colour which is pink, blue and green, they are top of the best - Tennyo! Less than 0.1% among the Hanadama grade can be chosen to be Tennyo. That's how rare they are.
  

• Tahiti Pearls 大溪地黑珍珠
  
  來自法屬波利西亞的大溪地，珍珠生長在黑蝶貝內，完成生長一顆黑珍珠一般長達24個月以上。尺寸一般在 8 - 14mm 之間，有小部份的超過16, 17mm，非常珍貴。形狀也比較多變，有圓形、橢圓形、水滴形、巴洛克 (又稱異形珍珠)。豐富的顏色可算是珍珠之冠，一般大家常見及認識的有孔雀綠色、黑或灰色，同時也有橄欖綠、銅金色、藍銅色。每一顆都是獨一無二!
  
  Tahitian pearls are formed from the black lip oyster and are native to the French Polynesian area. Tahitian pearls will take at least 24 months to complete a cycle and its size is between 8 - 14mm in general. A rare portion of them will grow to 16 - 17mm. With a variety of shapes including Round, Oval, Drop and Baroque, it can be adapted in different designs. These pearls portray an incredible array of iridescent colours ranging from Peacock Green, Black, Grey, Olive, Bronze, Bronze with Blue undertones. Each piece is unique!
  
  
• South Sea Pearls 南洋珍珠
  
  南洋珍珠最有名的是光澤柔美神秘，色澤主要是白色及金色。白色的珍珠大多銀光帶彩，金色的珍珠充滿貴氣而且色澤濃郁帶巧克力的感覺，尺寸最小由8mm起。而產地有幾個，包括印尼、菲律賓以及澳洲，當中以澳洲的白蝶貝價值最高，蚌尺寸亦較大，最小的都已經是10mm。需要最少2年以上的養殖期，珍珠層較厚，是日本Akoya海水珍珠的60倍以上♥️所以光澤和色澤都是非一般的美!! 除了白色珍珠以外，也有無比矜貴的金珠。
  
  South sea pearls (SSP) are exceptionally quality pearls and are famous for her mysterious luster. There are mainly two colours: white and gold. SSP White are whitish with a silver undertones; SSP Gold have an intense golden glow which gives a glamorous look. The smallest starts with 8mm and these are mainly come from Indonesia and Philippines. The Australian SSP are considered the most valuable. With a larger oyster shell, the smallest pearl are sized at 10mm. It takes at least 2 years to be cultured so the nacre is rather thick i.e. about 60 times thicker than Akoya Pearls! Besides white pearls, the SSP Gold pearls are exceptionally precious. 

🌖 All About Metal Material 有關飾品的材質

Material 材質	Sensitivity* 敏感度* (0 Lowest - 5 Highest)	Gold Purity 金純度
925 Sterling Silver 925純銀	5	N/A
14K Gold Filling# 14K包金	3	>37.5%
10K Gold	2	41.7%
14K Gold	1	58.3%
18K Gold	1	75%
24K Gold	1	100%

 
*以上的敏感度評分只作參考用途，評分是以相對性的概念設立。每個人對不同材質的反應也會有不同。有些人對純金敏感，純銀反而沒事。所以每個人都不一樣啊!

*Please note that the sensitivity rate table is a reference only. The rating is a relative concept between these materials. Each person may react differently on different materials. Some may be allergic to pure gold while fine with silver. Everybody is different!

#14K包金是美國定下的標準，是將不低於總量5%的14K真金在高溫高壓下與金屬混合，強度硬耐磨度高，不易失去金的質感。這個材質很多屬敏感體質的客人回購!!

#14K Gold Filling (14KGF) is a USA industry standard that legally requires 1/20th, or 5% pure gold by weight. It’s a strictly regulated process that involves pressure bonding multiple layers of solid 14K Gold with extreme heat over a core of high quality jewel brass resulting in a durable, quality real gold product. This is a highly rated materials. Many returned purchase from our customers =)