What processes does a pearl go through to achieve its final value?

Answer 1

The raw harvests are processed at the pearl factories. Firstly, The process starts with drilling holes. Drilling is followed by processing which means that the pearls are either bleached, chemically treated, artificially colored or polished. At last, the pearls are sorted according to the grading factors size, shape, color, nacre thickness, luster and surface. Firstly, Pearls must be cleaned and washed to remove residue and odors. During this procedure, pearls are typically tumbled in rotating barrels with salt. The tumbling must be closely monitored; otherwise some of the nacre may wear off. Bleaching: Chinese freshwater pearls and medium-to low-quality Akoya pearls are often bleached with chemicals after drilling. This whitens them and makes the color look more even. Improper bleaching can soften the nacre and make it more susceptible to wear, especially if the nacre is thin. High quality pearls do not need to be bleached, and it would be pointless to possibly reduce their luster and durability by treating them. American freshwater pearls, black pearls and light colored South Sea pearls are not normally bleached. However, this is changing with white South Sea pearls. Some are now undergoing chemical bleaching. Irradiation - This method works best on freshwater pearls, but off-color Akoya and South Sea pearls may also be darkened in this manner. It involves bombarding pearls with gamma rays. This blackens the shell bead nucleus of Akoya and South Sea pearls and can make their nacre appear dark if it is ' thin. Sometimes pearls are both dyed and irradiated. The irradiation will give them an iridescent bluish or greenish gray color and the dye will further darken their appearance. Here is more professional info on Pearl Treatment from Pearl Hours, http://pearlhours.com/index.php?url=pearl-treatment-article-21