Pearls & More

In this section:

Glossary of Jewellery Terms used on the Website

Gold Filled: A solid layer of gold is bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal. A gold-filled (or rolled gold) component has more gold that one that is simply gold plated. At least 10% of the outside thickness of a gold-filled piece has to be gold, often 20%.
Cultured Freshwater Pearls: Virtually all pearls sold these days have been cultured, that is grown commercially inside oysters or muscles either in freshwater or saltwater. We use mostly cultured freshwater pearls in our pieces. Saltwater pearls have other names (eg Akoya) which will always be noted in the description.
Shell Pearls: Shell pearls are not actually pearls (ie, they are not comprised of layers of nacre and were not grown inside a mollusk). They are pieces of oyster shell which have been shaped and then coated and polished. Because they are made not grown, they are usually perfectly round and they are most popularly used in large “pearl” necklaces. They are very resilient, perfectly round and wonderfully shiny. Although not “real” pearls, shell pearls are also very popular in jewellery pieces
Dyed Pearls: Freshwater pearls are naturally off-white, mauve and lilac in colour. All other colours are produced by dyeing the pearls. Although there are naturally occurring black saltwater pearls, known as ‘Tahitian’, all black freshwater pearls are achieved by dyeing.
Peacock: Peacock is the name used to describe “black” dyed cultured freshwater pearls. As pearls are rarely ever a “true” black (such as Onyx or Obsidian), peacock is a used to describe that the pearls are in the black range but could be grey-black, brown-black, etc, and often have overtones such as green, blue, purple,red. Often peacock pearls will have a range of overtones producing a ‘rainbow’ effect when viewing a string of them together.
Baroque: Baroque pearls have an irregular shape. They are usually somewhat oval in shape but often have some flat sides, bumps and indents. Baroque pearls have character and can make the most unusual pieces.
Potato: Potato is used to describe the shape of an oval pearl, although it is not a perfect or symmetrical oval. Potato pearls often are smooth and have great lustre dispite being off-round in shape.
Rice: Rice pearls are shaped like a grain of rice, long and thin. Although they come in a range of thicknesses and lengths. They are great for use in necklaces and bracelets and often have great lustre.
Handknotted: Please see the section on ‘Pearl Stringing‘ below

About Our Pearls

All real pearls, whether naturally occuring or cultured, have flaws. Flaws are part of their nature and their beauty.

Traditionally in Ireland we have only seen the standard small round white pearls (of the cultured freshwater variety) in a handful of styles, with the occasional seriously expensive strand of South Sea Pearls or Tahitians making an appearance in the high end jewellers.

Jou Jou Jewels is about something different: we want to bring the more unusual pearl varieties into the light so that their beauty can be seen. These days, because of the techniques of pearl farming, pearls are available in a wide range of shapes and colours. We think that all pearls are beautiful and that the character of the different pearl styles makes the most interesting jewellery. Glass, plastic and crystal pearls are common-place in high street accessories these days so flaws mark real pearls as authentic. Don’t get us wrong, we think that the almost perfectly round, lustrous, near-flawless real pearls are beautiful too – we love all pearls – but they are extremely expensive. We take a different approach – all pearls used in our jewellery (unless otherwise noted) are cultured freshwater pearls farmed in China, many dyed and some treated, but they are all interesting and affordable.

Jou Jou Jewels offer a little bit of luxury – real pearls and semi-precious gemstones – in interesting jewellery pieces at affordable prices. The pearls we use aren’t perfect but they are beautiful. We source pearls of interesting character – some because of their interesting shape, others because of the colour they have been dyed and others still because of the unusual lustre or overtones they display. If you are a pearl aficionado you’ll know all about pearl grades – we usually only list them for white or natural colour round pearls and, unless it’s a special piece, the grade used will probably be A+ or AA at the highest and probably A or A+ as standard. This doesn’t mean that we can’t or won’t source or use AAA quality pearls, if you would like us to create a piece using only the best materials (such as AAA pearls and 18K solid gold clasp), we would be delighted to do this and invite you to contact us about custom designs. The reasoning behind our quality choices is down to style and cost – the more interesting shaped and dyed pearls create fabulous and unusual jewellery designs while offering the little bit of luxury of wearing such beautiful natural gemstones. These kinds of pearls allow us to offer this beautiful and unusual jewellery at affordable prices for our customers to enjoy.

If you have any questions about the type of pearls used in a piece or their quality, please feel free to contact us with your queries.

Pearl Stringing

The traditional method is to string the pearls on silk thread and place knots between each pearl. The reason for the knots is two fold: to stop the pearls rubbing against each other and damaging the nacre (surface); and to secure the pearls so that if the silk broke only 1 pearl would fall off. Pearl knotting is an important part of the style of traditional pearl jewellery although there are other techniques used these days. Silk is the traditional string of choice because it is very strong and gives a lovely ‘drape’ to pearl necklaces, allowing them to sit elegantly on the neck. Nowadays, however there are other options – nylon thread is an alternative to silk as it doesn’t stretch as silk does and it also is very strong. Although we like the luxury of using silk in most of our pearl jewellery here at Jou Jou Jewels, we’re not above using nylon for heavy pieces when necessary, such as long ropes of pearls, because it’s less likely to stretch under the weight of so many pearls and it’s very strong; Nylon is less likely to fray and can be secured by melting the ends, so it’s useful for some tricky attachments.

Another popular stringing material these days is nylon-coated steel wire, where the wire is made up of multiple strands twisted together. We often see pearl necklaces strung on wire and there are advantages to this – wire doesn’t break as silk or nylon can, and it can be secured with crimping. However we mostly prefer our pearls strung on thread (silk for preference) because they drape more fluidly than wire generally allows. The disadvantage of using wire for pearls is that you can’t knot between them to protect the pearls from rubbing, another reason we like to string on thread and handknot. So why would we use wire at all? Well, as mentioned, it doesn’t break. It also can’t be cut by rough edges. We use wire for pieces which include gemstones or metal beads with sharp edges which could cut through the silk thread. Also very heavy gemstone pieces are best on wire as it won’t stretch or break under the weight. So sometimes you will see our pearls strung on wire, but usually where there are other materials or occasionally if we want a look that is more modern or has greater tension than the drape of silk. We try to avoid putting the best pearls on wire. No matter what materials we use, however, be confident that it is to ensure the best result – so that your piece of jewellery will be beautiful and durable – and we stand over the quality of our jewellery.

Pearl Care

Pearls are a natural product consisting of layers of a material called “nacre” which gives them their lustre. As they are a porous, organic gemstone, they are susceptible to chemical & biological agents which can break down the nacre, damaging the surface of the pearl or dulling it’s lustre. To keep your pearls in the best condition and looking great here are a few pearl care tips:

Never spray perfume, hair spray, or any product containing alcohol directly on your pearls. If you really have to wear perfume with your pearls, spray it on at least 20 mins before you put on your pearls so some of the alcohol will have dissipated. It’s best to put your pearls on last, after perfume, make-up and hair products have been applied. What I do when wearing my good pearls is this: I dab or spray a small bit of perfume behind my ears – away from my pearls but still on a pulse point.
Take care with your pearl rings – just as you don’t want your make-up, perfume or hair products straying onto your pearl necklace, you need to steer your pearl ring clear of hand creams, hand wash, washing up liquid and cleaning products which will damage the pearl.
Similarly: don’t wear your pearls in a swimming pool, the chlorine is damaging to them; you shouldn’t wear them exercising as contact with perspiration won’t leave them in the best condition; and you shouldn’t wear them in the shower as contact with shampoo, body wash, etc is not good for them.
After wearing your pearls, to keep them looking lustrous for years to come, give them a gentle rub with a soft, even slightly damp cloth to clean them – this will clean away any chemical residue from products you have worn and will also clean away natural body oils.
It is best not to store pearl jewellery with other precious metal or gemstone jewellery, or even with other pearls! The nacre surface of the pearl is highly susceptible to scratches and could be worn down through contact with other jewellery. Pearls are best kept in their own compartment of your jewellery box, in their own box or in a jewellery roll or pouch, ideally lined with a soft, non-abrasive material. Some jewellers sell “pearl folders” which have a soft interior to protect pearls; silk pouches are a popular alternative.
Pearls come from the water and don’t like getting dried out. If you are storing them for long periods of time where the regular moisture from the air won’t reach them (or perhaps you live in a very dry environment), then it is a good idea to store them with a damp cloth in the box. Don’t store your pearls in plastic and don’t leave them near heat (eg. on a radiator).
Don’t use any ultrasonic or chemical jewellery cleaners on your pearls – a damp cloth works best. If they are extremely dirty, using mildly soapy (natural soap!) water and gently cleaning them with a soft cloth is best, however we don’t recommend you do this yourself as it would not be good for the silk! If you are getting the pearls restrung, it would be a good time to ask the jeweller to clean them.
Restringing: Pearl necklaces should be restrung every few years as the silk can stretch or its condition can deteriorate (it is a natural product too). The rule of thumb is this: if you wear your pearls everyday you should have them restrung once a year. If you wear your pearls often, restring them once every 2-3 years. For occasional use, restring when necessary – check condition of your necklace and have if restrung when you notice the silk has stretched or if the silk is in bad condition.

Jou Jou Jewels

Handmade & Designer Pearl Jewellery