The Majorcan Pearls

Why are the Majorcan pearls so special and famous? Are they natural, cultivated or artificial? Are they expensive or cheap?

To answer these three questions I prefer to tell a little story and surely your doubts will disappear. When I arrived in Mallorca I also had the same doubts that I will try to clarify now.

The three types of Pearls. A small description.

Genuine /real pearls are formed when an external agent that can be interpreted as an "intruder" appears inside an oyster. Through a natural process, the oyster tries to "defend itself" ... and begins to wrap this grain with several layers of conquioline.

But what is conquiolin? It is a protein and is also one of the substances that make up the nacre. This bathing process can take many years, i.e. 10 to 15 years. And the result? Yes, these pearls, at least for me, go to my wish list of most precious pearls. Why? They are very rare and valuable.

Cultured pearls, they are created just like natural pearls with one important difference: the "foreign" nucleus is introduced into the oyster by man. Most of the times this makes that the production is accelerated, and with about 2 years it is possible to harvest pearls that will present a weight and size superior to the natural ones taking into account the original mother-of-pearl nucleus.

In Japan, Australia, French Polynesia and in many other places of the world, enormous cultivation fields are concentrated.

Prices vary a lot.

Majorcan pearls are created and elaborated from a core of opaline, a kind of mineral and bathed up to 30 times with a special liquid obtained from the fusion of fish scales and the inside of the mussel shell. They are well-kept secrets among one or another of the companies in Mallorca. But why is the Majorcan pearl so famous all over the world? I personally appreciate them with passion. They are elegant with jeans, T-shirt, long dress, party dress and never go out of fashion. They give a very special touch and attract a lot of attention. About prices, I have to recognize that they are high because in their manufacture many resources are used, a meticulous quality control in which the pearls, after being mounted in a kind of necklace, receive continuous blows to see the resistance and in addition they are submitted to a careful polishing.

After this process, the pearls of different colors, shapes, sizes will be transformed into necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, bags and brooches. And, the creativity continues because the designers will be able to associate these wonders with gold, silver and, whatever the imagination allows ...

I always tell my customers about the most famous pearl in the world. It is called Peregrina. It was found more than 400 years ago

in Panama. It has a format highly valued by experts: it is similar to a teardrop and was desired by many royal houses.

Richard Burton, the famous American actor, paid 37,000 dollars for this pearl at an auction held in 1969 in New York. It was a gift for the actress Elizabeth Taylor who, at the time, was his wife.

In 2011, after the death of the actress, her jewelry was auctioned and Peregrine was sold for 9 million euros. Did you take note?

Another very important fact: How to take care of your pearls? You should keep them in an open box or case, never together with other jewelry .  Because this can make them lose their initial shine. Another thing, never use alcohol to clean them. Only with a damp cotton cloth and a lot of care and gentleness. When it is time to make up... first the make up and one hour later... put on the pearls. Avoid perfumes on the pearls. They can be damaged. So with this ritual I assure you that you will have pearls for life. So the care of your pearls should be as simple as possible.

One thing I am sure of, besides the beautiful beaches, charming places and lots of history, Mallorca will always be remembered as the Pearl of the Mediterranean, it fits perfectly in every way!

Hugs from Mallorca

Eliana Pacifico

Official Tourist Guide of the Balearic Islands

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