Tara - Pearls Collection

Tara Pearls Collection searches exotic locations worldwide in order to find pearls whose circumference perfection, luster and refined beauty meet its standards. Established in 1947 Tara Pearls Collection with the dream to one day provide the finest pearl jewelry to men and women around the world. Today, several decades later, Tara Pearls Collection is globally recognized as an importer, manufacturer and designers of South Sea and Tahitian Cultured Pearl jewelry, and supplies some of the world’s top jewelry retailers.

Tara Pearls Collection continues to raise the bar it wishes to achieve and to manifest its vision of the beauty inherent within the majestic pearl.

Pearl Education

A Pearl is Born

Far below the surface of the sea, nearly half a word away, a miraculous event is taking place – the birth of a pearl. Born from the womb of mother oysters, pearls are a gift of nature. Unlike other precious gemstones which are cut and polished to release their inner beauty, cultured pearls come into the worlds naturally radiant. They emerge miraculously with shimmering iridescence, luster and soft inner glow, which is unlike any other jewel on earth.

Natural Pearls vs. Cultured Pearls

A natural pearl begins its creation as a foreign object. A piece of sand or broken bit of a shell, gets lodged inside an oyster's inner body where it cannot be expelled. The oyster goes into defensive action and secrets a substance called nacre around the irritant to protect itself. For how ever long the irritant remains within the body the oyster will continue to secrete nacre around the irritant, adding layer upon layer.

Cultured pearls are real, genuine pearls that are formed inside a living oyster with human intervention. When a nucleus is surgically implanted in the oyster's flesh, the oyster recognizes it as an irritant and begins to coat it with smooth layers of nacre. Over time, the growing pearls gets completely covered with the beautiful iridescent substance we call nacre, or mother-of-pearl. All pearls sold today are cultured pearls, with the exception of vintage estate jewelry and heirloom pieces that are more than 80 years old. This is because natural occurring pearls are so rare that they are seen today mostly in estate jewelry collections. The number of natural pearls is relatively small. Without cultured pearls, only the extreme wealthy would have the chance to own the treasured gems.

Quality Considerations

Size – Mostly depends on the type of pearl, but generally the larger the pearl the more valuable it will be. Freshwater pearls range in size from about 2mm–8mm, South Sea and Tahitian pearls can reach sizes as large as 13mm.The average size of a pearl is about 7mm.

 Shape – Since pearls are grown by oysters and subjects to whims of Mother Nature, it is rare to find a pearl that is perfectly round – usually higher in prices. Asymmetrical or baroque pearls are beautiful and are moderately priced. They basically sum up to four shapes – Round, Tear-Drop or Oval, semi-baroque and baroques and ringed or circled

 Surface – Cleanliness of the pearl’s surface refers to the absence of organic spots, bumps or indentations. A pearl with the smoothest surface generally will be more valuable than the blemished one.

 Luster – The combination of surface brilliance and a deep, almost a three dimensional glow is called luster. It is the quality of the light reflections from the pearl's surface.The luster of a good quality pearl should be bright and not dull.

 Color – Pearls occur in colors from black, white, pink, golden, silver, grey, green-grey and many more. Usually color is not a true indicator of pearl quality, though some colors demand a price higher than others. The choice of color should depend on wearer’s choice and individual taste. 

Caring for your Pearls

Pearls are more delicate than any other gemstone or precious metal. With special attention and care, your pearls will last a lifetime. Keep them away from household chemicals such as hair spray, cosmetics, and perfume which can dull the luster of a pearl if subject to heavy and prolonged exposure.

• To avoid the effects of cosmetics and perfume, pearls should be the last thing a woman puts on before going out and the first thing she takes off after returning home.
• Pearls should be store in a soft cloth pouch or separate part of the jewelry box as they are easily prone to scratches.