Pearls

Pearls are an organic material cultivated in molluscs, where layers upon layers of mother-of-pearl - the iridescent nacre inside of the mollusc – is deposited onto the core of a pearl. Every layer is so delicate that it takes 1.000 layers to achieve a total thickness of 0.5 mm of pearl.

Quality
When pearls are graded several factors are taken into consideration – lustre, shape, colour, surface and size. The AAA-AA pearl grading system is one of the most universally accepted standardized systems, where pearls are graded

on a scale from AAA to A, with AAA being the highest grad

Sophie Bille Brahe uses pearls of quality AAA-AA.

Lustre is the amount of light a pearl reflects from both its surface glow and the deep mirror-like reflection of its inner light. Pearls vary widely in colour based on the type of oyster that produces them. While colour choice is a matter of personal preference, we always look for rich colour, evenly distributed throughout the pearl.

Subtle blemishes and tiny marks are part of a pearl’s natural texture and proof of its genuine origin. These blemishes are the result of sea particles that drift into the oyster/mollusc and brush against the pearl as it forms.

Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls are made in molluscs that live in freshwater environments. The largest production of cultured freshwater pearls happens in rivers in China.
For most of Sophie Bille Brahe pearl jewellery, round white freshwater pearls are used. We spend a lot of time and effort on selecting only the highest quality.

Baroque Pearls
Baroque freshwater pearls are pearls with an irregular non-spherical shape. Each pearl is unique in its shape and size – the pearls used in our jewelleryis carefully selected for its individual beauty. Out of hundreds of baroque pearls, we hand-pick only a small selection.

Akoya Pearls
The classical white, culture saltwater pearl originates from the Akoya pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata).

Originally only cultivated in Japan.