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| Pearl Luster - Pearl Jewelry | |||||||||||||||||
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Pearl lusterLuster is the most important factor determining the quality of a pearl. Luster is created when light reflects off the nacre, which is composed of many layers of tiny calcium carbonate crystals. The larger the pearl, the more nacre it has, so the more luster it has. The thicker the nacre, the more luster and the better the reflective quality of the pearl's surface. It is especially important that the surface be without blemish, because luster is more often seen on a smooth surface without blemishes that deflect the light. A low-luster pearl is dim and monochromatic, while a higher grade of pearl with thicker nacre produces a pearl with fewer surface blemishes. This creates a sharp, high-contrast surface that is almost mirror-like in its reflective qualities. The 5 categories used to grade luster are very high, high, medium, low, and very low. | |||||||||||||||||
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Pearls & pearl jewelry resource | |||||||||||||||||
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| Gold Jewelry/Sterling Silver Jewelry | |||||||||||||||||
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