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The city of Hyderabad is known for its minarets and its
pearl bazaar. Hyderabad pearls have long been cherished and famed for
their quality and lustre. Mention the name of pearls to anyone in the
jewellery trade in India and the name that pops up to mind is Hyderabad.
The city is a one-stop-destination for the rare, luminescent, soft, tear
drop pearls. Wide range, price and superior quality are some of the
factors, which make the city a true pearls paradise. From cultured pearls
to the rare 'Basra', the city has all of them.
A
Royal Heritage
The pearl trade was prospered here for centuries under the royal
patronage of the Qutub Shahi kings and the Asaf Jahis. Legend has it that
pearls were showered on the people by the kings at the time of ceremonies
as gifts. The affluent lifestyle beckoned many a craftsman from distant
parts of the world, especially the Arabian Gulf where the rare original
pearls are found in abundance. Hence, Hyderabad became the
one-stop-destination for pearls.
In Chandanpet village situated just outside Hyderabad, almost the entire
population is engaged in the delicate art of drilling pearls. They have
practiced this skill for generations, making Hyderabad one of the largest
drilling centres in India. Once the pearls are drilled, they are boiled
for about four days to bleach them and rid them of their dark.
Pearls originally come in different colours and hues, and are then
bleached white or a shade of cream. Silver, black, gold and pinks are also
gaining increasing interest. In fact, a deep lustrous black pearl is one
of the more rare finds in the pearl industry, and so are expensive. The
real Basra pearls (come from Persian gulf) are also available, but only
with bigger merchants dealing exclusively in pearls.
PEARL VARIETIES
There are three types of pearls, Natural, cultured and imitation-
Natural pearls:
Pearl's made without man's assistance. Natural pearls have become so rare
and expensive, that for the vast majority of people cultured pearls are
the only option.
Cultured pearls:
Cultured pearls are those that come from an oyster that dies after the
pearl is removed. They tend to have a larger core or nucleus.
Imitation pearls:
In most cases, a glass bead is dipped into a solution made from fish
scales. This coating is thin and may eventually wear off. One can usually
tell an imitation by biting on it. Fake pearls glide across your teeth,
while the layers of nacre on real pearls feel gritty.
PEARL
QUALITY
Lustre and size are generally considered to be the two major factors that
determine a pearl's worth. Lustre for instance, depends on the fineness
and evenness of the layers. The deeper the glow, the more perfect the
shape and surface, the more valuable they are. Size on the other hand, has
to do with the age of the oyster that created the pearl (the more mature
oysters produce larger pearls) and the location in which the pearl was
cultured.
A good quality white pearl reflects a lovely sky blue colour under
ultraviolet light, while a poor quality one has a greenish or mustardish
sheen. Black pearls that have a green sheen and baroque (irregular shaped)
pearls that reflect a rainbow of colours are also amongst the more
valuable varieties.