Wednesday, November 14, 2007

pearl

How are they made?


Pearls are of two types - either real or cultured. If thick layers of nacre naturally cover the particle of the foreign matter that gets lodged in the fleshy centre of the mollusk, real pearls of sheen and spherical size are formed. Otherwise, the pearl makers manually introduce a mud pellet inside the mollusk. Thus, are made the cultured pearls, which can not match the shine of the natural pearl.

Once a pearl is made, it is segregated as per the shape, which decides whether they should be drilled horizontally or vertically. In Hyderabad, this delicate and lengthy process is very skillfully done by artisans - some 500 families that migrated from some 80 kms away from Hyderabad - who have been following this trade from generations. The entire process, explain the pearl merchants, get the pearls their sheen, and the mixed color pearls become cream colored.

Next comes the gradation as per sheen, glaze, shape, size, luster and uniformity. Maybe Hyderabad is a pearl city because talented craftsman, who can thus grade pearls, are available as cheap labor hereabouts. Next, the Patwas knit pearls through a soft, silken thread, which is preferred even to a gold wire. Then the ornaments are made, really customized.

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