What Causes Luster In A Pearl? - Pure Pearls

By A Mystery Man Writer

Description

Luster is the visible phenomenon that occurs when light strikes the surface of the pearl and also penetrates through the various layers of aragonite platelets and is reflected back at the viewer. The tighter and more compact the layers of nacre are, the more intense the pearl’s luster will appear. A pearl’s luster is one of its most prized attributes. Ideally, pearl lovers look for crisp and highly reflective luster that displays sharp, easily distinguished lines from reflected light sources. The new kids on the blog (lol), pearls with metallic luster are very intriguing. Many people want to know how a pearl can have ‘metallic’ luster. Certain pearl types like the saltwater Japanese Akoya are more likely to display sharper luster than others. A very large reason behind this is due to the rate at which the mollusk, or oyster, secretes its nacre.