"As a result, natural pearls are rarely completely round," says Neumann, "because the foreign object itself was not round." Neumann also explains that the notion of diving for pearls and actually finding one is more romance than fact.
"Pearls are cultured now," the Neumanns point out. "They are cultivated primarily in Japan where a bead of Mother of Pearl, cut from the thick-walled Mississippi mussel is wedged into the oyster's body. The oyster lives in the ocean until it is harvested after one to three years. So you see, every Japanese cultured pearl has an American heart," Irmela likes to explain.
This one to three year period is a critical one, says Neumann, because it takes that amount of time for the layers of nacre to form. Pearls that have fewer layers are not as strong and sturdy and have been harvested too soon -- possibly at the sixth month period or before. These pearls are often found in discount stores, says Freddy Neumann who emphasizes that when a deal on pearls is too good to be true, it probably is!
When selecting pearls Irmela Neumann recommends that the customer follow the same guidelines shat she herself employs when she travels to Japan to make her purchases. "Pick by size, luster, cleanliness and roundness," she says as she displays a gorgeous necklace made of pearls that shines beautifully in the soft light of the studio.
To make the point, Freddy Neumann directs customers to the small crystal bowl of jelly beans that grace each counter top. "Look at these jelly beans," he says as he holds up a white one. "Most people think that white pearls are better but that is not necessarily so. They are often young and flat an have no luster," he says as he compares them to the lustrous, shining pearls that he holds in his hands. "I am committed to quality so I teach my customers as much as I can."