Questions about pearls

A pearl is an organic gem, produced by a mollusc that envelops a foreign body in concentric layers of nacre. From that layered structure comes the quality one looks at first, the lustre: the light the surface returns, within which lives the orient, the iridescent reflection that moves with the light.

A cultured pearl is born of the same gesture as in nature, initiated by human hand: a small nucleus is inserted into the mollusc, which responds by covering it with nacre, layer upon layer. The process takes years and environmental conditions followed with care.

Natural pearls are born by the work of the mollusc alone and today are exceedingly rare. Cultured pearls are born of the same process, initiated in a controlled environment and followed for years.

MIMÍ pearls are cultured; the exceptions are Conch and Melo pearls, which form in nature.

Real pearls have a living surface, with minute natural irregularities, a weight perceptible in the hand and deep reflections that change with the light. To the touch they feel cool and slightly gritty, while an imitation appears smooth, uniform and lukewarm.

The documentary proof remains the certificate: every MIMÍ jewel travels with the certificate for its type of pearl, recording type, colour, dimensions and place of purchase.

There are four types of pearl: Akoya, South Sea, Tahiti and Freshwater. Each has its own origin, colour, size and lustre.

Akoya pearls are Japanese saltwater pearls, renowned for their exceptionally vivid lustre, spherical shape and white or rosé tones. They are the pearls of the classic strand and of everyday earrings. MIMÍ selects them directly in Japan: the jewels are found in the Akoya pearls collection.

South Sea pearls are among the largest and most precious saltwater pearls in the world, with a silky, deep lustre that makes them recognisable. MIMÍ selects white South Sea pearls in Australia and gold South Sea pearls in the South Seas.

Every South Sea strand carries an individual code, because each strand is a unique composition. The jewels are found in the South Sea pearls collection.

Tahitian pearls are the dark pearls of the maison: they are born in the lagoons of French Polynesia from the Pinctada margaritifera oyster and cover a range from silver grey to anthracite, with green, blue and aubergine reflections.

Rare and full of character, they are found in the Tahitian pearls collection.

Freshwater pearls are cultured mainly in China and offer the widest range of colours and shapes. This family also includes large-diameter Freshwater pearls, prized for their broad surface and the full light that comes with it.

The jewels are found in the Freshwater pearls collection.

Baroque denotes a shape, and runs across all four types: there are baroque Akoya as well as baroque South Sea, baroque Tahitian as well as baroque Freshwater pearls.

The irregular profile makes every specimen unrepeatable and moves the light differently on each face of the pearl: it is a chosen shape, sought by designer jewellery for precisely this reason. The jewels are found in the baroque pearls collection.

Akoya pearls are Japanese saltwater pearls of spherical shape and modest diameter, with an exceptionally vivid lustre and white or rosé tones. South Sea pearls are among the largest saltwater pearls, with a silky, deep lustre, white when they come from Australia and gold when they come from the South Seas.

The choice follows the occasion: Akoya pearls carry the classic strand and everyday wear, South Sea pearls bring size and presence. Both reach at least grade A+ on the MIMÍ scale.

The dark pearls of the maison are Tahitian pearls, cultured in the lagoons of French Polynesia. Their range runs from silver grey to anthracite, with green, blue and aubergine reflections, and comes from the natural colour of the Pinctada margaritifera oyster.

MIMÍ selects exclusively pearls of natural colour: dyeing stays outside the selection.

MIMÍ directly selects Akoya pearls in Japan, Freshwater pearls in China, white South Sea pearls in Australia, gold South Sea pearls in the South Seas and Tahitian pearls in French Polynesia.

The maison buys from the producers and carries out the selection in person at the places of production.

The quality of a pearl is read through the seven value factors recognised by the GIA:

• Size: at equal quality a larger pearl is worth more, because growth takes time.
• Shape: the perfect sphere is the rarest; baroque and oval shapes, when well proportioned, have a beauty all their own.
• Colour: from white to pink, from golden to grey through to black. What counts is the harmony of the tone and the naturalness of the reflection.
• Lustre: the intensity and sharpness of the light the surface returns, and the iridescent orient that moves within it. It is the factor seen first.
• Surface: the cleaner it is, the finer the pearl. Small natural characteristics remain compatible with a high value when the lustre is excellent.
• Nacre quality: the compactness and integrity of the layers of nacre, which govern the light of the pearl over the years.
• Harmony of the matching: how closely the pearls of a strand, or of a pair of earrings, correspond to one another in colour, shape, size and lustre.

Every pearl is accepted only when its nacre quality, lustre and structural integrity match the MIMÍ master pearls, the reference specimens kept by the maison.

The price of a pearl necklace depends on the seven value factors, and above all on three: size, because a large pearl requires extra years of growth; lustre, which depends on the quality of the nacre; and the harmony of the matching, that is how closely the pearls of a strand correspond to one another.

Composing a uniform strand of large, luminous pearls requires the selection of thousands of specimens, and it is this work that the price tells. The price of each MIMÍ creation is shown on the jewel's page, in the necklaces and pendants section.

The MIMÍ Pearl Standard is the method by which the maison assesses every pearl, from the seven value factors through to the check on the finished jewel. It accompanies the pearl from selection at origin to the final inspection and is expressed in the proprietary scale AAA, AA and A+.

On each of the seven factors the method sets a threshold placed in the highest band of the quality scale, within the top three to five per cent. It is a threshold of merit: it states the level a pearl must reach to enter a MIMÍ jewel. The standard remains constant; how many pearls reach it changes from one harvest to the next.

AAA, AA and A+ are the three grades of the proprietary MIMÍ scale. Every MIMÍ pearl reaches at least grade A+, and the average quality selected is AA.

The grade comes from direct comparison with the maison's master pearls, specimen by specimen.

The reference to the GIA concerns the seven value factors and the terminology by which a pearl is described: it is the international vocabulary that the MIMÍ Pearl Standard adopts.

The AAA, AA and A+ scale, by contrast, is proprietary to MIMÍ, and is applied by the maison through the experience of its own gemmologists and comparison with the master pearls. A certificate issued by a third-party gemmological laboratory — including GIA and Gübelin — accompanies exceptional pearls, chosen for the gemmological exceptionality of the specimen.

Every MIMÍ pearl is checked individually three times: at the producer, on arrival in Italy and on the finished jewel. Dimensions are measured with a precision gauge, to a resolution of 0.01 mm.

Final approval rests with MIMÍ's internal quality control, which authorises shipment.

MIMÍ selects exclusively cultured pearls of natural colour, preserved in their original condition. Dyeing, bleaching, pinking, irradiation, heat treatment, oiling, peeling, fillings and adhesives all stay outside the selection.

MIMÍ pearls also retain their original nacre.

Lustre indicates how much light the surface of the pearl returns, and with what sharpness. It comes from the layered structure of the nacre and the purity of the coating: the more compact and orderly the layers, the more intense and defined the reflection.

The orient is the iridescent reflection observed on the surface of the pearl that moves with the light. It lives within the lustre, depends on the transparency and overlapping of the layers of nacre, and is one of the surest signs of a quality pearl.

Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian strands are knotted by hand, pearl after pearl, on silk thread. The knot between one pearl and the next protects the surface from rubbing and keeps the pearls in place for the whole life of the jewel.

The pearls are selected in their places of origin and entrusted to Italian craftsmanship. South Sea pearls and all exceptional pearls are drilled by MIMÍ in Italy; knotting takes place in the maison's offices; setting is entrusted to an Italian workshop dedicated exclusively to MIMÍ, with forty years of specialisation in pearls.

The gold and silver components come from RJC-certified Italian suppliers.

MIMÍ recommends having the thread checked, and when needed restrung, every one to two years. Restringing and re-knotting by hand are carried out in the MIMÍ workshops and the work is completed within 30 days of receiving the jewel. For a quotation, simply write to info@mimimilano.com.

Melo pearls and Conch pearls are among the rarest pearls in the world: gems that form in nature, in very specific molluscs and in minute quantities.

MIMÍ works them on request, a savoir-faire that demands the highest skills and workshops able to handle such delicate materials.

Melo pearls come from the marine mollusc Melo melo, found in the waters of South-East Asia. Their surface is porcelain-like, with tones ranging from cream to deep orange: smooth, rare and entirely natural.

Conch pearls are born of the Strombus gigas, a large Caribbean shell. They have a soft or intense pink, a silky surface and the typical “flame” effect given by their internal fibrous structure. These pearls too form in nature, and it is precisely their rarity, combined with the complexity of setting them, that makes them extraordinary.

All exceptional pearls — including unique Conch, South Sea and Tahitian pearls — are accompanied by certificates issued by the most authoritative international gemmological laboratories, including GIA and Gübelin. The criterion is the gemmological exceptionality of the specimen.

Every South Sea and Tahitian strand also carries an individual code that recognises its uniqueness.

A well-kept pearl passes through the generations: it is the jewel one inherits. Contact with the skin does it good, and the part that ages first is the thread.

A check every one to two years keeps the necklace secure and the pearl luminous.

Pearls are put on last, after perfume and cream, and wiped with a soft, dry cloth after every wear. They are stored in their original packaging, in a dry place away from direct light, separate from other jewels.

The daily gestures are set out in full under how are pearls cleaned.

Pearls can be worn every day, and contact with the skin preserves their light. Akoya pearls, spherical and of modest diameter, are the pearls of the classic strand and of everyday earrings.

Two small habits suffice: put them on after perfume and cream, and put them away before showering and physical activity.

MIMÍ customer service responds Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 16:00, at info@mimimilano.com and on +39 0331 775907.

Guarantee, returns, restringing, replacement of a pearl and repairs are answered in the frequently asked questions.