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Luster is the most important quality in determining "how much does a pearl necklace cost?"
The glow that emanates from within a pearl, its what makes a pearl different from other gems. Luster is created when light is absorbed by a pearl and reflected back through the different layers and cells made up of nacre. Other gems have a shine, as do imitation pearls. Only a true pearl has Luster. As the pearl grows, layer upon layer of nacre is built up. These layers all reflect light back out and because of this the pearl is said to emanate light, as if it had it\'s own light source inside.
lus•ter (l s t r)
n.
1. Soft reflected light; sheen.
2. Brilliance or radiance of light; brightness.
3. Glory, radiance, distinction, or splendor, as of achievement, reputation, or beauty.
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The inner radiance, the glow, the light from within, these is ways that we describe a pearls luster. Luster is not mere shine. What people call pearl shine is pearl luster. Pearl Luster is the effect that is created when light is simultaneously reflected and absorbed and again reflected back by the myriad layers of nacre. The semi transparent layers of nacre reflect the external light in all kinds of different ways, and back down again from the layers of nacre above and beneath.
Generally speaking thicker nacre makes for greater luster; but, as in all things pertaining to the pearl, it is not that simple. Since the pearl is an organic creation, it is as all things in nature, no two things are alike. Different chemistry, different ways that the layers are laid down, temperature are all factors influencing the way the mollusk lays down nacre. One very important thing that influences pearl luster is the speed of nacre build up. It seems that the slower the nacre is built up the more translucent the overlapping plates of nacre will be, and the faster that the nacre is built up the more likely the nacre will be cloudy or milky looking, or less lustrous.
No other gem has the look of a pearl. And not all pearls have a high quality of luster. The pearls with excellent luster are more valuable than pearls with less luster. And pearls with really poor luster may be ground up and used in cosmetics.
Pearls are loved by because of the way they look. It doesn’t take scientific instruments to see if a pearl has high luster or not. A pearl with excellent luster will look bright, and a pearl with poor luster will look dull.
Within the different species of mollusk there is varying degrees of luster. The akoya pearl has the reputation of being the most lustrous. The South Sea Pearl has a softer glow. So what is normal luster for one type of pearl is different from what is normal luster for another.
Well, that description does not quite tell the whole story behind what is going on in a pearl. And I do mean “in” a pearl. Why do we say luster? Why not shine? Luster is a better word; but, still falls short of the mark. Here’s why, the effect of light on and in a pearl goes beyond a mere shine. Light hitting a pearl goes through and is reflected back through the many layers of nacre, and then back down into the pearl.
This is why the word “shine” is incorrect by itself. The word “shine” does not describe a pearls glow. When light falls on a pearl it causes the pearl to glow. We have a natural gem made up of many microscopic layers. Each layer is semitransparent, admitting some light and reflecting some light. In a sense it is like a storage battery for light. If a pearl did “shine” only, then the glow would not exist in a pearl. So luster is a good word; but, it fails as all words do. After all, the word “luster” is a sound, that we use to describe an event that is visual not auditory. And this event is universal; because, the beauty and appeal of a pearl has been appreciated for many thousands of years.
So what about glow……………….?
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