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Black pearls
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Zhang Zhiyong
BLACK pearls are taking the central stage in Paris with this year's "Pret-a Porter Printemps-2001" fashion show.
Coco Chanel, the prominent fashion designer, loved to wear pearls. And Christian Dior once said, "Woman wearing pearl cosmetics could redefine fashion."
The mystique of black pearls is powerful and seductive. But just what, exactly, is a black pearl?
You can walk into almost any jewellery store in the world and ask to see their "black pearls" and they will likely show you pearls of various colours.
The merchant can legitimately argue that they are real, natural, and authentic. There is only one question you can ask that will separate an arguably authentic black pearl from a 100 per cent real black pearl: Does it come from the black-lipped oyster? If the answer is yes and the merchant can provide a certificate of authenticity, you're on the right track.
Remember that there are 72 species of pearl-bearing oysters in the Polynesian South Pacific region. However, of these, only the black-lipped oyster produces naturally dark coloured pearls. Once you've seen real black pearls, you will know the difference. They possess a luster not duplicated by other pearls that are dyed and enhanced to look like black pearls.
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