Pearl City!!

Hyderabad, the royal city is a blend of the old and the new, having an inherent style and age-old culture; it is a delight to visit. From the magnificent food to the majestic monuments, from its terrific landscapes to a populace steeped in respect and tradition, the city is just full of surprises. One can explore her by lanes, taste the roadside foodstuff, feel the entrepreneurial excitement in the air and get a whiff of the nostalgia as well. It is also the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh and the only city in the south, where the major language spoken is Urdu. Inhibited by the world's richest royals, the Nizams, it is also the centre of folk arts like shadow puppetry and kuchipudi, which is an ancient dance form.

One of the largest and wealthiest of India's former princely states, the city built its fortune on the trade of pearls, gold, steel, fabric and, above all, diamonds, which some believe remain hidden beneath the foundations of Golconda Fort, precursor to the city some 10km away. Once the most famous diamond kingdom in the world, Golconda was home to the Kohinoor, the world’s most sought after diamond as well as the Orloff, Regent, and Hope, famous for their typically bloody histories. From nawabs and pearls to the world's hi-tech happening point, the city's journey is fascinating. The sprawling metropolis is finally coming to terms with itself.

Hyderabad has always been referred to as the “city of pearls” even though it is far away from the sea!

Who hasn't heard of the soft, rounded, lustrous, tear drop pearl of Hyderabad? People from everywhere flock here to possess a few of these pearls. Strange that there is no sea anywhere near the city. Yet it has become almost synonymous with quality pearls. Well, read on the pearl story…

Hyderabad was a princely state and a very rich one too! The royal patronage ensured flourishing of arts, crafts and cuisine. The affluent lifestyle beckoned many a craftsman from distant parts of the world, especially the Arabian Gulf where the rare original pearls are found in abundance. Hence, Hyderabad became the one-stop-destination for pearls. There is an entire street which only comprises pearl shops - Patharghatti.


The City of Pearls

The storied wealth amassed under the 200-year reign of Hyderabad's Nizams naturally called forth a precious-jewellery industry. From the year 1724, when the Mughal governor Asaf Jah titled himself Nizam al-Mulk and established his rule over central India's Deccan plateau, until 1948, when the Nizam VII Osman Ali Khan's authority was forcibly superseded by the Indian Army, untold quantities of gems and pearls passed through the Hyderabad's jewel shops on Patthargatti Road. Under the Nizams there was always peace and always a strong demand for gems. The Nizams had an opulent lifestyle.

The mines close to the Golconda fort gave the world the Hope and Kohinoor diamonds, now in the Smithsonian Institution and the British coronation crown respectively. Diamonds aplenty there once were, but it is pearls that have, over time, left the boldest mark on Hyderabadi culture and trade, and today it is the city's pearl dealers who are champions of the jewellery market. According to Sanskrit texts on Gemology, a metaphysical genre known as ratnapariksa, or "appreciation of gems", pearls join diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires as the five "god-given" stones, or maharatni. The millennia-old Vedic prayer of Atharvan invokes their special power: "Born of the wind and the air / Born of flashing lightning and starlight / May this shell and in it this pearl protect us from danger."

Once retrieved from the fastness of the sea, pearls in historic days, reached India in two ways: from the Gulf of Mannar in Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) via the south Indian city of Madurai, and from the Arabian Gulf via the port of Goa. Then, the finest quality pearls were said to be Ceylonese; they were uniformly white, and they were rare. Today, Ceylonese pearls are unknown in Hyderabad, but the slightly yellowish ones from the Arabian Gulf, known as Basra pearls, are readily available both in newly restrung necklaces and in precious old settings. In Patthargatti's shops—some open to the hot city breeze, others crisply air-conditioned—the pearls most commonly sold today are the freshwater variety from China.

Emeralds and rubies aside, however, Hyderabad does seem an odd city to be at the top of the pearl trade. The ocean is some 325 kilometers distant, and, commercially speaking, the city is a relative backwater compared to booming Mumbai and Bangalore. But any expert will tell you that Hyderabad's commercial position is due to "the high quality and low cost of labor." A visit to the processing centre confirms that behind almost every door in Patthargatti there are pearl sorters, drillers and stringers, each with hundreds of years of family experience.


The Pearl in Hyderabad Today

Jewelers in the pearl markets of Hyderabad have for centuries combined pearls with the glitter of gold, the richness of rubies and the ecstasy of emeralds. It is indeed amazing and heartwarming to see traditional designs still surviving the march of history in the narrow alleys of the Old City today.

The last few decades have witnessed a gradual influence of western designs on the Hyderabadi pearl market. However, the City of Pearls has retained its luster...

A pearl is unique; it is the only gemstone to be created from a living creature. Pearls are characterized by their translucence and luster and by a delicate play of surface color. The most perfect shapes are round, or tear drop and their value increases with their size and luster.

How a Pearl is formed

Pearls are formed when a foreign particle penetrates the body of a mollusk. The particle acts as an irritant, in order to protect itself; the mollusk coats the object in concentric layers of nacre, a natural substance commonly called mother-of-pearl. Only mollusks are capable of producing mother-of-pearl are able to create a quality pearl, most notable examples being freshwater clams and saltwater oysters. Irregular shaped pearls are referred to as Baroque and Blister pearls.

Color

The color of a pearl is dependent upon the type of mollusk and the environment in which it grows. Pearls range from black to white, the most prized is the Indian Rose Pearl. Other colors include cream, grey, blue, yellow, lavender, green, and mauve, champagne.

Size 

Pearls are weighed by carats (1 pearl grain = 50 milligrams = 1/4 carat) and those weighing less than 1/4 grain are called seed pearls. The largest naturally occurring pearls are the baroque pearls; one such pearl is known to have weighed 1,860 grains. With all other factors being equal, larger pearls are usually more valuable. Measured in millimeters, cultured pearls, depending on type, can range in size from smaller than 1mm to larger than 20mm.


Kinds of Pearls

While most gemstones are formed by the heat and pressure of the Earth's molten core, pearls are created in calm waters by a living gem factory -- the oyster. What starts out as an irritating bit of sand trapped inside the oyster grows, layer upon layer, into one of the most luminous and lovely of all gems, treasured for more than 4,000 years as a symbol of purity, modesty and virtue. Pearls are fashionable with daytime and evening wear. They are at home with a silk chemise or with jeans and a simple sweater. Without a doubt, pearls are one of the indispensable accessories in a jewelry box.

Luster

The word luster traces its origin back to the Latin word lux, meaning "light", and generally implies radiance, gloss, or brilliance. The unique luster of pearls depends upon the reflection and refraction of light from its translucent layers and this is finer in proportion as the layers are thinner and more numerous. The iridescence that some pearls display is caused by an overlapping of successive layers - this breaks up light falling on its surface.

Shape

There are eight basic shapes into which cultured pearls can be classified: round, near round, oval, button, drop, circle, semi-baroque and baroque. It is believed that the rounder the pearl, the greater is its value. However, pearls with baroque shapes have their own beauty and mystique.


Pearls in Hyderabad have a long history. Ram Dutt Malji, a Haryanvi pearl trader, became a royal jeweler.
His son, Seth Kedarnathji Motiwale, opened the first ever pearl shop in Patthargatti way back in 1906. Initially, the trade in pearls depended on the pearls coming from the Persian Gulf.

There are two kinds of pearls-real or cultured. After a pearl is made, it is separated as per the shape. The drilling is either done horizontally or vertically. This is done by highly skilled artisans. Once this is done, the pearls are graded according to the sheen, glaze, shape, size, luster and uniformity.

Various kinds of ornaments are made from pearls like bracelets, Kundan sets and enameled sets, Satlads (seven strand pearl set with precious stones), lacchas, chand bali (a moon-shaped ear-ring), chokers, rassi (a chain set in the form of rope), chatai (a mat type chain, ear rings and rings), hath phool (for the fingers and the wrist), vaddanam (waist belt) and Tanmani (a kind of necklace).

Some of the famous pearl shops in Hyderabad are: Mangatrai Pearls, Kedarnathji Motiwale and Jagadamba Pearls.

Hyderabad has pearls to go with every occasion, every budget, and every taste. But when it comes to shopping pearls, a fat wallet isn’t enough, or you might just come back with pearl look-a-like glass beads soaked in fish scales!



Quick tips for Pearl Shopping

· Look and Feel: It’s very important you know how a genuine pearl looks and feels like. The smoother the surface, rounder the shape, and clearer your reflection on the pearl, the better is the quality and higher the price. Of all colors, ivory pearls are the most popular. Don’t get daunted by unfamiliar jargons thrown by the shopkeeper. “Under UV light quality” only means: sky-blue sheen for white pearls, green sheen for black pearls and rainbow sheen for baroque (irregular-shaped) pearls. So go with a seasoned-shopper’s confidence.

· Teeth-Test: Rub your pearl against your teeth, real ones will feel gritty while fake ones will glide across.

· Natural vs. Cultured: It is only a myth that cultured (man-interfered pearl production by oyster) pearls are unreal. A pearl is oyster borne, cultured or natural!

· Bargain: Time to put your bargaining prowess to test! A 30 per cent discount can come easy, but availing a 50 per cent discount is where the challenge lies.

Where to Buy

Almost every other jewellery shop in Hyderabad is likely to shelf pearls, but the area near Charminar—Pathergatti and Laad Bazaar—has the best bets. Some popular shops are: Mangatrai Pearls and Jewelers (Punjagutta, Patharghatti, Basheerbagh), Meena Jewelers (Ameerpet, Basheerbagh), Bhagwati’s Pearls and Jewelers (Patharghatti), Krishna Pearls and Jewelers (Taj Krishna, ITC Kakatiya Sheraton, Taj Banjara), Sri Jagdamba Pearls and Gold (Secunderabad), Vithaldas & Co Jewelers (Charminar, Somajiguda).

After you buy them, don’t forget to pamper your pearls: pouch them separately for they scratch easily. Humidity, chemicals, even perfumes are pearl unfriendly.


Nourish Your Pearls

Your Pearls need professional cleaning at least once a year, depending on usage. If worn frequently, cultured pearl jewelry should be cleaned and/or restrung professionally once a year. You can also:

• Wipe the pearls with a soft cloth after wearing them

• Wash occasionally in soapy water. Human Perspiration can damage your pearls.


Precautions to ensure the longevity of your pearls’ beauty and luster

• Store pearls in a soft cloth sack, or a case recommended by your jeweler. Always separate them from metallic necklaces.

• Never use chemical cleaners or varnishes, especially those that contain ammonia or bleach.

• Remove pearls before applying perfume or sprays and before washing dishes or doing housework.

• Keep your pearls away from foods containing acids; for example fruit juice.

• Expose pearls regularly to humid conditions. If stored in a safe, place a glass of water in the compartment with them.


So, the next time you bump into someone wearing pearls, you have more to tell than just admire their stunning pearls. Better still, flaunt your own “oyster wonders”! :-)