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The Birth of a Pearl
The birth of a Pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike
gemstones or precious metals; which must be mined from the earth, Pearls
are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones
must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty, while Pearls need no
such treatment to reveal their loveliness. They are born from oysters
complete -- with a shimmering iridescence, luster and soft inner glow
unlike any other gem on earth. Its luster and the hue are commonly
referred to as Pearlescence is magnificent and it has attracted
civilizations for centuries.
Pearls are created from a core.
The core of a natural Pearl is simply a fragment of
shell or fishbone, or a grain of sand that strays into
the unsuspecting Pearl oyster's shell. To protect itself
from this irritant the oyster secretes multiple layers
of nacre, forming a Pearl. Pearls are among the oldest
and most universal of all gems, indicators of wealth in
the Bible, the Talmud, and the Koran. Unlike precious
stones worked from ore or stone that needed to be
faceted and polished, Pearls arrived in an already
beautiful form that ancient peoples could readily use.
Nature's Magic:
A natural Pearl begins its life as a foreign object,
such as a parasite or piece of shell that accidentally
lodges itself in an oyster's soft inner body where it
cannot be expelled. To ease this irritant, the oyster's
body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to
secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the
irritant in order to protect itself. This substance is
called "nacre." As long as the irritant remains within
its body, the oyster will continue to secrete nacre
around it, layer upon layer. Over time, the irritant
will be completely encased by the silky crystalline
coatings. And the result, ultimately there emerges the
lovely and lustrous gem called the Pearl.
Natural Pearls are formed randomly and really are simple accidents of
nature. When a certain type of irritant, such as a parasite, becomes
lodged in the tissue of a mollusk, the animal responds by secreting a
calcium carbonate substance called nacre to coat the intruder and
protect the mollusk. Over a period of several years, this build-up of
nacre forms a natural Pearl. A good sized Pearl can take between five to
eight years to form, which is usually the entire life of the oyster or
mollusk.
Something Wonderful:
How something so wondrous emerges from an oyster's way
of protecting itself is one of nature's loveliest
surprises. For the nacre is not just a soothing
substance. It is composed of microscopic crystals of
calcium carbonate, aligned perfectly with one another,
so that light passing along the axis of one crystal is
reflected and refracted by another to produce a rainbow
of light and color.
Pearls are, within the details, nearly as mysterious and
uncontrollable to us today as they were in ancient
times. This, in large part, is why they continue to be
popular and valued today. Their iridescence and orient
can be roughly mimicked, but never matched. These
qualities and characteristics of a Pearl's beauty can
only be achieved through patience, maintenance, and a
little bit of luck!
Mysterious and Exotic:
The Pearl. Mysterious. Exotic. The gem that adorned the
crowns of kings and queens and circled the necks of the
rich and famous came from the great Pearl centers of
Bahrain, Bombay, Rangoon, Madagascar, Maracaibo and
Tahiti in the ancient days. Pearls have been prized for
their beauty and rarity for more than four thousand
years. From ancient China, India, and Egypt, to Imperial
Rome, to the Arab world, to Native American tribes,
cultures from around the world and throughout recorded
history have valued these unique, biologically based
gemstones - much longer than any other gem.
The most ancient testimonial of the existence of the Pearl is the
Schumer tablet that dates back to 2300 B. C., where the Pearl is called
in quite a curious way - "the fish eye". The Arabian tale states that
Pearl was born by the dew that got into the shell. Since the times
immemorial and up to the present days the most famous and valuable Pearl
has been found. The Ancient Greeks called this bay "Tilos", which means
"Pearl". According to the Schumers, Bahrain was the country of the
Pearl. This name is used up to the present days. Pearl has become an
inseparable part of jewelry art throughout the world. Purely human
qualities - innocence and purity - are ascribed to Pearl by a vast
number of peoples.
Pearl Luster
Luster is what many experts term the heart and soul of
the sea-grown gem. Throughout history, this unique luster has separated
Pearls from all other gems. For cultured Pearl experts, luster is
perhaps the most important indicator in evaluating cultured Pearl
quality...
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The History of Pearls
No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear Pearls. George Frederick Kunz a gemologist in his 1908 masterpiece - The Book of the Pearl, states his belief that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast...
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Natural Pearls
A natural Pearl is a Pearl that forms in nature with no
human intervention. Natural Pearls, What is a Natural
Pearl Natural Pearls are grown in wild oysters. The
process begins when an irritant, such as a grain of sand
or a piece of shell, gets inside an oyster's shell...
Read more...
Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater Pearls are a kind of Pearl that comes from
freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the
United States on a limited scale, but are now almost
exclusive to China The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
requires that freshwater Pearls are referred to as..
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Saltwater Pearls
Although freshwater Pearls can be grown in mussels and
other mollusks, saltwater Pearls are always grown in
oysters. Most saltwater Pearls are harvested in the Red
Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the coastal waters of India
and Japan. Generally, saltwater Pearls...
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Cultured Pearls
Cultured Pearls are those in which humans take a helping
hand. By actually inserting a foreign object into the
tissue of an oyster or mollusk, Pearl farmers can induce
the creation of a Pearl. The same natural process of
Pearl creation takes place...
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South Sea Pearls
South Sea Pearls is a generic name for the
Pearls, usually 9mm-16mm in size, produced by the two groups of large
Pearl producing oysters. These oysters can grow to 25-30 cm in size, and
are much rarer than their Akoya counterparts....
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The Pearl Myths
There are many myths
about Pearls that have continued through the centuries.
"Pearls of Wisdom", is a common saying and even
shares the title of some books in areas such as
medicine, country living, inspiration and wisdom
collections and Oriental teachings...
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How to Care for your Pearls
Pearls give the most natural glow under the morning
sunlight. Spotlights also enhance their appearance. Therefore, if, when
shopping for Pearls, the items are being displayed under direct sunlight
or bright artificial light, it would be best to request to have them...
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Back to 'All About Pearls' Summary
Ever since the ancient Egyptians first started creating
jewelry, Pearls have become one of the highest regarded gemstones. Even
today Pearls still hold their value due to the rarity of "mother nature"
creating this form of jewelry. Pearls are created from a core. The core
of a natural Pearl is simply a fragment of shell or fishbone, or a grain
of sand that strays into the unsuspecting Pearl oyster's shell. To
protect itself from this irritant the oyster secretes multiple layers of
nacre, forming a Pearl...
Read more...
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Birth of a Pearl
