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Pearls, Pearls and More Pearls
It's said that if diamonds are a girl's best friend, then pearls must be
her favorite sister. This lustrous gemstone is one of the June
birthstones. It acquired its name from the ancient Romans, who wore
elongated pearls as ear pendants that they called pirla, a slang
diminutive of pira ("pear"). The pearl is an organic gem grown within
oysters and a few other mollusks. It is formed when a foreign object, like
a tiny stone, makes its way into the mollusk's shell. The irritation
caused by the foreign particle makes the oyster form a secretion, called
nacre, to cover it. Nacre is the same material that forms the mollusk's
shell. When dried, the particle again irritates the animal, so it begins
to secrete again; as thousands of layers of nacre coat the intruder, a
pearl is formed. The process takes anywhere from four months to seven
years — the longer the process, the bigger the pearl. A single mollusk can
create dozens of pearls at a time, depending on how many particles enter
the shell. "Cultured" pearls are those in which people, rather than
nature, implant the intruding material, and the mollusks are cared for in
a protective environment (a pearl farm) while coating process goes on.
Nearly all pearls available today are cultured, and only one out of four
cultivated oysters lives to create a marketable pearl. Natural pearls are
very rare (and valuable!), so the word "pearl" should be assumed as
"cultured pearl" unless otherwise noted.
Some mother-of-pearl beads are cut from shells of the same mollusks
that create pearls, as both gemstones consist of nacre. Nacre is mainly
composed of aragonite (calcium carbonate) and conchiolin. Pearls are quite
soft (Mohs scale hardness of 2.5) and are among the world's softest
gemstones. When viewed under magnification, discontinuous wavy lines are
visible throughout the pearl. This stone is distinguished by its
iridescence and luster, as well as by a delicate play of surface color
called orient. Freshwater pearl shapes vary greatly and include corn,
potato, teardrop, rice crispy, rice/oval, and almost round or roundish.
For oriental pearls, the more perfect its shape (spherical or drop like)
and the deeper its luster, the greater its value. Other factors that
affect value are the regularity of the shape, size and color. The surface
of a pearl is rough to the touch. Cultured and natural pearls can be
distinguished from imitation pearls by a simple test: Rub the pearl gently
against the edge of your tooth. Cultured and natural pearls will feel
slightly gritty, like fine sandpaper, while imitations will feel as smooth
as glass (because the surface is molded or painted on a smooth bead).
However, this is not always a reliable test, as some imitations have
achieved "grittiness."
Saltwater pearls are commonly known as Oriental pearls and those
produced by freshwater mollusks are called freshwater pearls. Our pearl
stock is freshwater only, and like most other freshwater pearls, is
cultured in China (click
here for pictures of Rings and Things visit to a Chinese freshwater
pearl farm). Most cultured fine pearls are produced in Japan. In the
warmer waters of the South Pacific, large Tahitian black pearls are
cultured. Pearl color varies with the mollusk and its environment. It
ranges from black to white, and India's rose pearl is among the most
popular colors. Other colors are cream, gray, blue, yellow, lavender,
green and mauve. Color type is often affected by the mollusk's diet, but
enhancement is a common way to produce different colors. For example,
pearls are regularly bleached to improve their whiteness — this permanent
enhancement provides a more uniform appearance. Pearls are extremely
porous, so they readily accept dyes. Dyes can be used to produce any pearl
color, which makes it easier (and therefore less expensive) to create
matched strands. Be aware that dyes can fade over time. Irradiation
(applying gamma rays to a stone) darkens the nucleus to produce darker
pearls, like blues, grays and blacks, and most experts believe the
treatment to be permanent. Metallic pearl colors are often gamma-ray
irradiated as well. In some cases, they are irradiated AND dyed. As a rule
of thumb, all bright or striking pearl colors are dyed and/or enhanced.
Pearls are less durable than most gems, and are sensitive to acids,
dryness and extreme humidity. Therefore, they should be cared for
accordingly:
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If you
wear cosmetics, perfume or hair spray, apply them before putting on your
pearl jewelry.
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When
taking off your pearls, wipe them with a dry, lint-free cloth. The
calcium carbonate in pearls dissolves in human sweat or oil from the
skin, and this will diminish the pearls' luster.
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Be sure
they don't get exposed for a long time to direct sunlight, especially
ultraviolet rays; the protein in pearls becomes yellow under sunlight.
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If
your pearls need cleaning, do so with warm soapy water (never an
ultrasonic cleaner), taking care not to get water into the drill hole as
the pearl may discolor.
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Dry your
pearls flat on an absorbent, soft (and preferably lint-free) towel.
Store them away from contact with metals or harder stones that might
damage them. Also, don't store them in plastic, as it will seal out air,
thereby accelerating deterioration.
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Do not
just leave your pearls in a drawer — wear them at least once a month, as
the mild humidity from your skin is good for them.
Pearls were once important financial assets, comparable in price to real
estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched to find a single pearl.
They were rare because they were created only by chance. Pliny the Elder
wrote that Cleopatra once bet Mark Anthony that she could serve him a
dinner so expensive it would never be equaled. The banquet was indeed
opulent but no more so than Cleopatra had served on other occasions. Mark
Anthony thought he had won the bet until Cleopatra, who was wearing two
huge pearl earrings valued at $1.3 million in modern currency, removed one
and dropped it into her glass of wine, where it quickly dissolved. She
then drank the concoction and a judge declared Anthony the loser. Legend
also says Christopher Columbus was sure he had arrived in Japan, already
famous for its white orbs, when he discovered American Indians wearing
pearls.
The Chinese were the first to culture a product from freshwater mussels,
beginning as far back at the 13th century; however, their creations were
not traditional pearls, but rather shell mabes (blister-shaped or
hemispherical pearls). Japan cultured the first fully shaped freshwater
pearls after experimenting with freshwater mussels in Lake Biwa, a large
lake near Kyoto. The first commercial freshwater pearl crops appeared in
the 1930s, and became instantly sought, as the all-nacre Biwa pearls
formed in colors unseen in saltwater pearls. Their luster and luminescence
rivaled natural pearls because they, too, were pearls throughout. Biwas'
success and publicity were so effective that until recently, all
freshwater pearls were commonly referred to as "Biwas" — no matter where
they came from and regardless of U.S. laws prohibiting such references
unless the pearls are actually from Biwa. Nowadays, most freshwater pearls
come from farms in China. The production of whole (oriental) cultured
pearls also was perfected by the Japanese, a short time before they began
culturing freshwater pearls. Kokichi Mikimoto concluded in the 1890s that
a very small mother-of-pearl bead introduced into the mollusk's tissue was
the most successful stimulant to pearl production. Oriental pearls have
remained the most renowned and by far the most valuable. In 1916, Cartier
& Co. traded two strands of them for a majestic building on Fifth Avenue
in New York City. Jacqueline Kennedy later brought the gemstone to the
height of modern fashion, regularly donning multistrand pearl necklaces
both during and after her reign as first lady. Pearls are still a hot
item, especially among actresses — Reese Witherspoon wore a double strand
of Mikimoto Akoya pearls in the recent film "Legally Blond 2," and Uma
Thurman, Diane Keaton, Maria Bello and Jessica Simpson all wore pearls to
the 2004 Golden Globe awards.
The pearl is said to improve self-worth and help people see themselves. It
is an emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, and symbolizes love, success
and happiness. The gemstone also is associated with the ministry, bringing
wisdom through experience. Pearls are purported to help to attune the
chakras; since they are a soft white, they help bring soft, healing energy
during meditation. In addition to their metaphysical properties, pearls
are believed to eliminate emotional imbalances. By supposedly helping
people master the heart chakra, they aid stomach, spleen, intestinal tract
and ulcer problems. They also enjoy a long and varied list of "uses."
These include cures for eye ailments, heart trouble, fever, bleeding,
poisoning and indigestion. Because of pearls' high calcium content, some
of these have seen actual clinical benefit (e.g. indigestion). A pearl
water tonic can be made to increase vitality, relieve eyestrain and soothe
burning urination: Place several small pearls in water overnight and drink
the following day. This tonic is a natural antacid and anti-inflammatory.
Pearls are found in Japan, China, Tahiti, Ceylon, Scotland, Norway,
Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the U.S.A., Mexico and Burma. The
finest oriental pearls are found in the Persian Gulf.
I would like
to thank my friends over at
Rings and Things
for providing this fantastic information! Thanks Russ and Polly!
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