Everything you need to know about pearls
The pearl is so special because it is the only gemstone that comes from a living organism.
A pearl is a precious stone, but unlike the others, it is formed in a living organism - certain species of oysters and mussels. The natural pearl is formed when a foreign body such as a grain of sand or a micro-organic parasite penetrates the shell and attaches itself to the oyster's soft tissues. This causes an irritation inside the body of the mollusc, which, to get rid of it, secretes thousands and thousands of layers of mother-of-pearl over that foreign body and over a period of time a pearl is formed. The process of forming a single pearl can take anywhere from 6 months to even 10 or 20 years.
99% of pearls on the market are cultured pearls.
Japan's Kokichi Mikimoto is credited with creating the first cultured pearl in 1893 by manually inserting a foreign body into an oyster shell to stimulate the creation of a pearl. This had a significant impact on the pearl industry. Today, almost all pearls on the market are cultured, the natural ones have already been harvested.
There are four main types of pearls.
Pearls vary in size, shape, color and value. Freshwater pearls are the most widely available and therefore the most affordable, being grown mainly in rivers and lakes in China. Japanese Akoya pearls are probably the most famous in the world and feature spherical shapes with an intense luster. The most common color is white or cream. Tahitian pearls, from the islands of French Polynesia, although sometimes referred to as black pearls, are also found in shades of grey, blue, green and purple. South Sea pearls can be found in the waters of Australia and the Philippines, they are the largest of all (the diameter of a pearl reaches up to 18 mm), and the color varies in shades of white, cream and gold.
Perfectly or nearly round pearls are extremely rare and the rounder the pearl, the higher its value.
For those born in June, the pearl is their birthstone and symbolizes purity, clarity and loyalty. Given its symbolic significance and captivating beauty, pearl jewelry makes an especially wonderful gift for anyone born this month.
