Of all the precious stones found in jewellery, pearls are clearly different to the rest which is certainly part of their enduring appeal!
The Living Gem
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Name origin: |
From the French perle, which in turn is originally from the Latin perna, meaning leg |
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Colour: |
From pure white to silver, pink, golden, cream or even black (Tahitian pearls) |
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Family: |
Crystalline Calcium Carbonate |
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Hardness: |
Pearls are naturally very delicate – 2.5 out of 10 on the Mohs Scale |
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Found in: |
Water! Or more specifically, oysters. Naturally occurring in warm tropical regions including Tahiti, Phillipines, Broome (Western Australia). Cultured in Japan and China. |
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Birthstone: |
June |
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Anniversaries: |
3rd and 30th |
The world is your oyster!
Of all the precious stones found in jewellery, pearls are clearly different to the rest which is certainly part of their enduring appeal!
Unlike any other gem, pearls are formed within a living organism – an oyster. The oyster reacts to a foreign object entering its shell by wrapping it in layers of ‘nacre’ – also known as Mother of Pearl. Because so many variables must take place for this event to happen in nature, a perfect naturally formed pearl is incredibly rare. Rather, today, pearls are cultured – still grown within oysters (or freshwater mussels), but with a little help from us to create the right conditions. The main difference is that natural formed pearls add layer upon layer of nacre around an irritant that has naturally entered the oyster, while cultured oyster pearls have the nacre layered forming over a bead inserted in the oyster by man.
Over the centuries, the allure of this ‘living gem’ has remained strong. In ancient Greece, it was believed that to wear pearls on your wedding day would result in a happy marriage with few tears! The lustre, size, colour and surface flaws all combine to give a measure as to the quality of a pearl.
Notable Pearls
The largest and most highly sought-after pearls are South Sea Pearls and Tahitian Pearls. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was renowned for her beautiful strings of pearls, as were many British Queens and ‘Queen of Hollywood’, Elizabeth Taylor. Her famed La Peregrina pearl was a large pear-shaped natural pearl that had belonged to Queen Mary I.
Your Pearl
Pearls are particularly popular in necklace designs. From ‘collar’ and ‘choker’ length through to ‘princess’, ‘matinee’ and ‘opera’ lengths. There are eight basic shapes: round (the most desirable), semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque and circled.
Due to their fragility and relative lack of hardness, these delicate stones should only be wiped with a soft dry cloth. Avoid exposing your pearls to perfumes, hairspray, alcohol and/or heat.