The
Pearl BY DOUG MITCHELL
Pearls have been adored by people of countless cultures for centuries. They’ve been a timeless symbol for class, chastity, and purity. While the most familiar pearls come in cream and white, pearls can be found in a variety of colors and types.
HISTORY Pearls were first mentioned in ancient texts around 2200 BC by a Chinese historian. From those ancient times until the discovery of the New World in 1492, some of the outstanding sources of natural pearls were the Persian Gulf, the waters of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Chinese rivers and lakes, and the rivers of Europe. During Christopher Columbus’s 1498 and 1502 voyages to the New World, he repeatedly encountered native people adorned with natural pearls. However, within a hundred years, these natural pearl sources had declined due to overfishing, pearl culturing, plastic buttons, and oil drilling.
CULTURED VS NATURAL PEARLS There are two primary types of authentic pearls in the world, often compared to one another: cultured pearls and natural pearls. Fact is, both types are real gemstones, but it’s the way they are formed that makes them different.
Cultured Pearls Pearl cultivation involves the process of pearl farmers physically inserting an irritant, such as a shell bead nucleus, inside the soft tissue of the mollusk. From there, the layers of nacre are formed naturally, just like with natural pearls. Most pearls available on the market today are cultured. Natural pearls are much rarer and, therefore, much more valuable.
Natural Pearls
LORE Pearls are treasures from the Earth’s ponds, lakes, seas, and oceans, and they’ve always embodied the mystery, power, and life-sustaining nature of water. The spherical shape of some pearls led many cultures to associate this gem with the moon. In ancient China, pearls were believed to guarantee protection from fire and fire-breathing dragons. In Europe, they symbolized modesty, chastity, and purity.
A natural pearl is formed organically when an irritant accidentally finds itself inside the oyster’s soft tissue muscle. This irritant, such as seawater sand or dust, activates the oyster’s defense mechanism, causing it to produce layers of secretions. The secretion (also called nacre) slowly develops into a natural pearl. It takes the right mollusk, the right irritant, and the right timing for all of this to happen - making natural pearls so incredible. Due to the high demand for these gorgeous gems, mankind came up with a way to successfully create real pearls - with some intervention.
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