“Pearls are always appropriate”
– Jackie Kennedy
About Pearls
For centuries, pearls have been a symbol of beauty and purity. Today, they are regarded as both classic and contemporary, coming in many more fashionable styles and see on the red carpet.
(Image Courtesy of Australian National Maritime Museum)
Natural Pearls
Natural pearls are extremely rare. Historically, many were found in the Persian Gulf; unfortunately, today, most have already been harvested. You may be able to purchase small, natural pearls, but they will be costly.
Cultured Pearls
Cultured pearls are grown in pearl farms. The mollusks are raised until they are old enough to accept the mother-of-pearl bead nucleus. Through a delicate surgical procedure, the technician implants the bead and then the mollusks are returned to the water and cared for while the pearl forms.
Not all produce a pearl; and not all the pearls are high quality. Over 10,000 pearls may be sorted before a 16” single strand of beautifully matched pearls is assembled.
Pearls can be found in saltwater and in freshwater. There are also different types of mollusks that produce very different looking pearls.
(Baggins Pearls)
Saltwater Pearls
Saltwater pearls include the akoya cultured pearls grown in Japanese and Chinese waters. They range in size from 2mm (tiny) to 10mm (rare) and are usually white or cream in color and round in shape.
Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines produce the South Sea pearl – the largest of all the pearls. They range in size from 9mm to 20mm and can be naturally white, cream, or golden in color.
Tahitian pearls are interestingly not exclusively from Tahiti – they’re grown in several of the islands of French Polynesia, including Tahiti. Their typical sizes range from 8mm to 16mm. These naturally colored pearls are collectively called black pearls, but their colors include gray, blue, green, and purple.
(Mastoloni)
Freshwater Pearls
These pearls are grown in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds, predominately in China. Although many are white and resemble the akoya cultured pearls in shape and size, they can also be produced in various shapes and in an array of pastel colors.
Many freshwater pearls don’t have a bead nucleus — only a piece of tissue — resulting in a pearl with thicker nacre than the akoya.
Some of the World’s Most Influential Women were Huge Fans of Pearls
First Ladies including Michelle Obama and Jackie Kennedy both regularly adorned themselves with pearls while their husbands were in office. In England, Princess Diana was known to have been a huge fan of pearls. Finally, Coco Chanel was a pioneer of fashion and contributed towards making pearls popular as everyday jewellery.
(Image Courtesy of Australian National Maritime Museum)
Pearls Can Take Many Different Shapes
While people believe that all pearls are perfectly round and symmetrical, this is simply not true. They actually come in an array of different shapes. The most common include round, off-round, drop, and baroque. Round-shaped pearls are undoubtedly the most popular ones, but given different budgets and taste, others are admired too.
It Takes At Least 6 Months for a Pearl to Form
Another fun pearl fact! Each type of pearl takes a certain amount of time to develop. Sometimes, the development process can last as long as 24 months. The procedure begins when a farmer delicately implants a tiny nucleus inside the mollusk. The growth of a pearl l is influenced by how long it takes to recover from the implantation. Once this process is over and the mollusk is fully recovered, the pearl begins to grow as the mollusk covers the nucleus with layers of nacre. Chinese freshwater pearls can grow up to 5mm per year while Japanese Akoya pearls only up to 0.3mm.
Pearls are one of the Birthstone For June
Those born in June aren’t just lucky because the month has three birthstones, but more so because one of these gemstones is the pearl. According to the legend, the June birthstone is believed to symbolize purity, clarity, and loyalty. Given its symbolic meaning and captivating beauty, the pearls are an especially great gift for anyone born in this month.
