Long ago, people believed that pearls were moonbeams that fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters. Although we now know that this is not true, pearls are still synonymous with romance, purity and sensuality.
Throughout most of history a natural pearl necklace was a treasure of almost incomparable value, in fact the most expensive jewellery in the world. Now we see pearls almost as accessories. Before the creation of cultured pearls in the early 1900s, natural pearls were so rare and expensive that they were reserved almost exclusively for the nobility and the very rich.
A pearl is a living gem, and each pearl is a miracle of nature.
A pearl is the accumulation of a slightly translucent material, called nacre or mother of pearl, similar to the lining found on the inside of nacreous shells. This is what gives a pearl its unique lustre and iridescence. It takes thousands of very thin layers of this nacre to make a single pearl. It is the composition, structure, thinness and evenness of these microscopically thin pearly layers that distinguishes a high?quality pearl worth thousands of dollars from another worth a great deal less. It is a remarkable feat of nature that a living oyster produces such an exquisite work of art.
Natural Pearls
Before the depletion of natural pearl beds about 100 years ago, all pearls discovered were natural pearls. Today they are very rare and are often traded at auctions in New York, London and other places as investment pieces. Natural pearls are by definition all types of pearls formed by an accident, without human intervention; there is no implanted nucleus! Natural pearls are the product of chance, whose beginning lie in a piece of organic matter or shell entering the oyster. With no shell sphere as its nucleus, natural pearls are rarely round or uniform in size.
Cultured Pearls
Koichi Mikimoto, the son of a Japanese noodle maker, who is largely attributed with developing methods for culturing pearls, is considered the founder of the pearl culturing industry. Since this revolutionary breakthrough at the beginning of the 20th Century, an empire of pearl producing centres have developed around the world.
Cultured pearls are formed when humans intentionally introduced an irritant into the oyster. Most of the pearls today are cultured pearls.
Imitation Pearls
Imitation and simulated pearls are completely man made from a variety of materials. They are commonly manufactured from beads of glass, plastic, or polished shells that are coated with a varnish that traditionally was made from grounded fish scales but most recently from reconstructed mother of pearl.
As products of living animals, pearls are unique among gems. Depending on fashions and tastes, the most sought after pearls may be perfectly round, pear-shaped or irregular. With their long history and amazing qualities, pearls are more popular than ever now.