Historically the world’s oldest gem, pearls are one of nature's greatest miracles due to the fact that they are the only gem material formed within a living creature, being completely natural and organic in origin, and coming into the world out of a live being, a Mother of Pearl... what could better symbolize as an eternal gift this miracle of birth that we celebrate particularly on Mother’s Day!
What are pearls really, how are they made?
Pearls start to form when an irritant (like a fragment of shell) enter inside an oyster and to which the mollusc responds by covering it with layer upon layer of nacre, called also Mother of Pearl.
There are two types of pearls: natural pearls, where the irritant comes accidentally from a natural organism in the water, and cultured pearls where it is inserted manually by human intervention. Natural pearls are incredibly rare and expensive nowadays, therefore today jewelry is almost exclusively designed with cultured pearls.
Pearls come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. They are most commonly white and black with a round shape, but we can find oval, drop shaped with colors including green and pink.
History and symbolism of pearl jewelry
Hundreds of years ago pearls were considered more valuable than diamonds, as only 1 oyster in 10,000 is likely to contain a natural pearl and of those only a small percentage achieve the size and shape to be used in jewelries. Due to their rarity, pearls were a major status symbol since the Ancient Rome, representing wealth and timeless elegance. They became signature accessory of several fashion icons like Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn but also for many Royalties like Princess Grace of Monaco, and First Ladies including Michelle Obama and Jacqueline Kennedy.
In ancient societies pearls had astrological associations with the planet Venus, as the goddess of love was said to be born from the sea (as we see her in many paintings) on a half shell, rising up out of the waters, just like a pearl, therefore pearls are believed to bring love, and happiness.
In some civilisations they were imbued with magical properties like giving protection from bad spirits and to bring luck and wealth to the wearer. Pearls are also very popular gemstones for women jewelry, as they symbolize purity, innocence, elegance and are deeply linked with a successful married life.
Pearls became more accessible in the early 1900s when it has been discovered how to create cultured pearls with human intervention (by purposely placing a small irritant inside the oyster).
The different types of pearls
Today pearls rank among the most popular gems in the world, and with cultured pearls being definitely real pearl too, you can choose between a large selection of different varieties for your own bespoke jewelry:
- Freshwater Pearls come from oysters that mature in non-saline lakes or ponds. They are the most commonly produced pearls and the favorite for jewelry designs as they have remarkable range of shapes, sizes and natural colors going from white to pink and lilac.
White freshwater pearl gold ring
- Saltwater Pearls are produced by oysters that live in the sea or the ocean. Tahitian pearls, Akoya pearls and South Sea pearls are the most beautiful varieties of saltwater pearls. Their size can vary from approximately 2mm to 15mm.
- Tahitian Pearls come from the black-lipped oyster in the islands of French Polynesia. These pearls are unique as they are the only pearls that are naturally black, with colors range from grey to green to dark black. The pearls are on average 9 - 14mm but can grow much larger.
Tahitian pearl ring crafted in rose gold with sparkling diamonds
Tahitian pearl silver pendant necklace
Tahitian pearl silver ring, unique design
- Akoya Pearls are the most familiar type of saltwater cultured pearls that are generally used in the classic pearl necklace designs, as they are almost perfectly round. They have an average size of 7mm.
- South Sea Cultured Pearls comes from the seas surrounding Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia. They are some of the rarest and most expensive pearls because of their unique color going from white to silver or golden, depending on the type of oyster. Their average size is around 12 - 13mm.
SHOP FROM OUR BEAUTIFUL PEARL JEWELLERY COLLECTION.
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