Pearls have been recognized for centuries as one of the most prized of all gemstones. The pearl is the oldest known gem, and also, historically, the most valuable. Powhattan, father of Pocahontas, was an avid collector of pearls and pearl jewelry. Even Julius Ceasar himself regarded pearls as such a precious entity that he made it a legal mandate during his rulership that pearls be worn only by royalty and the noblest of men. The pearl, throughout time, has been the ultimate symbol of unblemished perfection and natural beauty.
What are Pearls?
Shiny, illustrious adornments worn for centuries by nobility, pearls are unique in appearance and texture. The pearl is a smooth, round-shaped composite, derived chiefly from calcium carbonate. In size, shape, and unbeknownst to some, even color, peals exist in a variety of different forms. Most commonly small, round, white gems; pearls can be spherical, oval-shaped, or irregular in form.
Where do Pearls come from?
Native Americans who lived along the Atlantic Coast and the Mississippi River Basin were the first to collect oysters for the making of pearl pendants and decorative jewelry pieces. Pearls, which are cultured most commonly in seawaters, are more valuable and expensive than those cultivated in freshwater. This is because seawater oysters are only capable of producing one or two pearls at a time, with each production cycle taking a rough minimum of three years to complete. Freshwater oysters, on the other hand, can produce up to 50 pearl gems in a single cycle. Today, pearls are most abundant in the regions of Tahiti, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Burma, and the Philippines.
What makes Pearl Jewelry so Special?
Both the Aztecs and the Incas revered the precious gem for not only its beauty, but also the belief that pearls contained magical powers. In Greek mythology, pearls were thought to be materialized tears of joy that fell to the earth from the eyes of the great Greek goddess Aphrodite. Ancient Egyptians associated the pearl gemstone with their revered goddess Isis, bringer of healing and life. The pearl is unlike any other gemstone. While all other gems are formed from hardening mineral deposits that must be mined, cut, and then polished to reveal their true luster and shine, pearls are one of this earth’s own natural beauty’s. Pearls are handpicked from the deepest seabeds of the ocean, and possess an iridescence that cannot be mirrored by any land-mined stone. No two pearls are identical, meaning that each-and-every pearl is a one-of-a-kind ‘gem of the sea.’ Pearl jewelry is considered a cherishable token at weddings and baby showers, because the pearl represents foremost purity and innocence.
Colors of Pearl Jewelry
Pearl jewelry comes in a plethora of natural tones and colors, including white, off-white, cr¨me, and rose. Less common are silver and black-colored pearls, which are rare and found only in waters of the South Seas. Pearls usually vary in size from about 4-8.5 mm in diameter, and are worn as symbols of pure beauty and elegance.
Natalie Inger
Read more about other types of jewelry at the Jewelry Resource also find out what month pearl is a birthstone for at the Birthstone Chart.
Read about other birthstones such as Ruby.
