Birthstone for June - Pearls Pearls have been long beloved for their beautiful lustre. Natural pearls are a miraculous accident of nature, occurring when a microscopic irritant works its way into the mantle of one of several species of oyster or mussel, who react to the irritation by enveloping it in a sac of tissue. The oyster excretes a mix of chemicals – called nacre or mother-of-pearl – to cover the irritant and as layer upon layer forms around the microscopic seed a pearl is eventually formed. Because the chances finding a wild oyster with a mature pearl in the ocean is so small, many fine pearls are cultured in pearl farms. This is done by inserting a shell bead into the oyster for the nacre to form a layer around, which greatly increases the availability of beautiful pearls. There are four major categories of pearl today, in order of value they are: The common yet still gorgeous fresh water pearls farmed in China and the US; the small but lustrous and round Akoya pearls, farmed in Japan and China; the sultry dark hued Tahitian pearls from the black lipped pearl oyster, farmed in French Polynesia and the large white or golden South Sea pearls farmed in Australia. Round pearls are the rarest, even with cultured pearls, and so are the most expensive, but pearls can come in a variety of shapes from a near-perfect sphere to the uniquely shaped Baroque pearls. The satiny lustre is an important factor in a pearl, as is the smoothness of the surface. QUEEN OF GEMS Pearls have been loved for millennia, with the oldest mention of pearls being in a Chinese work that was written over 4000 years ago! This beautiful organic gem has shown up in jewellery from all over the world, both ancient and modern. One of the most famous pearls is the Panaman beauty La Peregrina (the wanderer); a large, symmetrical teardrop shaped pearl that has been worn by Queen Mary I of England, several members of Spanish Royalty and more recently the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor. Pearl necklaces are perfect for some feminine, understated glamour and come in a variety of lengths to suit every look; from a choker sitting against the base of the neck, all the way to a luxurious one metre rope. PEARL CARE Organic gems such as pearl are very sensitive to the harsh chemicals in cleaners. If you are cleaning pearls, always double-check that you are using a cleaner that is pearl-friendly and steer clear of abrasive cleaning tools such as toothbrushes or rough cloths. Keep them clear of household chemicals such as detergent, as this can affect the pearl as well. Strings of pearls are especially vulnerable, as they can be damaged by the natural acidity of your skin, so it’s best to gently wipe them down after wearing them to preserve their beauty. Keen to know more about pearls or have one yourself? Come in and talk to us!
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:49:04 +0000
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