People have been pining over pearls as a symbol of wealth and status for thousands of years. The oldest mention of natural pearls dates back to 2206 BC written by a Chinese historian. US archaeologists discovered natural pearls in 2,000 year old aboriginal mounds. Homer wrote about them in epic poems before 700 BC. As time went on, pearls became more of a status symbol and the desire for these natural beauties became prominent. Royal families as well as aristocrats in Asia and areas of Europe would pass along pearls as family heirlooms from generation to generation.

History

From ancient times until the Discovery of the New World in 1492 (courtesy of Columbus) some of the more well known sources of natural pearls were the following:

Persian Gulf
Waters of Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Chinese rivers and lakes
Rivers of Europe

During Columbus’ third and fourth voyages to the new world, he encountered many of the native people adorned with pearls. His discovery of these iridescent beauties in the waters of present day Venezuela and Panama amplified the demand. Within 100 years later, natural sourced pearls demand declined due to overfishing, the culturing of pearls, plastic buttons, and oil drilling.

The culturing of pearls started a hundred of years ago in China. In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto was the first to successfully culture pearls in Japan.

Pearls are considered treasures from the Earth’s ponds, lakes, seas, and oceans and have always encompassed a feeling of mystery, power and life sustaining nature of water.

Some believed that the spherical shape was associated with the moon and in ancient China, pearls were believed to guarantee protection from fire and fire breathing dragons. In Europe, they symbolized modesty, chastity, and purity--which is why pearls are very popular for wedding gifts for the bride.

What is a pearl?

A pearl is produced by a living organism, making it an organic gem. Natural pearls form when a foreign object gets inside a mollusk and irritates the soft tissue or mantle that lines its shell. The object might be a parasite that bore through the shell. Another way is when foreign matter enters the mollusk while the shell is open to feed and drawing oxygen from the water. The mollusk tries to reduce the effects of the irritant by coating it with layers of smooth nacre. Nacre is made up of microscopic platelets of aragonite (crystal form of calcium carbonate). Nacre is the same composition to the material found in human hair and fingernails.

There is another way to obtain pearls called culturing pearls. Pearls are cultured from mantle tissue pieces implanted in a host’s mollusk mantle. This way they are able to get more than one pearl out of the mollusk.

Different Types of Cultured Pearls

Cultured whole pearls are categorized by where they are grown, the species of mollusks that produce them and their geographical region.

Four Types:

-Akoya

-South Sea

-Tahitian

-Freshwater

Akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian are all produced from oysters (the mollusk) in saltwater pearl farms.

Akoya: produced in Japan, China, & Vietnam

Comes from the Pinctada fucata oyster
In Japanese language the common name for oyster is Akoya
Size typically ranges from 2mm to 10mm with an average size of 6mm to 7mm
Culturing technique yield an unusually high percent of spherical cultured pearls
Classic akoya is white with rose overtone and excellent luster
Ideal for strands of same size pearls for necklaces

South Sea

Produced in Australia, Indonesia, and the Phillipines.
Pinctada maxima oyster; two varieties are gold lipped and silver lipped
Size range from 8mm to 18mm but most between 10mm & 15mm
Soft satiny luster rather than mirror like surface of akoya
Large round high quality, well matched strands are rare
Mostly used in jewelry such as a pendant necklace, rings or brooches that require fewer cultured pearls
Among the three major producing countries, Indonesia has one of the most diverse farming practices, resulting in pearls that are slightly smaller due to exclusive use of hatchery bred mollusks, which are smaller than wild mollusks.

Tahitian

Grown from Pinctada margaratifera oyster (black lipped oyster)
Size ranges from 8mm to 17mm with average 9mm and 11mm
Only oyster that regularly produced unusual colors (peacock, auberge, pistachio)
GIA has developed a system that describes pearl colors in more detail. (Post on that soon!)
Very expensive
Sold in jewelry that features singles, pairs and sets.

Freshwater

Produced from mussels
Main producer is hyriopsis cumingi (called triangle shell in native china)
China produces the great majority of the world’s freshwater cultured pearls
China produces approximately 10 times more freshwater than all other saltwater and freshwater producers combined.
Size ranges from 2mm to 13mm
Great number of spherical cultured pearls for strands and other matched jewelry
Less expensive

Whatever iridescent beauty you choose, Therese will help you find your jewel of the sea.

South Sea White Pearl Ring with Diamonds ~ 14k White Gold ~ Engagement Ring: Trudy Gems Etsy

Stay tuned for a Pearl Part 2!

Pearls: The Jewel of the Sea

South Sea White Pearl Ring with Diamonds ~ 14k White Gold ~ Engagement Ring: Trudy Gems Etsy

Lab Vs Natural Alexandrite: What’s the difference?

Alexandrite: The Chameleon of Gems