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The birthstone of June, pearls are one of the classic gems that symbolize everything from virtue to chastity, purity and wisdom. They have even been reputed to have mystical healing powers. Roman women are believed to have slept with pearls to sweeten their dreams, as well as embroidering them into their clothing and upholstery. Ancient Asian cultures even used them to cure ailments like heart disease, indigestion, fever and bleeding. Europeans believed that whole or powdered pearl, if swallowed, could cure matters of the mind and heart, as well as strengthening nerves.  Pearls are the result of an incredible natural process that occurs within an oyster's shell. The process begins with some kind of irritant being introduced into the oyster's shell. In response to the invasion, the oyster coats the object with nacre, a smooth, crystalline substance that surrounds the object and forms layers to protect the oyster's inner tissue (called the mantle) from further irritation. The result of this process is the beautifully luminescent gem we know as a pearl. Due to the popularity of pearls, there became a need to 'help' nature to produce pearls in larger quantities than were readily available. Therefore, a method was devised in the early part of the twentieth century to encourage the oyster to create a pearl by manually inserting an irritant (usually a rounded section of clam shell) inside the shell to stimulate the layering process. Pearls produced in this manner are known as cultured pearls. The oysters are placed in cages and suspended from rafts, where they hang until they are harvested--about five to seven years. In some climates like Australia, the growth period is much shorter. Generally, the longer the pearl grows, the larger and more lustrous it gets. Virtually all pearls sold today (and all the pearls on our website) are cultured pearls. The largest numbers of pearls are harvested from Sri Lanka, China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and the Red Sea. |
