Pearl jewelry is timeless and elegant as well as hip and modern. They are often preferred by many because they are simply the most elegant adornment to finish off every outfit for every occasion. Pearl has been valued as objects of beauty and became a metaphor for something very admirable, very valuable, very fine and very rare. Pearl is the June birthstone and is also considered as a symbol showing deep love.
A pearl is made up of calcium carbonate, a common substance found in rocks and shells of mollusks. Calcium carbonate deposited in concentric layers found in pearls is in minute crystalline form. A pearl is roundish, hard object produced within the soft tissue of living shelled mollusks. It is secreted by the epithelial cells of the mantle, a curtain of tissue between the shell and body mass.
A pearl is eventually formed through a process called encystations. This process begins when a parasite or an irritating microscopic object is trapped inside the mollusk's mantle folds. The mollusks, being irritated by the intruder, secrete the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. As long as the animal lives, the pearl keeps growing because the secretion process continues.
Nacre, the mother of pearl, is an inner shell layer that is strong, iridescent and resilient. Nacre secretion around the irritant creates a pearl inside the body of the mollusk. Some mollusks have a porcellaneous inner shell layer, instead of nacre. This type of mollusk produces an even higher value pearls.
There are saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls. Saltwater pearls come from marine pearl oysters. A freshwater pearl of course comes from freshwater mussels. Saltwater pearls are valued higher than freshwater pearls.
Valuable pearls are those that come from the wild, but pearls can also be cultured or farmed. Cultured pearls are those grown by people in a pearl-producing mollusk. These are considered genuine pearls also as they are very similar to natural pearls. Pearl culturing or farming has become successful due to its scarcity.
There are saltwater cultured pearls and freshwater cultured pearls. Saltwater cultured pearls are pearls cultured in a saline environment. They are produced by introducing a rounded bead of freshwater mussel shell into the gonad of a host mollusk. Freshwater cultured pearls are produced by creating small incisions to the mantle organ of a host mussel.
Pearls are considered to be gemstones and are valued for their translucence and luster and for the delicate play of surface color. Pearls come in different shapes. There are round, rice-shaped, pear-shaped, button-shaped, or irregular (baroque). But, the ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth.
The pearl shows iridescence, if successive layers overlap and the light falling on the surface breaks up. A pearl's luster is finer if it has thinner and more layers. Luster depends upon the diffraction, reflection and refraction of light from the translucent layers. Pearl grade or the quality of the pearl, is determined by its color, luster, orient, shape, size and surface perfection.
The largest pearl known is the "Pearl of Allah", which weighs-- lb or 6.4 kilograms. It was discovered in Palawan, Philippines in'34 by an anonymous Filipino Muslim diver. It was found from a giant clam, which is a non-nacreous mollusk. The pearl is glossy like a china plate and not pearly as it did not grow in a pearl oyster.
A pearl is the oldest known gem, considered to be the most valuable. For thousands of years, this organic gem, though delicate has been successfully used in jewelry. It is the only gem which requires no polishing or cutting before use and is the only gem created by a living creature.
A pearl is made up of calcium carbonate, a common substance found in rocks and shells of mollusks. Calcium carbonate deposited in concentric layers found in pearls is in minute crystalline form. A pearl is roundish, hard object produced within the soft tissue of living shelled mollusks. It is secreted by the epithelial cells of the mantle, a curtain of tissue between the shell and body mass.
A pearl is eventually formed through a process called encystations. This process begins when a parasite or an irritating microscopic object is trapped inside the mollusk's mantle folds. The mollusks, being irritated by the intruder, secrete the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. As long as the animal lives, the pearl keeps growing because the secretion process continues.
Nacre, the mother of pearl, is an inner shell layer that is strong, iridescent and resilient. Nacre secretion around the irritant creates a pearl inside the body of the mollusk. Some mollusks have a porcellaneous inner shell layer, instead of nacre. This type of mollusk produces an even higher value pearls.
There are saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls. Saltwater pearls come from marine pearl oysters. A freshwater pearl of course comes from freshwater mussels. Saltwater pearls are valued higher than freshwater pearls.
Valuable pearls are those that come from the wild, but pearls can also be cultured or farmed. Cultured pearls are those grown by people in a pearl-producing mollusk. These are considered genuine pearls also as they are very similar to natural pearls. Pearl culturing or farming has become successful due to its scarcity.
There are saltwater cultured pearls and freshwater cultured pearls. Saltwater cultured pearls are pearls cultured in a saline environment. They are produced by introducing a rounded bead of freshwater mussel shell into the gonad of a host mollusk. Freshwater cultured pearls are produced by creating small incisions to the mantle organ of a host mussel.
Pearls are considered to be gemstones and are valued for their translucence and luster and for the delicate play of surface color. Pearls come in different shapes. There are round, rice-shaped, pear-shaped, button-shaped, or irregular (baroque). But, the ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth.
The pearl shows iridescence, if successive layers overlap and the light falling on the surface breaks up. A pearl's luster is finer if it has thinner and more layers. Luster depends upon the diffraction, reflection and refraction of light from the translucent layers. Pearl grade or the quality of the pearl, is determined by its color, luster, orient, shape, size and surface perfection.
The largest pearl known is the "Pearl of Allah", which weighs-- lb or 6.4 kilograms. It was discovered in Palawan, Philippines in'34 by an anonymous Filipino Muslim diver. It was found from a giant clam, which is a non-nacreous mollusk. The pearl is glossy like a china plate and not pearly as it did not grow in a pearl oyster.
A pearl is the oldest known gem, considered to be the most valuable. For thousands of years, this organic gem, though delicate has been successfully used in jewelry. It is the only gem which requires no polishing or cutting before use and is the only gem created by a living creature.
About the Author:
About the Author: Fred Gagnon specializes in providing tips and information on jewelries. He owns a wide collection of beautiful, glamorous and chic jewelries. To learn more about jewelries, accessories, precious metals and gemstones, visit Horse Jewelry and Small Gold Hoop Earrings.
