What Are Pearls Used for?

Pearls, small, round treasures found in oysters, have long been valued all over the world. Pearl divers have risked their lives to recover them, and these beautiful creations of nature have been used for a variety of purposes.

Jewelry

High-quality pearls have long been used to make jewelry, particularly necklaces and earrings. The higher the luster and sheen, the more valuable these accessories are.

Medicine

The oldest use for pearls was as a medicine. From India to China, pearls have been used throughout history as cures for insanity, aphrodisiacs and elements in potions and balms to treat a variety of other conditions.

Modern Medicine

Even today, pearls are used in medicine. Inferior quality pearls, those not used to make jewelry, are ground up to make pharmaceutical calcium.

Accessories

While jewelry is the most common use of pearls as decoration, there are other items that use pearl as a fashion statement. Though the most famous are pearl-handled guns, pearls have been used in knife hilts, cigarette holders and other items to give an impression of wealth.

Religion

Like other precious stones, pearls have been used as offerings to gods (particularly those of the sea), and pearls figure into a great deal of Asian mythology. Often, pearls were worked into the accessories or garments of practitioners of pagan faiths.