Definition of Pearls
The incomparable pearl has been regarded throughout history as a treasure almost beyond value. Before the creation of cultured pearls, only the wealthiest and most powerful individuals were able to possess and wear them. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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It is not known which culture or people were the earliest to collect and wear pearls. Celebrated gemologist George Frederick Kunz believed that an ancient tribe discovered pearls while opening oysters used for food. Historians believe pearls became regularly used in the creation of jewelry around the time of the Persian Empire's rise in the fifth century B.C. Kokichi Mikimoto created the world's first cultured pearl in Japan in 1893 and later founded the first store specializing in pearl jewelry.
Creation
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Pearls are actually balls of calcium carbonate that are created around a bit of grit or shell that is irritating an oyster. This occurs naturally, or in the case of cultured pearls, is the result of a tiny shell fragment, or "nucleus," which is implanted artificially into a mature oyster.
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Farming
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Most pearls sold today are produced on pearl farms. Both painstaking and labor intensive, the pearl farming process is designed to minimize stress on the oyster to keep the pearl's development smooth and blemish-free.
Types, Shapes and Colors
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Pearls can take on a variety of appearances and colors depending on the types of oysters that produced them. For example, Akoya cultured pearls come in white, cream, pink, silver or gold and are admired for their high luster. South Sea cultured pearls, produced in warm waters, are quite large with a natural golden color. Most pearls, cultured or natural, are round. Freshwater cultured pearls, however, are oval-shaped and resemble grains of rice.
A Pearl of History
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Egyptian Queen Cleopatra once made a bet with Roman leader Marc Antony that she could serve the most expensive dinner in history. She then crushed one large pearl into a goblet of wine, dissolved it in the liquid and drank it. Antony declined to "eat" a second pearl.
Fun Facts
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Pearls are the birthstone for the month of June, and are the official gemstone of the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.
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