Those born in June have not one, but three rare, beautiful birthstones to call their own – pearl, moonstone and alexandrite. Today, we are going to talk about pearls.
Pearls!
The word itself immediately magical images of incredible wealth, impeccable grace and nobility. Throughout history, pearls have always been associated with potentiality and wealth, for only the powerful & rich could afford them. All through history, pearls were valued more highly than gold or diamonds. Today, pearls can be seen adorning the bodies of famous movie stars, A-list celebrities and the super wealthy. Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jackie Kennedy-Onassis to the Queen of England have appeared in public, at one time or another, wearing pearls.
Where do pearls come from?
Irritated mollusks/oysters make pearls, but not because they're angry. In nature, if an irritant such as sand gets into their soft layers of flesh, they isolate it inside layers of calcium carbonate called ‘nacre.’ The oyster produces many layers of nacre to protect itself. At the same time, it creates one of nature's most beautiful ornaments: Pearls. It’s actually a myth that pearls only come from oysters. Pearls are an organic gem and can also be produced by mussels, conch and abalone!
How can you tell a good pearl from a bad pearl?
The question is often asked: "How can I tell if the pearls I am buying are good (real) or bad (fake)?" The honest answer to that is: it’s difficult, but there are some guidelines you can follow that will help you make the distinction.
Shape, size and weight are primary factors to be considered. If a seller is offering you very big, perfectly round, "real pearls" at a low price, be suspicious! Perfectly round real pearls of any size are rare and extremely expensive. The more common real pearls usually have an imperfection somewhere on them which helps to distinguish them from perfect, manufactured pearls. Another factor is the luster. Good pearls have a deep luster that artificial pearl coatings just cannot replicate. The very best real pearls will also have a color overlay to their luster; this may be pinkish or yellowish, or there may be a sort of rainbow hue to the pearl that changes according to the way the light is falling on it. ‘Bad’ pearls, on the other hand, will look duller and may even look a bit chalky.
A great safeguard, of course, is to buy from a reputable seller. No pearl seller worth their salt is going to want to sell substandard goods and many of them put grade ratings on their pearls.
Top pearl trends for 2019
The refined beauty of pearls has made its seamless transition from classic to modern designs in 2019, without losing any of its allure. Today, you can enjoy the sensuality of pearls in a wide array of jewelry styles, while creating timeless collections of fine pearl jewelry to pass down throughout our generations. Some of the hottest pearl trends in 2019 include: Pearl earrings accented with diamonds, sapphires or rubies; dangling pearl earrings or dramatic pendants; pearl jewelry in two-tone white and yellow gold settings; pearl necklaces with diamond gold clasps; pearls in heart-shaped pendants or earrings; exotic South Sea or Tahitian pearl necklaces and black pearl necklaces.
Wrapping this up
Pearls, when worn against a woman's skin, seem to lift the life and vitality of the complexion and impart a warm glow just by being there, in the way no other gemstone can. So, if you don’t have at least one piece of fine pearl jewelry in your jewelry box, what are you waiting for? Get yourself some lovely pearls today!