A pearl is a hard, generally spherical object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and because of this, the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, very fine, very admirable, and very valuable.

Valuable pearls occur in the wild, but they are very rare. Cultured or farmed pearls make up the majority of those that are currently sold. Pearls from the sea are valued more highly than freshwater pearls. Imitation or fake pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of their iridescence is usually very poor - and generally speaking, artificial pearls are easily distinguished from genuine pearls.

A "natural pearl" is one that forms without any human intervention at all, in the wild, and is very rare. Many hundreds of pearl oysters or pearl mussels have to be gathered and opened, and thus killed, in order to find even one wild pearl, and for many centuries that was the only way pearls were obtained. This was the main reason why pearls fetched such extraordinary prices in the past. A cultured pearl, on the other hand, is one that has been formed with human intervention on a pearl farm. The vast majority of pearls on the market today are cultured pearls.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Pearl was 3,500 years ago the birthstone that was associated with June.

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ORIGIN OF NAME
The Latin word for pearl literally means "unique", attesting to the fact that no two pearls are identical. In the romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian), margarita means pearl. The word pearl appeared in the English language in the fourteenth century.

HISTORY
Since ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection. For centuries it was considered the most valuable gem stone. To the ancients, pearls were a symbol of the moon and had magical powers. The ancient Egyptians prized pearls so much they were buried with them. Pearls have been considered ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity and innocence. In the Hindu religion, the presentation of an undrilled pearl and its piercing has formed part of the marriage ceremony.

For ages, pearls have been the exclusive gemstones of royalty and nobility in every culture. The ancients Rome, medieval France and Elizabethan England had laws regarding who could and could not wear pearls. Teachers and lawyers, for example, could not wear fringes or chains with pearls. Pearls became associated with wealth, status, and power and ordinary people began to desire them as symbols of these things. Throughout history, millions of people have yearned to wear pearls.

Native Americans of the Atlantic Coastal areas and the Mississippi River Basin were the first to collect and use U.S. freshwater mussel pearls and shells. Pearl pendants and ear pendants were worn by both sexes and both pearl and shell were used for decorative purposes on articles of clothing. Some of the tribes used pearls as tributes, reportedly Powhattan (Pocahontas' father) had large stores of pearls received as tribute. Additionally, armlets, pendants, and gaming pieces were made from mussel shell.

LEGENDS
Nobody knows when someone first pried open an oyster and found a pearl. With its soft, rainbow-hued inner radiance, that first pearl must have seemed like a magical gift from the gods. Pearls are unlike other gemstones because they do not have to be cut and polished to enhance their natural beauty—they grow into it on their own. No wonder pearls have been prized ever since for their beauty, perfection, and rarity.

Reportedly, Cleopatra dissolved a single pearl in a glass of wine and drank it, simply to win a wager with Marc Anthony that she could consume the wealth of an entire country in just one meal. Throughout the world history, different cultures have assigned various other meanings to pearls.

An Old Arabic legend romantically explains that the pearls formed when moonlight filled dew drops descended down from the sky into to oceans and were swallowed by oysters.

In ancient Greece, pearl was thought to be associated with love and marriage. The legend of Venus/Aphrodite (Goddess of love, beauty and pleasure), who came out of the sea with water droplets turning into pearls, implies that pearls hold all the "charms" of the love goddess.

The Ancient Hebrews believed that pearls had been used by God to decorate the Garden of Eden. Roman ladies believed that pearls were lucky and attracted wealth. In China, pearls are symbolic of the incomparable beauty of the legendary pearl maiden, XiShi (or Shecy).

Throughout almost all of recorded history, pearls were far too valuable and rare for any but the royalty and aristocracy to afford. However, due to advances in pearl cultivation, growing and harvesting technology, pearls are now affordable and accessible to everyone. Today, you can wear the same string of pearls that only a queen could wear two hundred years ago. Pearls are still cherished today as lovely jewelry. They make tasteful gifts, and are usually passed down as treasured heirlooms for generations.

HARDNESS
Even though pearls are exceptionally cohesive and shock-resistant, they rank only 3.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, so they may be scratch by contact with sharp objects or other gemstones.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Pearls are organic gemstones that are vulnerable to acid, alkaline and different humidity levels. Perfume and hairspray, which contain alcohol and harmful acids, should be avoided on the areas where pearls are worn.

Perspiration can also harm the beauty of pearls, dulling their beautiful luster. Therefore, after wearing them, they should be wiped with a damp (not wet), soft cloth or a silicon cloth.

Be careful not to dip pearls in water or wear them while bathing, as water can weaken the silk thread. Do not leave them in direct sunlight or expose them to high temperatures. If pearls happen to come into contact with substances such as vinegar, fruit juices or detergents, immediately wipe that substance off.

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