A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain animals, primarily molluscs such as oysters. Pearl is an organic gem and has been used as jewelry for centuries.
Pearls are actually the oldest gems and pearl jewelry has been found in graves of a Persian princess who dies in 520 BC.Ancients considered the pearl to be gift from the sea gods to symbol of the moon to giving the wearer magical powers,even the Aztecs and Incas prized wearing pearls a s adornment and showing their position in the community as pearls were so rare to find in those times.
Pearls can be used in jewelry or crushed in cosmetics or paint formulations.
Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewelry.
A natural gemstone pearl is formed by calcium carbonate deposit, which had been collected and been formed within the soft tissue of a shelled mollusk, such as an oyster, clam or mussel. It's formed when an oyster is irritated by a substance that gets into its shell. If the irritation is a naturally occurring grain of sand, it is an Oriental pearl. If it is produced by purposefully inserting a mother-of-pearl bead, a cultured pearl (one created with human intervention) is formed. A pearl that forms attached to the shell is a blister pearl, while a pearl that forms a half dome is a mabe (pronounced mah-bay) pearl. Pearls that are irregularly shaped rather than round are referred to as baroque.
Pearls that are most sought after are the ones produced by mollusc an bivalves or clams, are nacreous (shiny-surfaced) and are from freshwater lakes or seas.
Pearls produced in the wild are valued highly for their rarity.
Today, most pearls used for jewelry are cultured by planting a core or nucleus into a pear oyster as demand is high for pearl necklaces and pearl beads.
China is now the largest producer of akoya pearls, once dominated by Japan. Japan no longer produces akoya pearls, which are smaller than 8 mm, but it remains a large processor of China's akoya pearls. South Sea pearls mainly come from Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Pearls form pearl wholesalers have good lustre ,shining white colour, compactness so formed in good waters, smooth and spotless for blemishes .Pearl farms are in Mexico Australia f and south china seas ,today pearl farms are controlled in ocean waters as clean water is essential for good pearl growth. in Australia Broome is the capital pearl centre of Australia and have reputation as farming some of the beast pearls in the world today as oceans above northern Australia are pure and rich in plant life and more importantly very little pollution. Tahitian pearls and Mabe pearls also have top reputation for black pearls and grey pearls. Only chocolate pearls are treated in Tahiti the rest are natural pearls.
Black pearls are found in Tahiti and are very rare and today many pearl dealers supply pearls wholesale direct to public at dealer prices in loose parcels pearls or single pearls. Always check if pearl has hole drilled or natural as pearls with hole s are ideal to make into jewelry or as pearl necklace or mikimoto pearl necklace,paux pearl necklace,.
