Pearl
Facts
Pearls are formed when an irritant
(piece of sand, debris etc) enters the oyster. To protect itself,
the mollusk or oyster secretes nacre to coat the irritant, thus
creating a pearl. While pearls do occur naturally, Man has found a
way to insert an irritant (nuclei) into the oyster, stimulating the
growth of pearls. These are known as cultured pearls. Their size
and shape are determined in part by the size and shape of the
nuclei. They must then be left alone for several years to grow
before they can be harvested. The longer they are left alone, the
deeper the nacre, and better the luster!
Virtually all pearls today are cultured
pearls whether they are grown in freshwater or saltwater. For
decades the Japanese produced the world’s finest Akoya saltwater
pearls. Australia and Tahiti also produce saltwater pearls, prized
for their great size, color and luster.
Several years ago, the Chinese experimented with various freshwater
shellfish to produce pearls and are now the largest producer of
freshwater pearls in the world.
Once harvested, pearls are sorted and graded. Freshwater pearls
natural colors are shades of white, pink and peach. Other colors
have been enhanced, a technique perfected by the Chinese. Examples
of enhanced colors are peacock, blue, green, purple, gold and so
on. The huge variety of colors, sizes shapes and textures make them
fun to work with and add an interesting design
element.
For more information, please click
here to go to
wikipedia.
