June Birthstone - Pearl

A Pearl is an organic gem. Pearls can be found in natural and cultured product. Beautiful, iridescent pearl gem beads are highly valued throughout the world. Culturally, pearls have been the symbol of beauty, wealth, luck, social prominence and success throughout human history. They are also believed to promote loyalty, integrity, a calm disposition and focus.

Pearls are made by irritated oysters/mollusks. In nature, if an irritant such as dust, sand etc gets into their soft layers of flesh, the sea creature will isolate it inside layers of calcium carbonate (also called as nacre). Many layers of nacre is produced by the oyster in order to protect itself. The most valuable pearls are round in shape, bright white, without blemish, and with an exceptional sheen known as luster. This organic gem can also be produced by abalone, conch and mussels. Oysters raised in colder water sometimes produce low luster pearls.

Sometimes a bead is surgically planted in certain oysters to create the irritant that causes the creatures to create a pearl. Pearls that are produced from this method is called cultured pearls. The oysters are then enclosed in baskets and put them back in the sea. They stay in the baskets from 1 to 3 years. The longer these sea creatures have to produce layers of nacre, the larger the pearls produced. Every year, about 25% of the oysters left in the baskets die. You can start to appreciate now why salt-water pearls have such value.

Many white pearls have overtone colors known as tint. Pearls with silver overtones are highly coveted. Pink overtones are expensive and rare, creamier overtones are also rare but not very expensive. Freshwater pearls can be grown in a variety of colors including mauve, orange, pink and golden colors. Colored pearls are judged by tone (the intensity of the color). Dark yellow pearls will have richer color, they are considered more valuable and rare. The most highly valued pearls are large round spherical ones. Pearls can be easily damaged by oils, hair spray, human perspiration and perfume. You can clean them with filtered water and cotton balls.