Eretz Elana

Scientists unlock the mystery of creating cultured pearls from the Conch Snail

Scientists Héctor Acosta-Salmón and Megan Davis from Florida Atlantic University have successfully cultured over 200 pearls from the Queen Conch Snail with a special technique they developed using two different types of seeding.  The best part?  They have been able to safely seed the snails and harvest the pearls without harm to the snail and with a 100 percent survival rate.

Past attempts to culture conch pearls have been unsuccessful, most likely because of the spiral shape of the shell and the gonad location deep inside the shell.

From GIA's Gems & Gemology: "Natural conch pearls, especially those with attractive pink coloration and flame structure, have very limited availability in the jewelry market. For more than 25 years, attempts at culturing pearls from the queen conch (Strombus gigas) have been unsuccessful - until now. Scientists from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (authors Acosta-Salmón and Davis) have developed proprietary techniques to produce beaded and non-beaded cultured pearls from the queen conch. "

Picture Below: Drs. Héctor Acosta-Salmón and Megan Davis, co-inventors, standing beside an aquaculture tank.

 

Read More here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000927.htm

 

 

 

GIA Pearl Grading Updates

While I was in New York at GIA, I chatted with them about the pearl education program that they are now updating since the 2000 version. One of the changes they are updating is the "Surface Quality" terminology from 'blemished' to 'spotted.' 

I personally prefer blemished as it is a more general term that easily encompasses the types of blemishes; wrinkles, pits, cavities, cracks, blisters, etc. And spotted makes me think of the dialogue between two women in a maxi-pad commercial.

The wording below will be changed to lightly spotted,  moderately spotted, heavily spotted.

Environmentally Friendly Pearls

Note: This is a reprint from a June 2009 article I posted on my Education page.

How do those adorable lustrous balls impact the planet?
Pearl Farms are one of the few industries that truly gives back more than it takes from the environment. An astounding number of environmental groups have given the "thumbs up" to saltwater pearl farms.

No mining is involved. There are no corrosives leaked into surrounding areas and no chemical leaching. Gold Mining is one of the dirtiest and most destructive industries. The mining of one small gold wedding ring produces twenty short tons of waste that contains toxic heavy metals, mercury, cyanide and other chemicals that seep into the soil and local water systems.
One only needs to recall the devastation from the Aural Gold Mine leak in early 2000 that killed one hundred thousand tons of fish, 300-400 otters, birds and poisoned the drinking water in Hungarian & Romanian areas along the Danube, Szamos, and Tisza rivers. A dam break released 100,000 cubic meters liquid waste containing toxic concentrations of cyanide along with arsenic, lead, copper and other metals.

The Pinctada margaritafera and Pinctada maxima Oysters will never get arrested for their recreational drug usage. The Culturing of South Sea & Tahitian Pearls involves no fertilizers, feeds, herbicides, drugs, chemicals, or antibiotics so that adorable little mollusk most certainly didn't "inhale."

Pearl Farmers advocate for the environment. Pearl Farmers understand that high quality pearls can only be harvested from healthy oysters grown in clean, nutrient rich waters. Pollution in the water can weaken oysters and inhibit the secretion of nacre. Pearl farmers are often the leading local advocates in enacting laws and protecting water quality to keep their industry alive. They lobby aggressively for ecological sensitivity and the welfare of local marine life. In addition to offering opportunities for employment, Pearl Farming encourages local island communities greater stewardship over their natural resources and fosters pride in their land.

Natural Ocean Cleaning systems. Oyster are very efficient at filtering water by passing it over their gills and using it for food or binding it into larger segments to discharge. Pearl oysters clean the water, remove nitrogen and accelerate the process of de-nitrification. There is also a bio-remediative potential of pearl oysters, with their ability to remove heavy metals from polluted waters.
Pearl Farms provide protection for the fragile reefs. As Neil Anthony Sims writes in his "Green Pearls" Article, " The biological benefits are tremendous (all that wonderful vertical relief for biomass to build up, and for fish recruitment), the protection afforded coral reefs by a pearl farm's armed guards is unimpeachable, and there is no other industry that provides such stable, lucrative employment opportunities for isolated atolls.

"Mi Casa Es Su Casa!" The cages, nets, ropes and equipment used on pearl farms provide a habitat for other vital aquatic species from young lobsters and shellfish to crustaceans and fish during critical times in their life cycles. The Oyster cages provide these aquatic species important protection from predators and a large area for fouling (Barry White music & candlelight dinners not included).

Strict standards & regulations set by local governments in Australia & by the French Polynesian government have evolved the pearl farming industry into an environmentally compassionate trade. Each oyster has its own license number. Nucleation is limited to one pearl per oyster and strict age guidelines are observed for harvesting and culturing. Western Australian Pearling Act 1990 An Act to regulate pearling and pearl oyster hatchery activities, to provide for the conservation and management of pearl oyster fisheries, to repeal the Pearling Act 1912 and for connected purposes. This Pearling Act established guidelines for Perling aquaculture, declaration of zones, specified the type of Oyster (Pinctada Maxima and all potential hybrids created within the hatcheries) and the type of punishable offense for removing under or oversized oysters, harvesting more than established quotas.

The most important environmental impact that Pearl Culturing has done is to save the depleted mollusk populations from extinction in the early 1900's. The past few decades have brought the Pinctada Margaritafera oyster back from the brink of extinction, replenished oyster stock.


Special Thanks to The Department of Fisheries- Western Australia, Robert Wan Group, The Cultured Pearl Association of America, Gemological Institute of America for biographical and historical information.
Article by: Elana Rubin, Copyright June 2009

Reasons why you should buy your pearls from FutureFashionista.com

1.) We Love You.
Has anyone ever told you how fetching you look In that shirt? We are a customer-friendly company and you are important to us. We enjoy your emails and we like to help you choose jewelry for yourself. We are happy to chat on the phone with you when you have questions about an item and we may even tell you a joke that will make you groan and roll your eyes.

2.) It’s not the size that counts.
By shopping with us, you are supporting a small female owned business.

3.) 100 % Satisfaction Guaranteed
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and an unconditional return policy.

4.) Beautifully Packaged.
Every order is elegantly boxed, gift wrapped and comes with an extra treat because everyone deserves a present now and than.

5.) The Best Prices.
Our prices are the best on the net. If you see something you like but it’s a little out of your budget simply email us. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

6.) Professional Advice.
While we lack the degree required to advise you on your Uncle Irving’s sleep issues, we do know diamonds, pearls and things that sparkle. Owner Elana Rubin is a Graduate of Pearls from GIA and is more than happy to chat with you about pearls, jewelry trends and the various items we offer. You are welcome to contact us for additional pictures of an item, comparisons and any other information you need. We pride ourselves in offering you personalized support. As far as Uncle Irving, Elana suggests a glass of warm milk or listening to a lecture on single-celled spore germination - apparently that worked will for her in college.

7.) Premium Quality
Our pearls are of the best quality luster, color and nacre thickness. We meticulously hand pick our pearls from hundreds of lots, carefully matching and drilling them ourselves. Each pearl strand is professionally knotted and finished at the ends with French bullion to protect against wear.

8.) We have an Earth-loving hippy trapped inside us
Aside from our interest in folk music and tendency to hug people all the time, we are a socially responsible, environmentally friendly company.

As a supporter of the “No Dirty Gold Campaign”, we recycle gold to reduce the environmental damage caused by gold mining.

We use “Green bench” practices; cadmium free solder and fluoride free fluxes, the elimination of solvents and catch cups in our drains to prevent metals from entering the water system.

We carry conflict-free diamonds and ethically sourced gemstones.

 Our pearls come from clean ocean environments and farms that advocate for the environment and offer fair wages and educational programs for locals.

9.) Giving back
Every purchase you make through FutureFashionista.com gives back to the community. We donate part of the proceeds of every item purchased to a charitable organization, homeless shelter or an educational program. Some of the wonderful organizations that have benefitted include: City Meals on Wheels, Action against Hunger, Doctors without borders, The AIDS emergency fund, Two Left Paws Pet Shelter, UNICEF, Autism Awareness and Best Buddies International.

10.) Glowing Feedback from Past Customers
Read our customer testimonials and view our 100% positive feedback on EBay.

Pearl Fact #30

Reader Question: Are female or male oyster used during nucleation?

"Are female or male oysters used during nucleation?"
The answer is both!   Marine Pearl oysters are characteristically protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning that they develop first as males and change their gender after one or more reproductive cycles. Pearl oysters are also rhythmical hermaphrodites which means that they multiple sex reversals during their lifetime. These reversals occur repeatedly at least once per year or more depending on environmental factors (premature death of male oysters) and endogenous factors.

Freshwater mussels from the Unionidae family are mostly dioecious, meaning they have distinct genders and are not hermaphroditic... although several freshwater mussels are hermaphroditic. Both sexes are used in nucleation.

 

Article on when to wear pearls

Thanks to Lisa for the link....  Here is a neat article on when to wear pearls:

http://www.datingmiracle.com/product-review/when-to-wear-pearls-7184.html

FF.com Answers Reader Questions

Q:           Reader Question:  Do you have suggestions for edgy, non-traditional pearl jewelry for a hip twenty-something?

A:            We have a vast array of items that work for hip twenty-somethings.  Here are a few suggestions:

- A rope necklace with “slashed” 18K beads and vivid Tahitian cultured pearls.  The unusual shape of the pearls offers an edgier deviation from the traditional round shape.

 

http://futurefashionista.com/18ktapesibla.html

 

- Black Tahitian stud earrings are a chic tweak on the iconic white pearl stud.  They are frequently seen on Angelina Jolie.

http://futurefashionista.com/10dagrbltacu.html

 

-Pairing vibrant, bright colors with South Sea Pearls exudes a playful, youthful vibe. 

http://futurefashionista.com/14kga11sosea.html

Weddings & Pearls: A lustrous marriage

Wedding pearls can be worn in a multitude of colors, shapes and styles; as a simple white 6mm Akoya cultured pearl strand, as a diamond and silver-gray Tahitian cultured pearl pendant, as large South Sea cultured pearl drop earrings or perhaps as a multi-strand freshwater cultured pearl necklace.  Whichever design you chose, pearls are an idyllic wedding day accessory.

I remember looking for my own bridal necklace nearly 10 years ago, hoping to find the perfect necklace to match my ball gown style wedding dress. Unfortunately there were no family heirlooms, so I relied on my small post college budget, knowing simply that I could only picture myself wearing pearls. What better symbol of love than a gem that requires time to grow and is beautiful as it is without having to be faceted or cut?

Pearls and weddings do have a long involved history that spans multiple cultures and many centuries. Ancient Hindu text talks about the story of Krishna, who "brought forth pearls from the depths of the sea to give to his daughter Pandaia on her wedding day." (The Rigveda, 1000 BCE ) Ancient Greeks believed that if a bride wore pearls she would have a happy marriage with few tears. During the crusades, knights returning from the Middle East bestowed pearls upon their bride for their wedding day. By the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Century, pearls were the height of bridal fashion with Royal Weddings in the House of Burgundy taking place in a veritable "sea of pearls." (The Pearl Book, Antoinette Matlins)

Pearls were also the choice for engagement rings up until the early Twentieth Century.  Many famous European and American socialites had engagement rings of large pink, white or black pearls. Countess Court Haugwitz-Reventlow, the former Barbara Hutton, wore a large black Tahitian pearl engagement ring. The last empress of Russia wore a pink pearl engagement ring and the Queen Mother has worn a pearl and diamond engagement ring since 1940. Pearls represented a symbol of love, happiness and purity were a perfect gift for a bride. At the beginning of the twentieth century pearls were just as popular as diamonds as a wedding gift or adornment for brides.

No matter what pearl design a bride chooses, there is no better symbol of purity and natural, beautiful love than pearls.  Perhaps this is why it has been the choice of brides and grooms for hundreds of years.

 

 
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14K WHITE GOLD SOUTH SEA PASPALEY CULTURED PEARL & DIAMOND EARRINGS

 

18K WHITE GOLD OVAL WHITE SOUTH SEA & DIAMOND EARRINGS

Midwest Natural Freshwater Pearls

One of my friends is an avid collector of natural pearls and was kind enough to bring over his collection of old natural freshwater pearls found in the Midwest.  He's been collecting for almost 50 years and has a vast collection of colors and shapes from the hey days of pearls in the US.  Pearl author Elizabeth Strack just finished up a visit here to see his collection and meet with him and another man writing a book on Wisconsin pearls.

Thanks N for sharing!

 

 

Natural Pink Wisconsin Pearl from the Prairie Du chien area and a Mississippi River Pearl

 

 

 

 

 

Below: These are called Chicken Feed.  Farmers would feed the Clam shell meat to their chickens and the chickens would spit out the pearls or digest these accidently, hence the term "chicken feed"

 

And the crowning glory is this GIA cert'd natural smooth nearly round white pearl.

South Sea & Tahitian Pearl Nucleation

This first picture shows a grafter on a pearling boat. P maxima can be extremely sensitive so often the high tech grafting is actually done on a boat rather than back on land so that the oysters go through less shock. Each grafter nucleates about 300 oysters a day. The bowls on the left are the shell beads used in nucleation.
 

This is a closeup of a second nucleation. They make an incision in the gonad of a Pinctada margaritifera to remove the pearl at harvest and than immediately insert a brand new slightly larger bead nucleus into the already formed pearl sac.
 

 

After the oyster is nucleated they put it in these individual pouches (pic below). If the oyster rejects the nucleus, the nucleus will end up in the pouch and than they know which oyster was the one to reject it.
 

Pictures Courtesy of GIA and SSPC

Random Peart Fact #178

Pearl Fact #28

History of Pearl Jewelry in Europe & the U.S.

Renaissance
The mid-Fifteenth century saw the arrival of the Renaissance and unprecedented availability of pearls arriving in Europe form India, Ceylon, and the Americas. Pearls were worn in abundance, appearing in hat ornaments, collars, chains, necklaces, hari decorations, girdles and rings. Pearls were combined with other gemstones with vivid enamel detailing. Pearls were strung through the hair of royalty and even mail royals were bedecked in pearls.

Among the most popular jewels of the Renaissance were pearl pendants that resembled miniature sculptures and were built around Baroque pearls. Jewelers created intricate designs of unicorns, dragons, lions, sea monsters, ships, mermaids and tritons. These pendants were worn suspended from chains, necklaces or headbands, or attached by ribbons to the hair, skirt or bodice. Pearls were also commonly used in Christian ecclesiastical vestments, chalices, altars, crosses and reliquaries.



Age of Elegance 1650-1800
A new, less ostentatious look of pearls reflected the changes of the time. Royalty wore pear shaped and round pearls in strands around the necklace. In colonial America, fashionable women favored single or multiple strands of pearls.

The most popular pearl jewels throughout Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were large pear-shaped earrings up to 20mm. These were known as “unions d’excellence.” Another popular style using pear shaped pearls was the earring style called girandole, introduced in the seventeenth century. It consisted of a bow with three pear shaped pearl drops suspended from it.


Photos by Alibas Agency

The Gilded Age 1800’s – 1900’s
Swags, garlands, bows and tassels incorporated in pearl jewelry were favored motifs in the Gilded Age. Dog collar necklaces were popularized by Consuelo Vanderbilt and Queen Alexandra of England.

In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s many American society women and movie stars favored long pearl ropes worn alone or layered with similar ropes in a casual manner. The early 1900’s brought the appearance of Art Nouveau style jewelry. Pearls were used in brooches, earrings, necklaces and hair pieces.

During the jazz age of the 1920’s, long ropes of pearls were very popular on flappers and entertainers such as Josephine Baker. Dancer Irene Castle introduced the “headache band,” a velvet ribbon embroidered with pearls and worn around the forehead.

Random Pearl Fact #21

Interview & Review of Fred Ward's Pearl Book

Fred Ward's book titled simply and fittingly, "Pearls", is a fantastically written guide about the magical gemstone and the mollusks that create it. The book's concise and eloquently written accounts of historical information and the author's own personal experience make the book perfect for beginner or advanced pearl connoisseur.

As he did so well in his National Geographic articles, Ward intricately and descriptively teaches his readers with fascinating folk lore, scientific information and significant details and stories from over 25 years in the industry. He arms his readers with details on post-harvest processing of pearls, culturing techniques and how to purchase and care for pearls. Best of all, he wraps the stories and details together seamlessly with his vivid photographs of everything from the inviting waters surrounding the pearl farms to underwater pictures of divers turning baskets of dinner plate sized Pinctada Maxima oysters.

I first read this book as a college student and found it was one of the few pearl books to focus on pearls as something other than a simple jewelry item.  I remember curling up in a chair in my university's library until close, as I carefully read each enthralling chapter and pored over his invaluable historical information.  This is certainly a "must have" for any pearl enthusiast.

Fred's book is available at fredwardgems.com or by calling:  (310) 456-9949

Fred was kind enough to do an interview with us and discuss his thoughts on pearls and the pearl industry.

Elana:  Of the pearl farms you have visited, what was your most exciting experience? 

  FW:  After doing this kind of journalism for years, it's the less exciting but more beautiful pearls that capture my attention. Pearls are nowhere near as dangerous as say DIAMONDS can be, but in some parts of the world it is certainly as dangerous to deal in pearls as it is to deal in diamonds. If I know I am going to be in an environment that is unstable, I take more caution than usual. Fortunately, pearls are not tainted by so many problems as many of the other desirable gems. 

Elana:  Do you have a specific Marine Pearl that is your favorite?

FW:   Because I have worked around the world so many times, I don't think I have focused on favorites. What I do when out on assignments is to focus on the gem of the moment. I will tell you that I was very pleased to work on some material that I had never worked with before. These are the MELO pearls (or MELO-MELO pearls) that are rare and very pricey. The best seem to come from around Viet-Nam and are very collectible.

Elana:  I was interested to learn about the short culturing methods in Akoya pearls. Is this still just as prevalent?  Do you think that the governments will ever put tighter regulations on the farmers?

FW:   Inexpensive pearls are often not kept in the water long enough to produce an attractive product. It's the same story around much of the world. If the pearls are not very attractive they are often sold the way they are. Pearl farmers are always checking and looking to see if the pearls are attractive enough to sell now. The longer they stay in the water, the more expensive it is for the pearl farmer. So, many decisions have to be made. I would say it's a difficult way to make a living. 

Elana:  What are your feelings on the post harvest/bleaching treatments in Freshwater pearls coming out of China/Japan?  I've been seeing many pearls with very short shelf lives that become victims of what the Chinese term as "oxidizing"  Do you see this a lot too?  Is there any way for consumers to avoid strands like this in Freshwater?

FW     This is a relatively recent problem. There has always been nagging decisions about when to do the various tasks with pearling, but it does seem that the choices are more difficult. The pearls (or spat) have to have clean water, the right temperatures, the right time to start and the right time to harvest. The families have many difficult decisions. I do think that there is a lot more diddling with the spat. The farmers won't tell you what they're doing (right or wrong) but I think there is more and more diddling and I don't think this is a good thing.

Elana:  Have you been able to see the Vietnamese Akoya pearls or pearl farms? What are your feelings on them?

FW:   Actually, I have not been on a Vietnamese Akoya pearl farm for perhaps 6 or 7 years. I'm sure they must be trying new approaches and techniques. But so much of the success of such operations is just luck. At the moment I am much more interested in great pearls south of Manila. 

Elana: What were some of your most exciting experiences in the pearl industry throughout the years?

FW:   There are so many stories that I did with pearls that this would be a tough call. Perhaps one of the more interesting stories is about the pearl dealer in Dhahran who is a tenth generation pearl dealer and has bought and sold Marie-Antoinette's jewelry as well as many fabulous pearls. When I first went into his office I saw a beautiful huge round table that was way-wider than a grown man. I asked if we could fill it half-way with fabulous pearls. My host instantly said, "Why not fill the whole table?" And so we did.... the biggest and priciest collection of great natural pearls in the world.  

Elana:  Can you think of something that you would like younger women to know about the pearl industry?

FW:   Pearls can make a memorable statement for anyone. When I see young couples looking for a ring or pin I think they are probably stretching their budget. And that is not the way to begin a pearl collection. If you can wait for the right moment to buy, you may be surprised at bargains, perhaps just a bit after Xmas instead of before. Look for those bargains and make a casual friend with your local gem dealer. I think the best way to shop is to browse. Ask questions. Don't be afraid. The store owners and the workers are all wanting a sale. Ask for a deal. See if you can get the item(s) you want if you bargain. It is a perfectly proper to ask for a better price. The store owner wants to make a sale as least as much you want the gem. But you have the control. Come back another day if you like. Don't be afraid. They're not going to throw you out. They want you to be happy just as you want to be. 

The Many Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I considered by many to be the greatest monarch in English history. When she became queen in 1558, she was twenty-five years old, a survivor of scandal and danger, and considered illegitimate by most Europeans. She inherited a bankrupt nation, torn by religious discord, a weakened pawn between the great powers of France and Spain. She was only the third queen to rule England in her own right; the other two examples, her cousin Lady Jane Grey and half-sister Mary I, were disastrous. Even her supporters believed her position dangerous and uncertain. Her only hope, they counseled, was to marry quickly and lean upon her husband for support. But Elizabeth had other ideas.


She ruled alone for nearly half a century, lending her name to a glorious epoch in world history. She dazzled even her greatest enemies. Her sense of duty was admirable, though it came at great personal cost. She was committed above all else to preserving English peace and stability; her genuine love for her subjects was legendary. Only a few years after her death in 1603, they lamented her passing. In her greatest speech to Parliament, she told them, 'I count the glory of my crown that I have reigned with your love.' And five centuries later, the worldwide love affair with Elizabeth Tudor continues.

Pearl Facts

Here are some pearl facts for you to learn and brag to your friends.

• English pirates John Hawkins and Francis Drake were secretly encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I, and routinely seized pearls from Spanish vessels whenever they could.

• The Royals of the 1500’s and 1600’s wore pearls from all over the world – European freshwater, marine pearls from the Persian Gulf, American Pearls and pearls seized by loyal pirates from passing ships.

• Pearls are produced by mollusks, a phylum that includes snails, scallops, mussels, octopus, squid, and oysters of over 100,000 living species.

• The feature shared by all mollusks that defines it scientifically is its mantle tissue that lines the inside of the shell.

• The oldest traces of pearls appear as rounded depressions on the mold of the bivalve megalodon from the upper Triassic of Hungary and are approximately 200 million years old.

• Pearls in fossil form appear in abundance from the Cretaceous period (Age of the Dinosaurs), 65-145 million years ago. These Cretaceous Pearls have been discovered in rocks in Euope, Japan and North America and the majority were produced by the bivalve mollusk of the Genus Inoceramus. The pearls measure up to 11cm and are usually dull yellow or gray.

Pearl Artifacts and Jewelry: Greco-Roman Word

The prevalent use of pearls in the Roman Empire is apparent just by looking at ancient artifacts; surviving jewelry, sculptures, cameos, coins, mosaics, and drawings from this ear.   The ancient writings of famous authors of the period such as Pliny the Elder, also teach the world about the importance pearls had in the Greco-Roman Empires. 

                “[Pearls] occupied the first rank…and the very highest position among valuables.”

                                                                                                                Pliny, Historia Naturalis

 

Above: Pearl earring from the Roman Empire first to third century C.E.

 

Above: Early seventh century bracelet with pearls, sapphires and chalcedony excavated in Upper Egypt.

 

Above: Chalice of Abbe Suger from the Abbey of Saint-Denis, is decorated with pearls, precious gems and gold.  The sardonyx cup is from the second to first century B.C.E.

 

Sumptuary laws created by Julius Cesear banned women below a certain rank from wearing pearls.  Pearls became an indicator of status.

 

(Source: Pearls: A Natural History, Landman, Mikkelsen)

 

"The Birth of the Pearl: Popular Legends & Magic"

·         The ancient Chinese believed pearls were created in the brains of dragons.

·         Greeks and Romans linked pearls correctly to oysters but thought rain or dew penetrated the shell and created pearls

·         Stories in Ceylon, taught that Adam and Eve mourned then son Abel with many tears that gathered to form a lake that gave the world the first pearls.  Another version recounts the tears of regret from the original sin.  Eve’s tears became white and pink pearls while Adam’s tears became gray and black pearls.

·         The creation of a pearl also symbolized purity especially in religious texts.  Many ecclesiastics associated the mystery of the pearl’s “birth” with the Immaculate Conception

·         Noted Jewish traveler of the twelfth century, Benjamin of Tudela, wrote that oysters rose to the ocean’s surface where they captured raindrops. 

·         Early Hindu writers discussed pearls as originating from clouds, elephants, snakes, fish and even sometimes oysters. 

Going for Baroque

    Pearls with an irregular shape are defined as baroque.  Baroques is a French word that originally described pearls but later was applied to architecture, music and art.  The term baroque is a broad definition of any pearl with an irregular shape and within this category are subcategories of baroque, such as “circle” or ringed pearls.

                Although the coveted or at least “popular” shape of pearl these days is the round - the favored shape throughout European history was actually the baroque shape.

                Among the most popular jewels of the Renaissance period, were lavishly designed pearl pendants set in gold and designed around large baroque pearls.  The shape of the pearls inspired whimsical creatures such as mermaids, dragons, tritons, lions, and swans.  These pendants had hours of intricate enamel work and exquisite detailing. 

 

 

                Baroque pearls were also used as decoration in figurines in the 1500-1600’s.  These are pieces were similar in composition to the pendants of the Renaissance but they were not worn.  Some of the most famous pearls that have been discovered have been baroque pearls used in figurines.  One magnificent object d’art was discovered in 2000. An amazing 856.58 carats (4 ½ inch x 6 inch) pearl that formed the center body of a centaur.  It is the world’s largest known pearl, a baroque blister pearl.  Its exotic colors of mauve, grayish-purple and bronze and its intense iridescence have caused speculation it is a product of the rainbow-lip, pteria sterna mollusk. 

Below: Discovered in 2000, This art figurine of a Centaur was made with an 856.58 carat natural Baroque shaped pearl.

Below, a Baroque pearl forms the Baby inside this cradle figurine.

References: Pearls: Ornament and Obsession, Kristin Joyce and Shellei Addison

The Pearl Book, Antoinette Matlins

“Tuesday's Random Pearl Facts”

·         Most of the trained technicians who seed oysters in Australia are Japanese, but some are Australian.  They travel the world working for six to eight weeks at each farm. 

·         Pearl Farmers expect to seed a Pinctada Maxima oyster (South Sea) four times in its lifetime.  The first time when it is two years old for round pearls.  In its last seeding it is used for Mabe (Ralf Shell) pearls.

·         The main Australian fishing grounds for wild Pinctada Maxima is around Eighty Mile Beach near Broome, Australia.

·         Every healthy oyster has a tiny helper inside it, a small pea crab that lives within it, sharing debris that the oyster brings in through its gills & also helps in keeping the oyster clean.  Seeding technicians are careful not to harm the pea crab during nucleation procedures as its presence seems essential for the oyster’s well being. 

Source: Australian Fisheries website

Pearls: June’s Birthstone

" All art is autohiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography." - Federico Fellini

In honor of June’s birthstone, the pearl, here are some fun pearl facts and some brand new eye candy . . .

·         “The early fertility treatment”, Pearls were placed under a bride’s pillow to increase her chances of becoming pregnant. 

·         Myriad of Natural Colors available now:

o   Pistachio Green ( Tahitian and Cook Island Pearl)

o   Turquoise and Sea Blue ( New Zealand Abalone Eyris pearls )

o   Silver-white or white with pink overtones ( South Sea Pearls)

o   Teal Blue ( Tahitian & Cook Island Pearls),

o   Lavender & Pink (Freshwater, Kasumi)

o   Metallic & Gunmetal gray ( Tahitian)

o   Bubble gum Pink (Conch pearl )

o   Burnt Orange & Read ( Horse Conch, Melo & Conch pearls)

o   Forest Green with Red Overtones (Tahitian)

o   Purple-Red (Tahitian)

o   Lavender-Deep Purple (New Zealand abalone Eyris pearls & Quahong Clam pearl)

o   Vivid primary colors ( Sea of Cortez, Melo, Horse Conch)

o   Golden Butter to Deep Golden Yellow ( South Sea Pearls)

o   Neon green (Tahitian)

o   Sky Blue-Silver ( Tahitian)

 

Here are some pictures you can take a look at:

 

 

 

 

Eyris Pearls from the Paua Abalone Snail

*Click Here to Shop Abalone and Blue Eyris pearls!*
Blue Abalone Pearls come from New Zealand's Paua, the abalone Haliotis iris Snail. Abalone are gentle sea snails, with a large central muscular foot and remarkably vibrant and lustrous shells. They are the only gastropod to be successfully used for culturing. This process is very complex because of the abalone's lack of clotting agent, limiting it to mostly blister pearl production by attaching a seed to the inner shell beneath the mantle tissue. A slight nick to the mantle tissue could be fatal in this beautiful creature.

Like the vivid coloring of the nacre on its shell, Abalone pearls show a range of bright blue, teal, sapphire, green, turquoise, fuchsia, purple, orange and gold hues. There are over one hundred different species of abalone throughout the world's oceans and the native New Zealand species is called Paua. Paua or Haliotis iris are only found in the cool clear waters close to the New Zealand coastline and it is these creatures which possess the greatest range of color and iridescence of any abalone shell.

Farming of the Haliotis iris is a recent innovation and a result of the hard work and extensive research of the beautiful creature. It takes thirty months and many layers of blue-pink nacre before a pearl can be harvested. Paua Snails are a very high maintenance creature that must not only be healthy, but also happy in order to create their beautiful iridescent pearls.

All Eyris brand pearls have a totally traceable history, by way of an individual ID number given to the pearl during cultivation that holds details about the life of the pearl such as the place and date of cultivation. Each Blue Eyris Jewelry piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Cool Abalone Facts:

• If an abalone is touched by a sea star, it twists its shell violently to dislodge the intruder and then gallops off—abalone style.

• An abalone’s blood is blue-green. Since the blood contains no blood-clotting mechanism, an injury can be fatal to the abalone.

• Abalone can live to be Fifty years old.

• Abalone produce pearls by secreting a shell over parasites or irritating particles of gravel that lodge in their flesh. Some abalone farmers, hoping to harvest pearls at a later date, are now seeding abalones.

Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Pearl Fun Facts

• “Pearl drilling was formerly a laborious process, and it was scarcely possible for a driller to perforate more than from forty to fifty pearls per day by means of the bow-drill operated by hand.” Source: Kunz and Stevenson, 1908

• Fine horse hair was used for stringing pearls in the 1800’s. Pulled horse hair, in bunches of 8-14 inches in length were sold for $1.50 a lb. Pearls were drilled so fine that silk would not pass through.

• Women in Rome often wore such large and heavy earrings of pearls, gold and gemstones that they had “Auricula Ornatrices,” doctresses who specialized in healing ear traumas or infections.

Pearl Use in Royalty

Crowns in ancient and modern life are richly decorated with pearls. Pearls were often used as a backdrop for robust gemstones like rubies and emeralds, to give them height and usually frame them in an elegant way. Consequently, the use of pearls in ornaments varied much more and ranged from diminutive seen pearl broaches to lard pearls decorating heavy royal scepters.

It is clear when viewing the many royal portraits painted throughout history that pearls were used in an astonishing, creative format. The royalty did not limit their pearl use to only jewelry items but instead wove their pearls sewn directly into their gowns and capes or decoratively accenting their sleeves, bonnets, diadems, caps and footwear. They wove strands of pearls into the silken hair of their children or twisted them romantically into their own hair. Pearls were set into scepters, orbs, crowns and thrones.

They were made into rosaries worn on the prayer shawls of clergy and even set into the covers of prayer books or alter crucifixes. As noted in Kunz and Stevenson, “For several centuries… the greatest treasures seem to have been collected in churches.”

Ecclesiastics especially enjoyed the richness of pearl adornments. It was not uncommon to see gifts from Kings and Queens and local nobility in the form on heavily bepearled chalices and crucifixes. This was evident when looking at the many pearl artifacts in Russian museums.

It was very common for men to wear pearls as adornments in the following forms: Scarf pins set with round, oval or pear shaped pearls, Waistcoat buttons, especially made of baroque shaped pearls, as a fob or link buttons. Pearls also adorned hats, shirt fronts, snuff-boxes, watches, bindings on books, bolsters and even saddles and horse-trappings. Men were even known to favor the use of unusual pearls such as the pink Queen conch or black pearls. The picture below shows the ornate crowns of Russian Kings.




 

Basic Styles of Pearl Necklaces

The variety of lengths and styles is endless. Here is the basic repertoire of pearl strands in addition to the newer innovative styles:

Bib – Three strand bib style popularized by Barbara Bush. A bib always has three or more strands.

Choker (also called Princess Length) – Traditionally a choker was 14-16 inches and a princess length was 17-20 inches. Today, most jewelers broadly refer to strands 14-20 inches as “chokers.”

Dog Collar – Multiple strands of pearls that fit close to the neck, much like the collar on a dog.

Graduated Strand – Strands that progressively taper down in size from their large center pearl. Usually with 3-4mm size change.

Matinee Length – A strand that is 20-26 inches often worn with a choker length.

Opera Length – A strand that is 28-36 inches in length. It is usually double the size of a choker.

Rope – Strands longer than 36 inches.

Station (also called Tin Cup) – Pearls with chain, leather or silk cord separating them. Popularized by the movie “Tin Cup.”

Torsade – Multiple short strands that are intertwined or twisted.

Uniform Strand – All pearls are equal size within 1-2mm.

More Pearl Facts Of The Fun Variety

• Carl von Linne (1717-1778), a Swedish naturalist and developer of binominal nomenclature of each animal or plant using a two part name that defined genus and species. He was also the first person known to produce a spherical pearl cultured in a mollusk. He drilled a small hole through the mollusk’s shell and held a small piece of stone in place with a silver wire post.

• The wife of Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie popularized the look of colored pearls. She wore Tahitian Pearls. She also owned the famous “Queen Pearl,” a 3 carat (93 grain) pink pearl found in 1897 in New Jersey.

• Calcium Carbonate, the principle component of pearls is also the main ingredient in the antacid “Tums.”

• Saltwater pearls contain 3x the amount of strontium that freshwater pearls contain.

• Crushed pearls are still used in medical remedies, cosmetics and as vitamins.

• Queen Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen” wore creamy white strands but was also fond of mixing white and rare black pearls. She had 3000 pearl adorned gowns which she used to orchestrate her daunting public persona.

Links of Gold Chain Links of precious gold chain are a classic staple of jewelry design. They offer an edgy distraction and create chi synergy when they are integrated into lustrous pearl pieces. In longer lengths, pearl and chain “station” necklaces offer a multitude of wearable looks; wrapped around the neck into shorter double and triple strand collars, worn long, or layed with other ropes of complimentary or contrasting pearl colors.

They are a correct and sophisticated accessory in any situation. The pinnacle of modern style, pearls can be worn at any time and all the time.

Pearl Fun Facts!

• Pearl merchants would stomp on pearls to separate imitation pearls from real pearls. Pearls are very resistant to perpendicular force on their surface. This is because of their stacked interlocking layers of nacre and the conchiolin component, which cushions it.

• The name Margaret origin means pearl.

• The concept of inserting items into an oyster started as early as the 5th century CE in China. The Chinese would insert ivory, ceramic or shell in the shape of small Buddhas and return them to the ocean. They would retrieve them a year or more later to see their item covered in mother of pearl.

Fun Facts About Pearls

• Pearls are “calcerous concretions” that develop in the soft tissue of a living animal. Calcerous concretions are produced by a variety of animal types, gastropods, squid, octopi, snails, worms, anthropods – even humans! The human version of a “pearl” is a kidney stone.

• In Medieval Europe, people often fed their blemished pearls to chickens to remove the blemishes. As Kunz and Stevenson wrote in their 1908 book, “The Pearl;” “Some persons have even fed them to a chicken fastened in a coop; after the laps of an hour or two the chicken is killed, and the pearls rescued from their temporary lodging-place, where they have been somewhat restored by the digestive juices of the fowl.”

• Testing roundness in pearls – Pearls are rolled on a slanted surface. Perfectly round (spherical) pearls roll in a straight line, also called “Six or Eight way roller.” Pearls that veer off course are “off round” or “semi round.”

• The Roman Emperor Caligula wore shoes decorated in pearls and adorned his favorite horse with a pearl necklace. His wife Lollia Paulina dressed in layers of emerald and pearls in her hair, ears, neck, fingers, and arms.

Pearls In Fashion

Pearls have always been a timeless classic and a consistent wardrobe staple for women. Politicians, royals, fashion forward & successful business women often gravitate towards the archetypal pearl strand as a no-fuss, straightforward accessory. Thanks to the relatively recent introduction of exotic saltwater pearls such as the Cultured Tahitian and South Sea Pearls to the world marketplace, the most astounding combinations of exotic natural colors, baroque shapes, cascading long strands and pearls combined with dramatic textured metals and gemstones have become available to the fashion conscious women of the world.

Although the exotic Tahitian Pearls from the Saltwater Pinctada Margaritafera Mollusk have been a beloved treasure in their native waters for centuries, The first export of Tahitian black pearls was just over 30 years ago when the pearl culturing technique was successfully established in French Polynesia. The ecologically sensitive and environmentally regulated pearl farming industry in French Polynesia is now thriving. In 1996 Tahitian pearl farms were shipping $152 million worth of Tahitian Pearls.

An exotic shaped pearl strand presents a very youthful yet sophisticated look that translates easily from day to night. One only needs to think of actress Angelina Jolie, who almost always reaches for a strand of sensual 10-12mm Cultured Tahitian Pearls Fancy Natural Colored Tahitians with unusual Cherry Red, purple, metallic green and pistachio overtones paired with a little black dress and Louboutin heels or worn with a black cropped jacket, fitted jeans and sleek black boots.

Designers are even pairing contrasting pearl types in random dramatic patterns like this 18K White South Sea and Tahitian Keshi Pearl Strand.


Embrace the variety of natural colors available in Cultured Tahitian and South Sea Pearls. Multicolor strands infused with fancy colored diamond accenting in long, short and multistrands: 18K Multi Color South Sea, Tahitian Pearl and Diamond Pave Bead Necklace 12-15.4mm


Cultured Tahitian Pearls, also known as "Black Pearls", are a magnificent creation from the Pinctada Margaritafera mollusk. An adult mollusk can grow over 30cm in diameter and weigh over six kilos. The Pinctada changes its sex over its lifetime. Producing up to 40 million eggs during its female stage. Tahitian Pearls are relatively recent in availability to world with their first export in 1972. Although they have been in existence for centuries, Pearl culturing was only first established in the early 1960's when a aggressive Frenchman , Jean Louis Dormand worked with the French Polynesian government to recruit a Japanese pearl technician. The first nucleation was in 1961 in the lagoons of the islands of Bora Bora and Hikueru. The first harvest in 1965 produced 1700 pearls.

The 1970's was the real beginning of large scale pearl farming and marketing. The first export of Tahitian black pearls was in 1972 and was less $4000 USD in value. By 1996 Tahitian pearl farms were shipping $152 million worth of black pearls.

One of the great pioneers in the Cultured Tahitian Pearl field is a native-Tahitian of Chinese Decent, Robert Wan. In 1974, Robert Wan & several other businessmen purchased Tahiti Perles, a non-producing pearl farm located in Mangareva in the Gambier Islands. During his travels to Japan in 1974, he was introduced to Mikimoto's grandson who confided that if Robert could produce fine quality Tahitian Pearls, he would be a buyer. 1977, Robert Wan's first harvest was bought by Mikimoto. Robert Wan has always been particularly attentive to life's opportunities. Mikimoto was the first to have confidence in Robert Wan.

Frenchmen Jacques and Hubert Rosenthal, grandsons of the renowned Paris jeweler, Leonard Rosenthal were also very early pioneers of the Cultured Tahitian Pearl Industry. Leonard Rosenthal was instrumental in getting the Tahitian Pearl recognized by the Gemological Institue of America.

Saltwater Pearl Farming & the Environment

How do those adorable lustrous balls impact the planet?
Pearl Farms are one of the few industries that truly gives back more than it takes from the environment. An astounding number of environmental groups have given the "thumbs up" to saltwater pearls farms.

No mining is involved. There are no corrosives leaked into surrounding areas and no chemical leaching. Gold Mining is one of the dirtiest and most destructive industries. The mining of one small gold wedding ring produces twenty short tons of waste that contains toxic heavy metals, mercury, cyanide and other chemicals that seep into the soil and local water systems. One only needs to recall the devastation from the Aural Gold Mine leak in early 2000 that killed one hundred thousand tons of fish, 300-400 otters, birds and poisoned the drinking water in Hungarian & Romanian areas along the Danube, Szamos, and Tisza rivers. A dam break released 100,000 cubic meters liquid waste containing toxic concentrations of cyanide along with arsenic, lead, copper and other metals.

The Pinctada Margaritafera and Pinctada Maxima Oysters will never get arrested for their recreational drug usage. The Culturing of South Sea & Tahitian Pearls involves no fertilizers, feeds, herbicides, drugs, chemicals, or antibiotics so that adorable little mollusk most certainly didn't "inhale."

Pearl Farmers advocate for the environment. Pearl Farmers understand that high quality pearls can only be harvested from healthy oysters grown in clean, nutrient rich waters. Pollution in the water can weaken oysters and inhibit the secretion of nacre. Pearl farmers are often the leading local advocates in enacting laws and protecting water quality to keep their industry alive. They lobby aggressively for ecological sensitivity and the welfare of local marine life. In addition to offering opportunities for employment, Pearl Farming encourages local island communities greater stewardship over their natural resources and fosters pride in their land.

Natural Ocean Cleaning systems. Oyster are very efficient at filtering water by passing it over their gills and using it for food or binding it into larger segments to discharge. Pearl oysters clean the water, remove nitrogen and accelerate the process of de-nitrification. There is also a bio-remediative potential of pearl oysters, with their ability to remove heavy metals from polluted waters. Pearl Farms provide protection for the fragile reefs. As Neil Anthony Sims writes in his "Green Pearls" Article, " The biological benefits are tremendous (all that wonderful vertical relief for biomass to build up, and for fish recruitment), the protection afforded coral reefs by a pearl farm's armed guards is unimpeachable, and there is no other industry that provides such stable, lucrative employment opportunities for isolated atolls."

"Mi Casa Es Su Casa!" The cages, nets, ropes and equipment used on pearl farms provide a habitat for other vital aquatic species from young lobsters and shellfish to crustaceans and fish during critical times in their life cycles. The Oyster cages provide these aquatic species important protection from predators and a large area for fouling (Barry White music & candlelight dinners not included).

Strict standards & regulations set by local governments in Australia & by the French Polynesian government have evolved the pearl farming industry into an environmentally compassionate trade. Each oyster has its own license number. Nucleation is limited to one pearl per oyster and strict age guidelines are observed for harvesting and culturing. Western Australian Pearling Act 1990 An Act to regulate pearling and pearl oyster hatchery activities, to provide for the conservation and management of pearl oyster fisheries, to repeal the Pearling Act 1912 and for connected purposes. This Pearling Act established guidelines for Perling aquaculture, declaration of zones, specified the type of Oyster (Pinctada Maxima and all potential hybrids created within the hatcheries) and the type of punishable offense for removing under or oversized oysters, harvesting more than established quotas.

*The most important environmental impact that Pearl Culturing has done is to save the depleted mollusk populations from extinction in the early 1900's. The past few decades have brought the Pinctada Margaritafera oyster back from the brink of extinction, replenished oyster stock.

The Many Color Possibilities in Cultured Tahitian & South Sea Pearls

 

Chapter 2: Pearls in Politics

Pearls in the Political World

By: Elana Rubin of FutureFashionista.com & Evelyn Yallen of IntoTemptation.com

Above 1st Row: First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson

2nd Row: Jackie Kennedy, Mamie Eisenhower, Barbara Bush

 

No matter your political stance, pearls have always had a prominent place in political history, dancing across party lines atop the necks of first ladies from Jackie Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush’s renowned triple strand of faux pearls by Kenneth Jay Lane.

They remain the choice of style icons, most recently seen on Michelle Obama, who favors a strand of gum ball sized pearls. The use of pearls is endless, their price more affordable than ever before.

 

 

Above: Current First Lady, Michelle Obama elegantly shows the look of multi-strand pearl necklaces, drop style pearl earrings & large white South Sea pearls.

 

Freshwater pearls are much less expensive than saltwater (South Sea, Tahitian) and a long strand in "fashion quality" can be purchased for under $200.

Affordable South Seas- in the incredibly popular Circle' (Ringed Shaped- concentric  natural surface rings) can also be had for under $1000. And good quality strands of even the crème de la crème of pearls, the luscious South Sea and Tahitians, can be had for a few thousand dollars.

Pearls retain their allure and style today. And never before has the selection been greater. As only natural pearls were available until the turn of the last century, and were very costly, they remained a gem for the rich alone. Once the process for culturing them was perfected, fine pearls became available at a much more affordable price. Today, we can choose from black Tahitians, white and gold South Sea pearls, and every shade in between from fresh water pearl farms. Some colours occur naturally, while others are created by irradiating the pearl. Designs run the gamut of the simple elegance of a single strand to the use of baroque, oddly shaped pearls that can be worn in fresh and funky designs.The most expensive pearls are perfectly round, blemish free, and show a highly reflective luster, created by a high number of nacre layers while the pearl is growing. Creating a perfectly matched strand can take decades and the larger and rounder and more blemish free the pearl, the more expensive it tends to be.

Once the prerogative of royalty alone, pearls have now become affordable to everyone, while maintaining their elegance and allure. There’s no better to consider acquiring a strand or two to update your style.

 

 

Pearls: Chapter 1

Pearls: Chapter 1

By: Elana Rubin of FutureFashionista.com & Evelyn Yallen of IntoTemptation.com

 

Pearls are the oldest known gemstone and a source of fascination for thousands of years.  They are an organic gemstone, similar to amber and coral, as they are created by a living creature, in this case, the oyster.   

 

 

 

Pearls are produced by mollusks, both freshwater & saltwater varieties, when an irritant, such as sand or bacteria gets inside an oyster and it reacts by producing thick nacre that coats the irritant.  Mollusks are a soft bodied creature with a calcareous shell that can be univalve, bivalve, or multivalve and usually reproduces through external fertilization. Common examples of mollusks include snails, Bobtail squid, octopus, cuddlefish, crawfish, scallops.

Non-Nacreous Pearls

Many of these mollusks produce calcareous concretions that look like pearls but are scientifically not considered "pearls" by gemologists because they do not contain nacre. These  'pearls' have a very similar structure and also consist of calcium carbonate but in a fibrous structure instead of a crystallized form. The mollusks also do not produce the sticky conchliolin paste that fuses the layers of crystallized calcium carbonate.

 

These calcareous concretions can vary from fragile pastel green balls that crumble  with a mild touch to having the same structure & composition as a kidney stone produced by a human with no commercial value. They can also be very rare durable purple or salmon pink gems that sell for $3000 per carat.

 

Cephalopods such as squid & octopus, can produce "pearls" but gastropods, such as the Queen conch snail create some of the most prized calcareous concretions.  These non-nacreous "pearls" are completely natural and include the Melo Melo from the Indian 'volute' marine snail, the Lion's Paw Scallop pearl, The Queen Conch pearl from the Strombus gingus univalve snail and the North American Quahog "pearls" from the bivalve vlam Venus Mercenaria..  These pearls cannot be cultured. 

 

In the early 1900’s, man learned how to artificially replicate the spontaneous occurrence  of nacre production by nucleating oysters with beads or donor mantle tissue and thus "Pearl Farming" was born. Today nearly 99% of the pearls in the jewelry market are cultured and many of the local governments regulate and protect the mollusks. The Pearl Farming industry has saved the oyster from extinctions.

Pearls are one of the most ecologically friendly gemstones. They require no mining, preventing destruction and chemical leaching into the earth's soil.  The government restrictions in mollusk harvesting and pearl farming have allowed mollusks to live with great care & protection, ensuring the oyster population exists in perpetuity.

Their distinguished manifestation in every known culture and their strong presence in the earliest written texts, religious documents, ancient artifacts and historical records have made them one of the most recognizable and celebrated gems in the world.  Their initial discovery is unknown but the pearl's first appearance in written words was in the 4,000 year old Chinese text Shu King.  Their utilization by the Chinese people was extensively described, from their use as payment for taxes and their placement in the mouths of nobility upon their deaths.

 In sacred Hindu writings from India and Ceylon (1000 B.C.)., Krishna plucked pearls from deep in the ocean and gave them to his daughter Pandaïa on her wedding day. This is also the first historical reference connecting pearls with weddings. Of course, the sight of a bride adorned with pearls is commonplace today.

The Persian Gulf has also been a great source of pearl history, through their appearance in art, pottery and coins.  The oldest known pearl necklace, The three strand Susa necklace, was discovered in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC,  It now resides in the Lourve.In the first century B.C., wealthy Roman women decorated their gowns and furniture with pearls.  They would even sleep on beds inlaid with pearls to bring about a restful slumber.  The Roman general Vitellius financed an entire military campaign by selling just one of his mother's pearl earrings.

In one of the most famous pearl stories, Cleopatra wagered Marc Antony she could give the most expensive and luxurious dinner in history.  Cleopatra arrived at the banquet wearing large pearl earrings. She crushed one of them, dissolved it in her goblet of wine, and drank it down.   She offered the other earring to an astonished Marc Antony, who declined it and admitted that she had won. The remaining pearl earring was later cut in half to adorn the statue of Venus in the Pantheon in Rome. 

Walking through any museum, you can begin to see the importance of pearls in famous art and paintings, both religious and secular, such as  Botticelli's "Birth of Venus."  Great historical figures have included pearls in portraits of themselves to portray power, purity, and to solidify their exalted standing as nobility.

Pearls recur in religious texts as a symbolic reference.  In addition to their inclusion in Hindu texts, pearls are mentioned repeatedly in ancient Judeo-Christian and Muslim religious texts and equated with the most expensive material object a person could own. The Hebrew  hymn," Eshet Chayil" (woman of valor) is chanted every Friday evening on Shabbat and originates from Proverbs 31. Eshet Chayil speaks about the woman of valor being much more precious than a pearl and the ideal woman a son should bring home to meet his picky Jewish mother.  The allegorical concept of 'pearls of wisdom' originates biblically in the Book of Job.

The Book of Revelations in the New Testament mentions "The Pearly Gates" at the entrance of Heaven in which the twelve gates are each made of a single large pearl.  In the Book of Matthew, Jesus was called "The Great Pearl".  The Koran has numerous references  to pearls.  Mohammed utilizes pearls as a metaphor for the greatest awards a man can be given. Ancient Islamic Texts refer to the pearl as a very sacred creation by G-d, therefore Muslims place extremely high value on natural pearls. Many Muslims will not purchase cultured pearls for this reason.  This attitude towards cultured pearls is evident  today in Bahrain where customs laws  have made it illegal to bring cultured pearls into Bahrain, except for those used in medicinal treatments.

Throughout history, the pearl has remained the most popular gemstone of royalty.  Queen Elizabeth I is one of the most famous pearl enthusiasts, having owned over 3,000 gowns decorated with pearls in addition to closets full of pearl adorned wigs and decorative objects. Many famous paintings and art work show royalty, including King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth II and Mary Tudor wearing pearl jewelry.   Phillip II, King of Spain presented his wife Mary Tudor with the exquisite "La Peregrina" (eventually sold at auction to Elizabeth Taylor in 1969) as a wedding gift. Mary Tudor cherished this pearl and it can be seen in the numerous paintings of her.

With Great Thanks to the Following Sources of Information:

Ward, Fred. Pearls. Gem Book Publishers, 1995.

Matlins, Antoinette. The Pearl Book.Gemstone Press. VT 2008

Pictures courtesy of GIA, The Smithsonian, Elana Rubin

Pearl Size Comparison

I pulled out a few of my favorite Tahitian and South Sea loose pearls and arranged them by size for a great comparison guide.

2,000 year old Earring discovered in Jerusalem

This is truly an AMAZING discovery because most precious metals were melted down or sold during the takeover of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire.  This earring is unbelievably well preserved and it's a great privilege to be able to see the craftsmanship of a jewelry item from 2,000 years ago!

On a lighter note, Scientists have just discovered the answer to a two thousand year old question, "Where the heck did my earring go?"

From the Yahoo Article:

Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old gold earring beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's old city, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.

The discovery dates to the time of Christ, during the Roman period, said Doron Ben-Ami, director of excavation at the site. The piece was found in a Byzantine structure built several centuries after the jeweled earring was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.

The find is luxurious: A large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.

"It must have belonged to someone of the elite in Jerusalem," Ben-Ami said. "Such a precious item, it couldn't be one of just ordinary people."

In a statement released Monday, the authority said the piece of jewelry was "astonishingly well-preserved." Finds from the Roman period are rare in Jerusalem, Ben-Ami said, because the city was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.

Lost Wax Casting

Lost Wax Casting, also called cire perdue in France, has been used for thousands of years.  It was first used for trinkets and charms using Beeswax, by the Egyptians. It was also used in various forms in Africa, Mesopotamia and India.  The Lost Wax technique is used to make sculptures in bronze, jewelry and is also used in a varying format called "Investment Casting" in the aerospace, power generation and metal industries. 

In Gold Casting, we start with a chunk of wax like this:

We use tools to scoop and carve designs into the wax. This can take hours, with many redos. We are also able to place gemstones in the wax to give the customer a better idea of what the finished product will look like.

After we have finished the design and the customer approves it, the carved wax piece is attached to a sprue base and a metal flask is placed ontop of the base.  Refractory plaster is mixed.  Next, we pour the "batter" into the flask and allow it to harden for a couple hours.  

 

After the cement hardens, we remove the flask and base and put the cement into the oven.  The wax melts out of the cement and we pour the melted gold into the cement mold.