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Go to Wedding Traditions, Customs, Superstitions and Symbols
Pearls - The Queen Gem, Love, The Wedding Gem
Purchasing Pearls
Types of Pearl Necklaces
Pearls and Skin Tones
Pearl Books
Pearl Care and Cleaning
Freshwater Pearls

"The Queen Gem"
Pearls always make a fashion statement - an essential for the well-dressed woman. They are elegant, chic and glamorous. Any woman can wear them for any occasion.
Pearls are Organic Gems. They are not man-produced ceramic. They are not perfect. Pearls almost always have dents, pits, grooves, circles etc. Luster is a product of many layers of nacre overlapping in a varying formation. No two pearls will ever be an exact match - this is part of their uniqueness.
A pearl is a gem produced by oysters in saltwater or by mollusk (scallop) in freshwater. An irritant (ex: sand) finds its way into the shell. The oyster can't rid itself of it. To ease the discomfort, conchiolin and nacre (calcium, also called mother-of-pearl) are secreted. The nacre is composed of microscopic crystals. If this happens in nature (very rare), it is know as a natural pearl. The result is the build-up of layer after layer of nacre to form a pearl.
Cultured pearls undergo the same process. They are real pearls. Cultured pearls are formed because the irritant is planted in the oyster to form the pearls. Producers of cultured pearls wash, feed, maintain water temperature and control pollutants; but, the oyster still has control of the pearl product it produces. It takes several years to raise the oyster and produce a cultured pearl. Almost every pearl on the market now is cultured, salt water and freshwater pearls. Natural pearls are very rare.
Pearls are the oldest known gem and for centuries were considered to be the most valuable. A pearl is truly unique because it is the only gem created by a living creature. The oldest known natural pearl necklace is more than 4,000 years old. It was found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC. This pearl is now displayed at the Louvre in Paris.
Records of our fascination with pearls go back for thousands of years. Their perfection (they need no cutting nor polishing to reveal their beauty) and the fact they are "born" has continued to amaze and delight us. The shape and color of the pearl have linked it with the moon, taking on the magic of serenity and romance. Pearls will last a lifetime with proper care and will become more beautiful with age.
The largest known pearl is called the Hope Pearl, once owned by Henry Philip Hope - a London banker. The Hope Pearl is a white, drop-shaped blister pearl, measuring approximately 2 x 4 inches, and ranging in color from greenish-gold on one end to white on the other. This pearl is now on display at the British Museum of Natural History.
It is believed that Roman women took pearls to bed with them to sweeten dreams. During the Classical Rome era, only people of certain "status" were allowed to wear pearls.
Long ago, it was believed pearls were moonbeams with magical powers that fell from heaven into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters.
Gallant knights wore pearls during the Dark Ages Crusades to protect them from harm. During the Middle Ages, pearls were the gift of choice for a Knight to give his Lady.
The Roman General Vitellius allegedly financed an entire military campaign with just one of his mother's pearl earrings. Queen Isabella (having hocked her impressive jewelry collection to fund Christopher Columbus' expedition) regained her investment from a discovery of pearls in Central America that added to the wealth of Spain.
The Latin word for pearl means "unique". The Romans used the word "margaritae" (from the Greek word for pearl) to indicate something cherished or of unusually high value. That's why names Margaret, Margarita, Marguerite, Marjorie, etc. in the Romance languages (Spanish, French and Italian) mean "pearl" and are associated with pearl-like qualities such as purity, spirituality, virtue and chastity.
Chinese use pearls in medicinal ways. In India, it is believed that pearls give peace of mind and strength to body and soul. Europeans believed swallowing pearls whole would calm nerves. Incas, Aztecs and North American Indians prize pearls for beauty and mystical powers.

"Aphrodite's Tears of Joy", "Cleopatra's Love Potion"
Pearls are strongly associated with LOVE. Pearls are linked to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and mother of Eros (Cupid) and Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Legend has it that in the first century AD, Cleopatra crushed an expensive pearl at a banquet and drank it to impress Marc Anthony.
Some other names for pearls: "Luxury on Your Skin", "Dewdrops of the Gods", "The Gem That Dims The Moon"

"The Wedding Gem"
Pearls are associated with love, success, happiness, modesty, chastity and purity. In ancient Greece, pearls were believed to promote marital happiness and prevent a newlywed woman from crying. The Greeks even call pearls the "wedding gem". For these reasons, pearls are a popular choice for brides on their wedding day. Pearl jewelry is an ideal wedding gift (from a mother and father to their daughter on her wedding day, from a groom to his new wife, from a bride to her attendants, for the mother of the bride, etc.). The tradition of pearls on your wedding day was started around 1000 BC in Hindu culture. Pearls are still considered a valued engagement/wedding gift.
Pearls are great for other occasions, too! Pearls also make a great Valentine's Day gift. Pearls are a perfect gift for the graduate, the birthday girl, or for an anniversary gift for your wife.
During the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, everyone in the French House of Burgundy royal wedding - even male guests - wore pearl jewelry. In England, from Queen Elizabeth I to today's Queen Elizabeth continues the tradition of wearing pearls on their wedding day.

Look for the following when purchasing pearls:
Luster - the reflection on the surface of a pearl. You do not want it to look dull and chalky.
Surface - no blemishes or pits. No pearl is completely blemish-free, just look for fewer spots.
Color and Size - personal preference
Shape - traditional shape has always been round; however, there are many more beautiful shapes
Do the tooth test! Fake pearls are usually made from ground fish scales and can be easily detected with the simple tooth test. Gently scrape the pearls along the ridges of your top teeth. If it glides easily, it's fake. If you feel a slight gritty abrasiveness, it's most likely cultured.

Types of pearl necklaces:
Pearl Collar Necklace, 12-13"
Collars are usually made up of 3 (or more) pearl strands and fit very snugly on the neck. This style looks great with "V" or scooped necklines - very demure and sophisticated.

Pearl Choker Necklace, 14-16"
A choker is the most classic of the single strand pearl necklaces. It is simple and can go with just about any outfit and neckline. A choker will enhance a long neck.

Pearl Princess Necklace, 17-19"
The princess length is great for high necklines, low plunging necklines and to hang a pendant from. Longer necklaces will slenderize and elongate the neck.

Pearl Matinee Necklace, 20-24"
The matinee is somewhere in between the princess and the opera lengths. This is a perfect length for casual, business and evening dress. A matinee necklace should fall to the top of the cleavage.

Pearl Opera Necklace, 28-34"
The opera pearl strand is refined and perfect for high necklines as a single strand. An opera-length necklace should reach the bottom of the breast bone. You may also double an opera strand for a 2-strand choker.

Pearl Rope Necklace, more than 45"
Coco Chanel introduced us to the sexy rope length. Rope pearl strands usually have "mystery clasps" that allow you to break this single strand necklace into many different necklace and bracelet combinations, a complete pearl wardrobe.

Skin Tones and Pearl Overtones:
You may have heard in the past that certain skin tones should look for rose, cream, gold or silver overtones when buying white pearls. Actually, pearls absorb surrounding colors because they are reflective. Honestly, once the pearls are around your neck, the overtones of the pearls is very subtle. Just remember, buy what you like!

Pearl Care and Cleaning:
Pearls are very soft and need special care. Wear your pearls often to keep them from drying out.
After wearing your pearls, wipe them gently with a damp soft cloth to remove perspiration and skin oils. You may even use a drop of olive oil on the cloth to help maintain the pearl luster. Pearls also absorb acids in our skin that will slowly eat away at the pearls. There are commercial products available today specifically designed to clean pearls or have them professionally cleaned by a reputable jeweler.
Do not use hot water, a steamer or an ultrasonic cleaner. Do not soak in water.
Store your pearls separately (preferably wrapped in a soft cloth) from other jewelry. Do not store pearls in a plastic bag, this will trap moisture. Make sure pearls are dry before storing them. Lay them flat so the silk string sill not stretch. Do not hang your pearls.
Do not expose your pearls to cosmetics, chemicals, perfumes and hairsprays. Put your pearls on AFTER your beauty routine. Pearls are very porous and will soak up just about any substance they come in contact with. Never expose pearls to dish or wash detergents.
Do not wear your pearls in swimming pools with chlorinated water and do not wear your pearls with sun block/tan products.
Long periods of exposure to direct sunlight, halogen lights, or other very bright lights can fade pearl colors.

Pearl Processing Practices:
Pearls are often polished by hand or tumbled with cork powder to bring up the luster.
Some white pearls are bleached using mild bleach and bright fluorescent lights.
Most dark shades of pearls (ex: Peacock) are the result of irradiation. This process involves immersing the pearls in the desired dye color and heating them in a type of micro-wave oven. The resulting color is permanently bonded to the outer layers of the pearl.

About Freshwater Pearls:
Freshwater Pearls are grown (farmed) in freshwater lakes and rivers where mussels simultaneously produce many pearls. Each mollusk can yield up to a 30 pearl harvest! This is why they are less expensive than saltwater pearls. Freshwater pearls are all pearl (all nacre) and the proper name is Cultured Freshwater Pearls.
The irritants used in making freshwater pearls are often smaller than those used in saltwater pearls, which results in a pearl with more nacre, or pearl, and less core irritant. Most Cultured Freshwater Pearls today have a mother of pearl nucleus: 95% to 98% of these pearls are composed only of nacre. For seeding , the oyster is gently opened. Tiny slits are cut into its Mantle (flesh) and small pieces of living tissue from a donor oyster are then carefully inserted into the slits. Depending on the age and size of the oyster, between 20 to 60 pieces of tissue are used to seed it. Soon after seeding, pearl sacs begin to form around the soft irritants. The mantle tissue eventually dissolves away and pearls grow in its place.
After harvesting, the oysters can be seeded again and put back in the water to produce again.
Cultured freshwater pearls come in a beautiful range of un-dyed (natural) colors: cream (natural creamy off-white), peach/pink, gray, black, lavender, and white. The oystered pearls are nursed for two or three more years after the insertion of the mantle tissue into the oyster. During the cultivation period, the oysters receive constant attention and care to help assure they will thrive and produce the best possible pearl crop; but, there are no guarantees. The culturing process is very delicate and fragile, and after all of the effort, the pearl farmers have little control over the final result. Each individual oyster determines the quality of the pearl - its luster, shape, color, surface smoothness and so on. Despite the best efforts of pearl farmers, it is really the oyster and nature that determine whether or not there will be a pearl at all, and if so, whether or not it will be beautiful and valuable.
We are used to seeing freshwater pearls as long, narrow rice-shaped pearls with a "wrinkle" surface. There are more rounded shapes and a wide range of colors available (much more variety than saltwater pearls). The species of mussel, water and pearl position in the shell determine the pearl color. The shape of the nucleus determines the pearl shape. The amount of pollution in the water determines the size of the pearl. For interest in your next jewelry piece, opt for a more non-rounded shaped freshwater pearl shape - such as baroque, coin, pear, drop, button, nugget, etc. The quality of freshwater pearls is determined by luster, smoothness, size and shape. Look for freshwater pearls to be matched as closely as possible in shape, size and color.
Cultured Freshwater Pearls come in a variety of shapes such as baroque, potato (off-round), round, oval, button, flat coin, teardrop, keshi (rice-crispy), or stick. The round pearl is the most popular and the most expensive - only about 2% of the entire freshwater pearl crop is round.
Native Americans of the Atlantic Coastal areas and the Mississippi River basin were the first to collect and use US freshwater mussel pearls. Pearl pendants and ear pendants were worn by both men and women. Pearl shell was used to decorate clothing, make armlets, pendants and gambling pieces. Powhattan (the father of Pocahontas) had a large stash of pearls he received as tributes.
Kokichi Mikimoto (1858-1954) stands out as the most recognized contributor to the modern cultured pearl. His marketing techniques and business savvy made him a household name, and to this day people associate Mikimoto with fine pearls. He is still considered to be The Pearl King and the Father of Periculture.

Here are some great books about pearls from my personal collection:



More information about Pearls
More information about Pearls
Information about Freshwater Pearls in the US

Our hand-crafted sterling silver freshwater pearl jewelry comes with a pearl information card. This card assures the recipient they are receiving genuine pearl items.

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