Cultured pearls and natural pearls

Around the commencement of the 20th century, researchers found that if a sphere of material was placed in an oyster, the oyster would coat the sphere with nacre, creating an almost perfectly round pearl. The longer the pearl remained in the oyster, the larger and more valuable it became. Almost all cultured pearls (as they are called) grown on pearl farms - a growing industry in today's world. Different types of oysters or mollusks raised in different environments create cultured pearls in different sizes, colors and shapes. Man cultivates pearls by placing shell beads inside an oyster shell. The oyster is returned to the water for a length of time where it covers the bead with layers of nacre. Most cultured and quality pearls are produced in Japan. In the warm waters of the South Pacific, large oysters produce South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian black cultured pearls. In China, freshwater pearls are cultured in freshwater mussels.

Cultured pearls and natural Crystal Jewelry can be easily distinguished from imitation pearls by performing a very simple test. By rubbing the pearl against the edge of a tooth one can see that a cultured and natural pearl will feel slightly rough, like fine sandpaper, because of the texture of natural nacre. An imitation pearl remains smooth because the surface is molded or painted and is not affected by exterior materials.

It can be quite exciting to find a pearl in one's fresh oysters at a restaurant, but usually these are not perfectly formed.

The abalone of Japan, California and some other Pacific regions are a good source of mother of pearl. Natural mother of pearl can be tinted to almost any desired color. It has many uses in architecture and modern ceramic tiles. In the good old days, most shirt buttons were made of mother of pearl, but these are now mostly plastic. There are, however, a few fine quality clothing companies which still use mother of pearl shirt buttons. On fine instruments, such as saxophones and guitars, mother of pearl can be used for decoration or for the key touches.

A string of matched pearls has always been considered an appropriate adornment for a bride, but for those who can afford such a luxury, they can be everyday wear. I remember one elderly lady who wore hers everywhere, even while dressed casually at home! She informed me that the beauty of the pearls was maintained by the constant slightly oily polishing movement against her skin.MORE:pearl necklace jewelry