Pearl
The beauty of pearl has seen it prized as a symbol of love and purity for thousands of years and has inspired many myths associating the jewel with the Moon.There are four types of pearl. In order of value from the most expensive these are: spherical, pear-shaped, button-shaped and irregular (baroque). Pearl is usually white, tinged with colors such as cream, pink, yellow, green, blue, brown or black. Colored pearl is more valuable, such as the pink, bronze and black (the rarest and most expensive) varieties.Pearl is formed within oyster shells, but there are many myths about its creation.
Hebrew legend claims that pearls were the tears shed by Eve on being banished from Eden. An Indian myth says pearls are dewdrops from heaven, which are caught by shellfish at sunrise during a phase of the full Moon. In China, pearls were thought to come with rain from the spit of fighting dragons, and were believed to be a char against fire.Tahitian black pearls are extremely rare and considered to be a symbol of hope for wounded hearts.Black pearls are desired by women due to the mysterious aura surrounding them. There are many myths and legends that attribute the black pearls with various powers from being a healer to cupid and even a gift of God. In ancient times, the Tahitian black pearl was a jewel worn only by royalty and hence came to be known as the Pearl of Queens and the Queen of Pearls. Even today, there continues to be a high demand for Tahitian black pearl jewelry amongst women There are many Polynesian legends surrounding the black pearl and they have been passed down from one generation to the next. Oro, the God of peace and fertility in Polynesia is believed to have visited Earth on a rainbow to offer a special type of oyster to man. The oyster was called Te Ufi. Oro then offered the beautiful black pearl from this oyster as a symbol of his love to the princess Bora Bora. Another myth says that Okana - the spirit of coral and Uaro – the spirit of sand covered Te Ufi with a cape that shone with the hues of every fish that swam the Polynesian seas and hence the beautiful blue black pearls.
Another dreamy story about the Tahitian black pearl speaks of how the moon bathes the ocean with its light to attract the oysters. When they come to the ocean surface, the moon bestows heavenly dew upon each one of them. In time, the drop of heavenly dew is polished and shrouds itself in garments with blue, green, gold and pink shine and hence the color of Tahitian pearls.Thus, Tahitian pearls have a history of romance and mystery, which makes them highly appealing. The Ancient Chinese considered the natural black pearls as symbols of wisdom and thought them to be created in the brains of dragons. They believed that one had to slay the dragon to harvest the pearl held safely between its teeth. The Greeks and Romans believed that pearls were formed when raindrops or dewdrops accidentally fell into an oyster. Hindus associated pearls with wild boars, elephants, snakes, fish and only very rarely with oysters. Persians believed that pearls were born when a rainbow met the Earth. Also, any irregularities in the pearls were thought to be a consequence of thunder. Japanese believed that pearls are the tears of mythical characters such as mermaids, nymphs and angels. Also, pearls most often featured in stories of pain and suffering.
An ancient legend from Ceylon speaks of Adam and Eve who shed tears and created a lake of pearls. The white pearls were believed to be from Eve’s tears and the black from Adam’s. It was further believed that because man is better able to control his emotions and shed’s lesser tears that explain the rarity of black pearls as compared to white pearls.Pearl is formed within oyster shells, but there are many myths about its creation. There is an ancient form of divination called margaritomancy, which is derived from margan', the Persian word for pearl. This method uses a pearl to determine the guilt of a person accused of a crime. As pearls were associated with purity, they were thought to react against anything false. A pearl would be placed under a vase near to a burning log fire. The names of each of the individuals suspected of committing the crime would be spoken in turn. When the name of the guilty person was uttered the pearl was supposed to bound upwards, of its own volition, and pierce the bottom of the vase, in protest at their crime.
With all the benefits the beauty and purity of a pearl can bring to you, it is only right that you should care for them properly. Pearls contain two per cent water and should not be stored next to a heat source, such as a radiator, as this can cause them to dry and crack. It's best to store pearls in a cool, dark place.
To clean pearls (including the strings), gently agitate them in a bowl of potato flour, then clean off the flour with a soft cloth. Never use soap or detergent near pearls as such substances can cause them to lose their luster. protect from scratches; perfumes and household chemicals which can wear away the nacre or cause color change.
Pearls have been a source of fascination for centuries. They have been considered the most magical and feminine of all gems and are the only one created by a living organism. Pearls emanate a certain warmth and glow not found in other gems, due to their unique beginnings.Pearls are found in pearl oysters. However, the origin of the pearl mystified humans for centuries. Many theories were put forward regarding the origin of pearls however, it wasn't until the turn of the twentieth century that the relationship between pearl oysters and parasites was discovered Pearls were created when a foreign body of some sort, such as a grain of sand or a parasite, found its way into a pearl oyster. The oyster reacted by coating the irritant with layer upon layer of the pearly substance known as 'nacre', that gives the pearl its unique appearance and iridescent beauty. This unique relationship gave birth to the natural pearl.Pearls are composed of between 82-86% mineral (calcium carbonate), 10-14% organic binder and 2-4% water. They are very soft and can be chipped quite easily.
