Pearl
Pearls are a natural material, formed when a grain of sand or irritant is introduced into a mollusk (oysters most commonly, clams and mussels more rarely) It is then coated with a material called nacre (the lining inside the shell) to create the pearl. Pearls can be created by saltwater or freshwater mollusks. Cultured pearls are created in “pearl farms”, where pearl harvesters introduce the foreign material into the mollusk shell. While cultured pearls do not chemically differ from naturally occurring pearls, they are less expensive.
Pearl colors range naturally from white to black, and many colors in between. Pearls are also colored through dyeing, luster treatments or irradiation.
The pearl is the birthstone for the month of June and represents the third and thirtieth (Pearl Jubilee) wedding anniversaries.
Elegant in a simple, knotted strand, pearls also mix well with a variety of gemstones and crystals for a wide-range of fashions.
Look carefully at the quality of pearls before purchasing, and examine for flaws and for how they match within a strand. Due to the natural characteristics of the material, perfect match is rare, however be on the watch for obvious flaws or defects in your beads.
