Two precious stones have been called the queen of gems… the opal and the pearl.
In this entry, I’ll talk a bit about pearls.
When a tiny piece of grit works its way into the soft tissue (mantle) of a living shelled mollusk, the mollusk – in this case an oyster, begins secreting calcium carbonate around the grit in order to ease the irritation. This is deposited in concentric layers. Not all pearls are perfectly round..it all depends on the shape of the grit. Those pearls that are not round are called baroque pearls.
The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for centuries.
Because it is expensive and a matter of luck to find pearls in the wild, for many decades, cultured pears are made – usually in Japan. Grit of a specific shape is deliberately introduced into the oysters, and the pearls are allowed to grow for a few years. Then the oysters are harvested and the pearls removed.