Pearls                                Pearl Jewelry      Paradise Jewelry Home Page

Known for their dramatic beauty, timeless appeal, and lustrous sheen, pearls have been cherished throughout the ages. A symbol of beauty, purity, and wealth, no other gem has retained such a level of value and desirability for as long as the pearl.
In natural pearls, a grain of sand (or some irritating impurity) lodges within the mantle of a mollusk (a saltwater oyster or freshwater mussel). To protect itself, the animal secretes nacreous layers around the grain of sand. Eventually, this "irritant" forms into a pearl. In cultured pearls, a bead nucleus is inserted between the mantle and the shell, and the natural nacre-forming process produces a pearl. 
Freshwater pearls have a rich, natural color and are not dyed. Black South Sea Pearls, from the French Polynesian islands in the South Pacific, have a rich, natural black color and are not dyed. They show many of the shimmering colors of the black-lipped oyster's shell, including steel grey, bronze, blue, green, purple, pink, copper, gold, and luminous black. Japanese Akoya black pearls are dyed to enhance their color.

Pearls have been recognized as the symbol of modesty, chastity and purity. They symbolize a happy marriage. Moonstone is sometimes used as an alternative since it physically resembles some pearls.
Pearls are highly prized in the world of jewels. They are naturally obtained from shellfish and divided into two groups.
Pearl Oysters - Live in the sea 
Pearl Mussels - Found in rivers and streams 
The colors and shades depend upon the fishing location and is caused by the nature of the water in which the oysters live, by their species, and the location where the pearl grows in the animals body. The Persian Gulf is the most productive area in the world. Pearls are universal symbols of beauty and perfection. Chinese dragons are usually depicted as clasping a pearl. They were once believed to be the tears of the gods and signify purity and innocence.
Often associated with love and tears, pearls were dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and symbolized the tears of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. In antiquity, pearls were said to prevent newlywed women from shedding any tears. Muslims cherished the pearls because they were believed to represent Adam and Eve's tears, repenting their sins and resembling the tears cried by those in pain. Said to make women pure and young girls candid, pearls were a symbol of purity, faith and religious fervor in France. The French presented small pearl necklaces to young girls on their communion day to instill these legendary beliefs. Pearls have also been worn as engagement rings because they symbolize love and tenderness. The popular Indian custom of women wearing pearls at their wedding began with the Hindu god Vishnu who was guardian of the world. Vishnu fished for pearls in the ocean to adorn his daughter, Pandai.

Twenty five hundred years before Christ, the Chinese used pearls to pay taxes. Discovering pearls when exiled to Egypt in the 17th century B.C., the Hebrews believed that pearls symbolized material wealth. Wealth was supposed to be rejected in favor of wisdom, as recommended by Solomon in the 10th century B.C: "Wisdom is better than pearls, and no gem can match it" (Proverb 8:11).

The most famous pearls are the ones in Cleopatra's earrings. After a bet with Mark Anthony that she could spend more than 10 million sesterces for a single meal, she dissolved one of her pearl earrings in vinegar and then drank it. Lucius Plaucus, who was refereeing in the bet, convinced Cleopatra not to do the same with the second earring, which was later split in halves to make two ear pendants for the Venus on the Parthenon. As concluded by Pliny: "Half a dinner became the partner of a goddess."

One of the largest pearls in existence is the Hope Pearl. Weighing 450 carats, the Hope Pearl was named after its owner, Henry Philip Hope, who also owned the Hope Diamond. The Hope Pearl is now capped by a kind of crown forming a pendant.

Another famous pearl is a pear shaped pearl purchased by Philip II of Spain. Known as the Peregrina and the Incomparable, it eventually became the property of Napoleon III. Weighing 203.84 grains, the pearl was later acquired by the American movie star Elizabeth Taylor, whose dog damaged it when he bit it. 

The oldest piece of pearl jewelry was found in the grave of an Achaemenian queen in Susa. Dated back to 520 B.C., the pearls are now in the Louvre in Paris."

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