Summary: The wide and fascinating variety of shapes, colors and sizes of freshwater pearls gives jewelry designers the ideal opportunity to put their creative designing skills to the maximum use. The skilled artisans imaginatively blend a variety of combinations into exquisitely crafted creations. Different colored strands are elegantly strung together to produce amazing results.
The Unique Allure Of The Queen Of Gems - Pearls
 Women have always been fascinated by the enchanting allure of pearls, the most
precious organic gems. Is it because of their enchanting association with the
mysterious deep waters? Or is it something deeper - like the intriguing
association with conception and giving birth to a beautiful new creation? The
mystical connection attached to the wearing of pearls and harmonious marital
relationships also adds to their attraction. Whatever the reason, pearls are
certainly increasing in popularity! These days practically everyone knows that
pearls are formed in oysters and mussels when any alien material (generally a
parasite) enters their bodies and they are not able to get it out. This can
happen naturally (to produce natural pearls) or artificially (to produce
cultured pearls). The cultured pearls are formed when pearl farmers artificially
insert a specific foreign body (nucleus) into the oyster or mussel. Farmers of
freshwater cultured pearls in lakes and streams gently open the shells of
mussels a very little bit, make small cuts in the mantle tissue inside both the
shells, and then take live mantle tissue from other mussels and insert tiny
pieces into the small cuts. The resultant process of pearl formation is the same
for natural and cultured pearls. In order to curb the internal annoyance caused
by the intruder, the oyster or mussel has a natural defensive mechanism by which
the creature is able to create a smooth coating over the foreign particle. The
material used to create the coating is called "nacre", which is the same
secretion it uses to build its shell. The end result of this process is the
magnificent pearl. Natural pearls rarely have a flawlessly round shape. In fact
most are far from round and are slugs, baroque or wings. On the other hand,
innovative technology in the cultivation of pearls has resulted in farmers
producing cultured pearls that are near round and less expensive. Production
methods that involve nucleating mussels with tissue-cultured freshwater pearls
have successfully turned out almost perfectly spherical pearls that are
completely formed of nacre, equaling the natural pearls in gleam and radiance.
It is even reported that reputed gem laboratories are sometimes unable to
distinguish between the new generation freshwater cultured pearls and natural
pearls! So be sure to buy your pearls from reputed jewelers to avoid getting
taken for a ride.
The Captivating Shapes And Colors Of Freshwater Pearls
You will be amazed at the variety of shapes in which freshwater pearls are
formed. And the dazzling array of lustrous colors will keep you spellbound. The
shapes include rounds, buttons, pears, drops, eggs, domes, and baroques. The
baroques, which are becoming increasingly fashionable in rings, earrings and
pendants, are classified into wings, hammers, nuggets, barrels round a circle,
dogtooth, twins, and rosebuds. The shape of the nucleus and its location in the
mussel determine the final shape of the pearl. Generally the mother shell
determines the coloring of the freshwater pearls, but factors like mussel
species, genetics, water quality, and the position of the pearl in the shell
also make a contribution to the final shade of the pearl. You will not find it
easy to choose from the beautiful range of colors. The most sought after are the
pastel pinks, roses, lavenders and purples. Other popular colors are white,
silvery white, salmon, copper, red, bronze, blue, green, brown, cream, and
yellow.
Dazzling Creations In Freshwater Pearl Jewelry
The wide and fascinating variety of shapes, colors and sizes of freshwater
pearls gives jewelry designers the ideal opportunity to put their creative
designing skills to the maximum use. The skilled artisans imaginatively blend a
variety of combinations into exquisitely crafted creations. Different colored
strands are elegantly strung together to produce amazing results. There are
several magnificent pieces of pearl ornaments that are connected with royalty
and other famous personalities. The Royal Crown of England contains a pearl, and
there is a wonderful necklace that belonged to Mary Queen of Scots. Jacqueline
Kennedy owned a beautiful set and Elizabeth Taylor had a marvelous piece that
was presented to her by Richard Burton. Perhaps the most exotically romantic of
all pearls are those reportedly connected with Cleopatra. The queen crushed and
dissolved a pair of priceless matching pearls in wine to be served at a diner
she served for Mark Anthony! Those who know the value of gems will be aware of
the very expensive price that will be demanded for a pair of matching, round,
natural freshwater pearls. They are extremely rare and you are not likely to
find them in any average jewelry shop. But you can get other beautiful
freshwater pearls (especially cultured pearls) at fairly reasonable rates. You
can visit the large number of websites that give you an opportunity to examine
numerous varieties of freshwater pearls and ornaments before you actually go out
shopping for them. You will find the section on 'freshwater pearls' in the
'American Museum of Natural History' particularly interesting and useful. You
can even design your own jewelry and get jewelers to make it for you. And some
online sites display their prices also.
The Inimitable Elegance Of Pearls
The elegance and sophistication of pearls can never be matched by any of the
other gems. They have fascinated both men and women from ancient times. A
beautifully crafted necklace with carefully selected pearls gracefully adorning
the neck of an attractive lady, gives the wearer an aura of mysterious charm. It
is a feeling quite different from that experienced when wearing other precious -
and even more expensive - stones. As mentioned earlier, the fascinating variety
shapes, the amazing range of lustrous colors, and the comparatively reasonable
prices of freshwater pearls make them an ideal choice for ornaments. Thanks to
innovative technology, cultivation of freshwater cultured pearls is fast
becoming the focus of commercial activity in pearls. When all factors are taken
into consideration, freshwater cultured pearls would be the ideal choice for
pearl hunters. These days even experts find it difficult to tell whether they
are cultured or natural pearls! So go for the pearls and buy what makes you feel
really good.
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