Pearl Stone

Pearls

An iridescent object produced inside various shelled molluscs. Like the shell, a pearl stone is made up of calcium carbonate that has deposited over time onto a foreign particle as a defence mechanism. The layers are what makes a pearl iridescent, as the light breaks up when it hits the surface. The more layers it has the better the lustre and thus also the overall quality. Natural pearls that are formed without human intervention are very rare and not always spherical. Many oysters had to be opened and killed to find pearls before cultured pearls were innovated.

There is a difference between natural and cultured pearls. The internal structure varies, especially if the outside element introduced into the oyster is a bead. These beaded pearls are also a lot more spherical in shape. A beaded pearl will show fewer layers of 'nacre' and that too towards the outside, while a natural pearl will have layer upon layer from the centre to the outside. Some people may be able to tell these apart due to stones being their work but generally one can differentiate better using an x-ray machine.

Pearls can be found in a variety of colours. White and black are the more common ones but there are also pink, blue, champagne, green and even purple. This is why a coloured pearl necklace or bracelet could take years to make as collecting the same size and shade is a difficult task largely based on chance.

Why people wear pearl stones

Pearls are said to increase the moon energy which signifies softness, charming eyes, family life, love and a steady mind. It is also said it helps decrease depression and stress.

Comments

Natural pearls are very expensive. The famous jeweller Pierre Cartier bought a mansion on 5th Ave in New York in exchange for a matched double strand of natural pearls which he had been collecting for years; the cost of which was $1 million in 1917! It is also the rarity of a natural pearl that has caused the word 'pearl' to be a metaphor for anything rare, fine or valuable.

Cultured pearls are a lot cheaper in comparison, making for a more affordable option.