PEARLS: Tears of a Mermaid

In the world of gems, pearls are unique. Unlike other gemstones, pearls form inside a living creature and are a true miracle of nature

- AUDREY PAVIA

Pearls have been valued by human beings for thousands of years, with mentions of this precious gemstone appearing in the Bible and ancient Roman text. Pearls also had religious significance in ancient China, and are believed to have been associated with the moon and protection against dragons. Today, the pearl is associated with both innocence and inner strength and is the birthstone for the month of June.

Pearls are easier to come by these days than even a few hundred years ago, yet that hasn't diminished their importance. They are still highly valued and sought after among lovers of fine gemstones.

PERLICULTURE

Pearls were once found only inside mussels living in the wild, in lakes, rivers and oceans. Until the late 1800s, pearls could only be harvested by divers, who had to gather thousands of mussels to find even one pearl among them. As a result, pearls were extremely rare and prohibitively expensive. But the advent of perliculture the cultivation of pearls- first perfected in Japan, made the pearl accessible to millions of people all around the world.

Today, the vast majority of pearls in the marketplace are cultured, meaning they were harvested on pearl farms. Most of these farms are located in the Far East, with China serving as home to the greatest number of pearl farms in the world.

The mussels that produce pearls can be found in both fresh and saltwater, depending on the species. Pearl farms using saltwater are located in coves or bays, while freshwater mussels for pearls are kept in ponds or former rice paddies.