Pearls
From the earliest beginnings of civilization, men and women have been enraptured by the delicate coloring, luminescent glow of the wondrous pearl. This phenomenon of natures - our most precious gift from the sea - has been the subject of many happy legends. At the present time, the pearl is regarded as a symbol of purity. One ancient rhyme said the woman born in June "with ring of pearl upon her hand, can heal, wealth, happiness command". Romanticists liken the pearl to the crystallized tear of an angel, or dewdrops upon the morning grass. Others, especially in the Orient where it was first widely used, say that wearing a pearl brings enlightenment, and instills courage to face life's tribulations.
Natural Pearls
Natural pearls occur when an accidental bit of sand enters a certain type of mollusk. Primarily found in the waters of the Persian Gulf, natural pearls (occasionally termed Oriental) are now extremely rare in the market and are seldom seen at most jewellers.
Cultured Pearls
Cultured pearls were developed around 1904 in Japan. Here, the pearl has been deliberately started by the insertion of a "mother of pearl" bead inside the tissue of a mollusk. After the mollusk coats the intruder with a pearly secretion (nacre) to cut the irritation to its body, the mollusks are opened carefully, and the cultured pearl removed. This process takes about three years, and is performed under scientific conditions in large pearl "farms" on the coastal regions of Japan. Because the production of cultured pearls can be controlled to some extent, these are the most desired today, for their cost and beauty is within the reach of everyone.
Simulated Pearls
Simulated pearls are completely man-made, and never see the inside of a friendly mollusk. In most cases, a glass bead is simply dipped into a solution made from fish scales which impart a pearly glow. Naturally this coating is a thin one, quite brittle, and does not produce a pearl with the luster and translucency of one that comes out of the sea. Most important, simulated pearls do not have the long wearing qualities of either the cultured or natural varieties.