The pearl, symbol of purity, virtue and modesty, is also one of the most precious types of jewelry. Technically known as “organic gems” since they are formed by shellfish, pearls have been harvested and worn for more than 4,000 years. The way they are acquired – and their appearance – has changed dramatically over time, especially in the past hundred years, but pearl jewelry nonetheless continues to be a classic.
A pearl is formed when an irritant, such as sand or a parasite, becomes lodged in the shell of an oyster. The oyster deposits layers of a semi-translucent crystalline material called “nacre” around the intruder, where it builds up in layers like the rings of a tree. This process of building up can continue for years, resulting in a pearl. In nature, pearls take many years to develop and often have irregular shapes, ranging from slightly off-spherical to twisting, bulging shapes called “baroque.” In any shape, natural pearls are rare and very costly.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, it was learned that if a sphere of material was placed into an oyster and the oyster stimulated correctly, the oyster would coat the sphere with nacre, creating an almost perfectly round pearl. The longer the pearl remains in the oyster, the larger and more valuable the pearl becomes. These are called “cultured” pearls. Almost all pearls used in jewelry today, including all the pearls sold by yoNEED Jewelry, are cultured pearls. Pearls are cultured around the world today, and different types of oysters – or mollusks in freshwater – raised in different environments create cultured pearls with different sizes, colors and other qualities.
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