Pearl
Few gems carry the elegance factor that a silky white pearl can offer to jewelry. Pearl jewelry boasts a sense of refinement, a truly classic look that is rivaled by no other gem. While it is considered to be a precious gem, it is not to be confused with gem stones because it is not a stone mined from the earth in the traditional sense. Instead, pearls are harvested from mollusks, shelled sea animals commonly known as oysters. This bounty of the ocean has brought us pearl jewelry, a standby for decades in a variety of cultures around the world that appreciate the unique beauty that pearls of all colors have to offer.
The pearl itself is formed within the oyster not from a grain of sand, as is commonly thought, but usually from some other irritant to the tissue of the shellfish. The tiny irritant causes the oyster to exude a liquid called nacre, the same fluid that lines the shell of the oyster itself. This iridescent nacre throws a rainbow of colors when turned in the light and it is this shell lining that is often referred to as mother of pearl. The application of the nacre is a long process that can take months or even years to form the gems that we see in pearl earrings or pearl necklaces. In the wild, it is very rare that a pearl of gem quality is formed and due to this, several tons of oysters would have to be harvested to find even a few pearls beautiful enough to be used in jewelry.
It should be noted that wild pearls are far more valuable than those which are farmed in the oceans or rivers. Different species of pearl producing oysters can be found in both freshwater or saltwater environments, but those harvested by oceanic oysters in the open seas are by far the most expensive. Farmed pearls offer an affordable alternative, but one would need to buy from a trusted source because an x-ray is usually needed in order to determine the difference between farmed and wild pearls. Sources for pearls include most of the major seas around the globe and countries that are known for collecting them include: Australia, Tahiti, Japan and China.
While these gems of the sea can come in colors such as yellow, pink, blue or black, white is the most commonly sought after because it is the most prevalent in nature and considered to be the most perfect. However, black is a very close runner up with wild black pearls from Tahiti being considered nearly priceless. Other indicators of value for pearls include their size, perfection of the surface, how round perfectly spherical they are, and how shiny the surface of the pearl is.
For those who can afford the high prices, wild pearls found in nature are definitely the wisest choice for a long-term investment and family heirloom. Those who have less to spend will find that farmed pearls provide a high quality alternative that is nearly as beautiful and definitely sentimental.