One of the largest saltwater pearls still in existence is the Hope Pearl, first acquired by Henry Philip Hope in the 19th century. It is two inches long, and varies between 31/4 and 41/2 inches in circumference. It is on display at the British Museum of Natural History.

An old Arab legend tells us that pearls were formed when dew drops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters. The modern scientific explanation is not nearly as romantic but still quite fascinating.

A natural pearl (often called an Oriental pearl) forms when an irritant works its way into a particular species of oyster, mussel or clam. As a defense mechanism, the mollusk secretes a fluid to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating is deposited on the irritant until a lustrous pearl is formed.

A cultured pearl undergoes the same process. The only difference is that the irritant is a surgically-implanted mother-of-pearl bead or piece of shell. The core is, therefore, much larger than in a natural pearl. As long as there are enough layers of nacre to result in a beautiful, gem-quality pearl, the size of the nucleus is of no importance to beauty or durability.

Imitation pearls are a different story altogether. In most cases, a glass bead is dipped into a solution made from fish scales. This coating is thin and may eventually wear off. The island of Mallorca is known for its imitation pearl industry.

Pearls of all shapes and colors are a highly, versatile accessory for a modern woman's wardrobe. The classic, round pearl necklace is perfect for evening wear. Long strands may be doubled with the assistance of jeweled or gold clasps. They may also be twisted alone or with beads of other precious, gems for a striking accent.

The most popular colors for round pearls are whites, creams and pink. Silver, black and gold are gaining new interest. Freshwater pearls occur in many colors and are often treated to produce more evenly-colored strands. These may be found in lovely peaches, lavenders, pinks and blues as well as white.

Rings, pendants, brooches and earrings are created with a wide range of pearl shapes-round, pear, egg, teardrop, half, three-quarter and blister. Baroque pearls, irregularly shaped pearls which don't fall into any, other category, often make beautiful subjects for rings and pendants because of their unique, flowing form.

Since subtle differences in quality can make large differences in beauty (and price), it is important to select your Jewelry from a professional who can guide you honestly and ethically in your purchase.

Many gems are processed to enhance their natural beauty. You can ask our experts to help you find remarkable pearl products that will enhance your delight.

The pearl is unique among all other gemstones in the world. It is the only gem that is grown inside a living organism.

Cultured pearls are real, genuine pearls that are formed inside a living oyster with human intervention. When a nucleus is surgically implanted in the oyster's flesh, the oyster recognizes it as an irritant and begins to coat it with smooth layers of nacre. Over time, the growing pearls gets completely covered with the beautiful iridescent substance we call nacre, or mother-of-pearl. All pearls sold today are cultured pearls, with the exception of vintage estate jewelry and heirloom pieces that are more than 80 years old.

Natural pearls, on the other hand, are formed naturally by free-range "wild" oysters living at sea - without any encouragement from humans. When a natural irritant, such as a fragment of shell, a scale, or a parasite, becomes lodged inside an oyster or mollusk, it gets coated with layer upon layer of nacre inside the oyster. Grains of sand do not form pearls, contrary to popular belief - if sand were enough of an irritant, our ocean floors would be littered with millions of natural pearls! Natural pearls are actually very rare, especially since most pearl-producing species of mollusks were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1800's. Nowadays, the only pearls on the market today are cultured; natural pearls can only be found on display in a museum or in antique jewelry. (Bahrain is the only country in the world where pearl divers still search for natural pearls on the ocean floor, but these novelty pearls account for less than one percent of the pearl industry).

Desirable Natural Pearls are Rarely Found
Today, natural pearls are extremely rare. Only about one in 10,000 wild oysters will yield a pearl, and of those, only a small percentage achieves the size, shape and color of truly desirable gems.

Most natural beds of pearl-bearing oysters were depleted by over-harvesting in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, early in the 1900s, the Japanese discovered a way to grow pearls artificially, by implanting a nucleus inside an oyster and returning it to the ocean.

The Secret Behind the Pearl's Radiance
The lustrous outer surface, or nacre, of natural and cultured pearls is made up of the same material. Its chemical composition is about 90% calcium carbonate; the rest is water and organic materials. Pearl nacre is composed of microscopic crystals. The crystals are aligned perfectly so that light passing along the axis of one is reflected and refracted by the others to produce a rainbow of light and color. The iridescence that we commonly associate with pearls is produced by this arrangement of layers.

How Natural and Cultured Pearls are Different
The key difference between natural and cultured pearls lies in the thickness of the nacre, the lustrous outer shell. To speed the growth process along, the implanted nucleus of a cultured pearl is usually bigger than the tiny particle at the center of a natural pearl.

The size and shape of a cultured pearl are determined by the size, shape, and position of the implanted nucleus. The size, shape, and color of a natural pearl are determined by type of irritant, the water conditions, and food supply.

Cultured Pearls Get a Facelift
Over the last decade or so, Chinese pearl farmers have greatly improved processes for growing cultured freshwater pearls that are made up completely of nacre. They have also developed ways to reshape pearls by repositioning them during the growth process to result in more perfectly rounded ones. Akoya pearls, produced by small Japanese oysters, are implanted with spherical beads carved out of natural shell, resulting in pearls that are characteristically rounder than freshwater pearls.

Unlike diamonds, pearl is not forever. The saltwater pearl will live about 150 years, while the freshwater one - only about 70 years. Then it dies - becomes dull and covered by fractions.

For that reason, you cannot consider the pearl jewelry a lifelong investment.

Only very rich people can afford buying the high quality pearl jewelry, which only serves to confirm their wealth. This is exactly what makes pearl so attractive in certain circles of our society.

As the pearl is an organic gem, the rules for it are different from the rules for other gemstones.

First of all, it does not survive any acid environment.

Second, it is made from the relatively soft mother of pearl; it can be easily scratched or split.

Third, substances, as perfume or our own sweat may damage the pearl and make it dull.

Scared? Don't be. Simply use perfume first and only then put on the pearl jewelry. Make it the last touch before you leave the dressing room, and the first thing you take off when you return home.

After use, do not forget to wipe the pearl with the soft tissue, to clean it of the dust, acid sweat, cosmetics. This way you can minimize the contact of the pearl with the hostile environment.

Periodically, wash your pearl jewelry in the warm water with soap. Use only a very soft tissue to remove water after washing is complete.

A preferred way of storing the pearl jewelry is wrapped in the soft tissue, to prevent it from contacting with other pieces of jewelry. Ideally, each piece of pearl jewelry should have its own box, covered with something soft from inside.

Pearl necklaces, especially if you are wearing them often, have a tendency to break, usually - in the most inappropriate moments. As pearls fall down on the floor, they may break. To avoid it, simply visit a jewelry store once a year to replace the line in a necklace. Additionally, ask the person doing it to "tire" the beans. It will cost more, but it will protect the beans even if the line breaks.

A note: Your pearl will live long and keep its shining beauty for you, if you follow these simple rules.

• Pearls and jewelry containing pearls should be stored separately from the other jewelry, to save it from scratches.
• Pearl should not be exposed for extended periods of time to a direct sunlite of (especially) heat. Otherwise, its surface may dry, change color or loose the luster.
• Do not take shower, do not swim in pool or in some other places wearing pearl (it sounds strange if you think of the large pieces of jewelry, but think of the ring, and you will realize that it may happen). The reason is simple: water in the pool may contain chemicals, like chlorine, as for the sea, you never know what it is polluted with... Also, swimming often comes together with the sun, and sun is not good for the pearl.
• Put on the pearl AFTER you are done with the cosmetics. Pearl and cosmetics are not friends, it is especially true if your cosmetics contain chemicals that change the color (of the skin, hair etc...)
• There is no reason to wear pearl jewelry while doing home activities, like washing dishes or doing laundry. Chemicals you use at home may be safe for your skin, but no one has tested them for the safety of your pearl.
• After you take the jewelry off, wipe it with the soft tissue, or with clean alcohol, to remove fat (both from the skin and body lotions) and sweat.
• The easiest way to take care of the pearl is to wash it in warm water 3-4 times a year. You may add hair shampoo to make it even cleaner. Then wash it in the clean water and wipe with the clean soft tissue. After this procedure, leave the pearl on the soft tissue open, for about 24 hours.
• To keep your treasure shining, every 2-3 years wipe it with the soft tissue with some olive oil