Known for their warm iridescence and shimmering beauty; Pearls, are one of the oldest most highly valued and sought after gems.

The Latin word for Pearl literally means "unique", attesting to the fact that no two pearls are identical. There are essentially three types of pearls: natural, cultured and imitation. A natural pearl (often called an Oriental pearl) forms when an irritant, such as a piece of sand, 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 bead or piece of shell called Mother of Pearl.

Pearls can come from either salt or freshwater sources. Typically, saltwater Pearls tend to be higher quality. Freshwater Pearls tend to be very irregular in shape, with a puffed rice appearance the most prevalent. Nevertheless, it is each individual pearl’s merits which determine its value, rather than the source of the Pearl.

Countless references to the Pearl can be found in religions and mythology of many cultures from the earliest times. A fragment of the oldest known Pearl jewellery, found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC, is displayed at the Louvre in Paris. Ancient cultures believed pearls were a symbol of the moon and had magical powers.

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