Tuesday, June 12, 2012

What's So Great About June . . . PEARLS!


Artist, Johannes Vermeer ... The painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring"

Pearl is the official birthstone for the month of June and is also the birthstone for the Sun Signs of Gemini and Cancer. Fresh water pearls are given on the 1st, 3rd, 12th and 30th anniversaries. 

United States: First Lady ... Michelle Obama

An organic gem, pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters and mussels. They are formed when an irritant such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusk's shell. A shiny substance, called nacre, is secreted around the object to protect the soft internal surface of the mollusk. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is formed. Light that is reflected from these overlapping layers produces an iridescent luster. This process of building a solid pearl can take up to seven or eight years.The most valuable pearls are perfectly symmetrical, relatively large, are naturally produced and have a high degree of iridescence. 

Stunning Stick Pearl and Lamp Work necklace by CalliopeAZ

The main oyster beds are in the Persian Gulf, along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka, and in the Red Sea. Chinese pearls come mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds and Japanese pearls are found near the coast in salt water. Freshwater pearls occur in the rivers of Scotland, Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, and the USA (Mississippi). The coasts of Polynesia and Australia produce mainly cultured pearls.


Necklace focal created with Pearls, Swiss Topaz & Labradorite by jQ jewelry designs




There are many types of pearls:

* Natural pearls - made without human interference
* Cultured pearls - This method was first used in 1893. A foreign substance, often a small piece of shell, is intentionally inserted into a living oyster.
* Keishi pearls - formed when the oyster rejects the inserted substance. The resulting keshi pearl is 100% nacre. This gives it an especially lustrous and shimmering surface quality.
* Baroque pearls - pearls that have irregular shapes
* Biwa pearls - an irregular shaped pearl which forms in the freshwater of Lake Biwa, Japan
* Freshwater pearls - pearls which form in fresh water mollusks and resemble puffed rice
* Blister pearls - pearls which grow attached to the inside of the shell * Mabe pearls - cultivated blister pearls
* Seed pearls - small, tiny pearls used in Victorian jewelry and sewn on clothing, often wedding gowns.

Freshwater Pearl cluster dangle earrings designed by Galla15 of Trinkets N Whatnots

Pearls are usually white, but may also be black, gray, silver, cream, lavender, peach or pink depending on the type of mollusk and the water it lives in. They are now being dyed a rainbow of other colors and are used in fashion jewelry. Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to heat, cosmetics, hair products and humidity. Care should be taken when wearing and storing them.

Beautiful combination of Keishi Pearls, Lampwork & knotted silk by Peelirohini

LORE:

Pearls were once thought to be the tears of God. The ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls ensured a happy marriage. Pearl is often referred to as the "Queen Gem"; Diamond is referred to as the King Gem. Cleopatra was said to have dissolved a pearl in wine and swallowed it to seduce Mark Anthony because it was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac, and to attract love. They were prized by royalty, both male and female, and were even worn by knights who went into battle in the Middle Ages, believing that pearls would protect them from harm. As an emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, the Pearl symbolizes love, success, and happiness. In many countries they are used as a wedding gift and still symbolize a happy marriage.



 DID YOU KNOW?

The Pearl of Allah, the largest pearl on record, was recovered from a giant clam on May 7, 1934, off the coast of Palawan Island, Philippines. The pearl is 9.4 inches long and weighs about 14 lbs. According to the "Guinness Book of Records," the San Francisco Gem Laboratory has valued the pearl at $40 million. The Muslim diver who found the pearl said its surface bore the image of a turbaned face, and he named it the Pearl of Allah.

Pearl of Allah



It may be the world's largest pearl, but it's also the ugliest! It is just me, or does this thing resemble a brain?    Ewww . . .

Victor Barbish, who owns 66 percent of the pearl on behalf of his daughter, told WorldNetDaily he received an offer in 1999 from individuals who said they represented Osama bin Laden. They tried to purchase the pearl for $60 million as gift to Saddam Hussein "to unite the Arab cultures," and Hussein was prepared to accept, according to the pearl's owner. 


from Jill Q of jQ jewelry designs









29 comments:

  1. Pearls are one of my favorite gemstones ... except that gross "Pearl of Allah", of course ;D

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  2. Love pearls! I have them in 14 colors!

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  3. Pearls are one of my favorites, they are so pretty.

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  4. The Pearl of Allah is AWESOME!!! That is amazing what can be done in nature if we just leave it alone! And heres the anatomy weirdo who loves that it looks like a brain. But I totally agree it looks like the face of a man with his eyes closed.

    I have just started loving pearls, I used to hate them. Dont ask me why cause I have no reason!!

    PS. Allah = God (in Arabic) so its appropriately named, as only God could have created something like that!

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  5. What an interesting story.. I did not know/remember alot of this information.

    I love pearls...so beautiful and soft looking.

    Thanks Jill for the post. lol... That Allah does not look soft or beautiful... it looks like a white brain!

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  6. I love pearls! Thanks for sharing info on the largest pearl. Interesting, but not so pretty :)

    Amy

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  7. Love pearls! Great informative post. I agree about the Allah looking like a brain... not very pretty.

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  8. Really informative. I did not know so much about pearls! Makes me treasure them more. I have to agree w/ Elizabeth on the Pearl of Allah :)

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  9. Jill - this is so interesting. I had never heard of the Pearl of Allah. You're right. It is an oddity rather than a beauty. Great post and thank you for including one of my pieces.

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  10. Thanks for this post about pearls. That allah pearl is weird.

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  11. Fascinating article. Pearls are so beautiful its great to see them so fashionable again and I'm with you on the Pearl of Allah - ewww

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  12. Beautiful blog post, very informative. Pearls are truly priceless.

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  13. Wonderful post! I love reading about the history, why, and wherefore of things. This was wonderfully written! Thank you for your investigative reporting, Jill!

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  14. I love PEARLS!!! what a great post!!!

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  15. What a great article and so informative! And yes, the first thing I thought when I saw that giant pearl was "brain" too! LOL Thanks for sharing! *Ü*

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  16. Unique Cozy Treasures - Very interesting Pearl facts. Thanks for sharing with us.

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  17. Great article! I had no idea it was good luck to get it as a wedding gift!

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  18. I also love the work featured here! So beautiful!

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  19. Rofl it does look like a brain! Great article :)

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  20. Thank you for the informative article! Pearls are my favorite! And yes, that does resemble a brain....I was thinking the same thing....

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  21. I LOVE pearls! LOVE THEM!!! Thank you for featuring my earrings. I never knew about the worlds largest pearl! Very cool story! (It kind of does look like a brain!! LOL)

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  22. Great article Jill and Thank You so much for the feature:) I didn't know a lot of these facts, ThankYou so much or sharing:)

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  23. Great article Jill and Thank You so much for the feature:) I didn't know a lot of these facts, ThankYou so much or sharing:)

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  24. Thanks so much for the great post, this was fun to read! And of course the lovely pieces are fun to see, too!

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  25. Pearls are one of my favorite things to wear! Thanks for all the good info!

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  26. Wow - those jewelry pieces are all stunning! Great read! But as for that largest pearl - no thanks!

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  27. I love pearls..! This is a really great and informative article ! Can't wait until the next one! :-)))

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  28. I love pearls..! This is a really great and informative article ! Can't wait until the next one! :-)))

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  29. Amazing Pearls! I found out alot of stuff I never knew about them. Thanks for sharing this info.

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