Pearl Necklace

Few gems have as long a history as the pearl, not even the vaunted diamond, a relative newcomer to the gemological and jewelry scene. In contrast to the diamond's short history as a desirable gem, pearls have been used for many thousands of years in jewelry, their beauty and uniqueness even making the word "pearl" equate to something valuable, beautiful and unique. A pearl necklace is still something many women seek and these can also be passed down through families as heirlooms of tremendous value. Today, most pearls are "cultured," though you will find some pearls fished directly from the wild ocean waters.

The majority of pearl necklaces today are made with pearls from pearl farms, where mollusks are artificially treated to produce pearls. In the wild, only one out of every 100 or more mollusks might contain a pearl of any size (not necessarily valuable). However, it is much simpler to get mollusks to generate pearls under the controlled conditions found in modern pearl farms. Of course, farmed or cultured pearls can also be dyed almost any color, leading to the wide variety of colored pearl necklaces available in jewelry stores today. You will also find fake pearl necklaces, but these are easily distinguished from natural pearls because their iridescence is inferior and they feel quite different, as well.

The pearl necklace is one of the oldest forms of adornment, but pearls were used for many other things, as well. For instance, pearl earrings are very popular today, but pearls were once sewn directly onto clothing for nobles and royalty. Pearls were crushed up to create certain types of makeup for women of high means, and painters used crushed pearls and mother of pearl to make special paints for their artwork.

Pearl necklaces come in more than one form. You'll find saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls. Both can look quite similar, but the animals that create these gems are very different. Freshwater pearls are harvested from freshwater mussels, while saltwater pearls come from certain types of oyster. Of course, these are not the only species of mollusk to create pearls, but they are those best known for creating pearls of jewelry grade quality. Other mollusks produce concretions of the same materials, but they lack the inner glow and iridescence associated with pearls. Finding the perfect pearl necklace is an amazing way to enhance your beauty with something truly rare and stunning.