By Victor Epand
 Since times immemorial, pearls have been used widely to make stunning jewelry. More than two thousand years ago in China, the first pearl was used an offering for the emperor, as pearls in those times were regarded to be extremely valuable.
Naturally, the royal family was keen on owning these immaculate pearls to use them to make exquisite accessories. Pearls were not only used for making jewelry but also used to adorn the royal crowns. Soon, pearls were being used to make elegant furniture and even decorate tombs.
Historical evidence suggests that Queen Dowager Cixi's tomb was decorated using 20,000 pearls and one of the pearls was almost as large as an egg. In olden times, natural pearls were used and pearl hunting was therefore in full swing.
Being not so easily found, pearls were priceless for the rich and elite class. The obsession for pearls grew so much that common people were not allowed to wear pearls in some countries making it a privilege only of the nobles. Pearls today signify purity and are synonymous with timeless beauty |
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By Michelle Yamamoto
 How Cultured Pearls Are Created
Pearls are formed when a grain of sand becomes lodged inside the shell of an oyster. The animals sensitive tissue reacts by secreting a substance called nacre which surrounds the irritant. Several layers gradually build around the object, eventually creating a pearl. Pearl farmers insert an irritant into the animals tissue, thereby forcing the creation of a pearl. The created pearl is called a cultured pearl.
Cultured pearl jewelry is becoming increasingly popular, as naturally occurring pearls are often misshaped and quite rare. The discovery and development of the process that makes cultured pearl jewelry allowed the pearl industry to become much more predictable. This has led to an increase in the popularity of pearl jewelry worldwide. Actually, cultured pearl jewelry has nearly replaced naturally occurring gems in todays jewelry market.
Colored Cultured Pearls
Cultured pearl jewelry comes in a wide rangeof styles, colors and shades. Traditional pearls are various shades of white. White pearls have overtones, or translucent colors, which appear over the white. Different lighting can bring out different overtone hues. New popular |
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