Pearls are found inside a living creature, an oyster. They are formed when an irritant enters the oyster. In order to protect itself, the oyster or mollusk secretes nacre to coat the irritant, thus creating this wonderful gemstone. Oyster is not the only type of mollusk that can produce pearl, mussels and clams can also produce these valuable stones. Most pearls are produced by oysters in both saltwater and freshwater environments.

Man has found a way to create these June birthstones by inserting an irritant (nuclei) into these sea creature, stimulating the growth of pearls. All pearls made from this method are known as cultured pearls. The shape and size of the nuclei inserted will determine the shape and size of the pearl. Before they can be harvested, the oysters are left alone for several years to grow. The longer these oysters are left alone, the deeper the nacre, thus forming better luster pearls.

Virtually all pearls found today are cultured pearls whether they are grown in saltwater or freshwater. Pearls formed in saltwater oysters are more valuable and expensive than those formed in freshwater oysters. The world’s finest Akoya saltwater pearls are produced by the Japanese for decades. Tahiti and Australia also produce saltwater pearls, prized for their great color, size and luster. Producing pearls with various freshwater shellfish was experimented by the Chinese several years ago, and now they are the largest producer of freshwater pearls in the world.

Once harvested, pearls are sorted and graded. The natural colors of freshwater pearls are shades of pink, white and peach. The Chinese also used other effective technique to enhance other colors. Examples of enhanced colors are blue, purple, peacock, green, gold and so on. The many variety of sizes, colors, texture and shapes make them fun to work with. While natural and cultured pearls are considered to be of equal quality, natural pearls are generally more expensive because they are rare. The luster of a genuine pearl remains stable while an imitation deteriorates over time.

The Pearl has been known as the “Queen of Gems” in the past. It is the most expensive jewelry in the world. However the price of it became relatively cheap even as an accessory that has a cheaper price than the Gemstone. No one knows who is the founding of pearl. Some source said that Krishna the Hinduism God, is the first people who discovered the pearl of the sea and presented to her daughter on her wedding day. Some other source said that Cleopatra was he first people who use it.

Pearl is a kind of precious stones in various shapes. It is produced by the biological process of mineral and other organic substances. But the main prominent ones are snail shells and mollusks that are produced it. Natural pearls are formed because of irritation caused by foreign substances into the shell. Although all the mussels and snails are considered to produce pearls, but not all those animal can produce it with an acceptable quality as jewelry.

Pearl consists of two types; there are sea water pearls and fresh water. Sea water accessories are more expensive because it has more weight and has a hard texture. You should properly know on some specification and types of a pearl before purchasing the right product of it. Here are some important criteria in assessing it that may useful to decide the best pearl for your needs.

The first thing you should consider when choosing a pearl is the color. The most expensive is a Swarovski black pearl. It comes from Tahiti Sea. You can choose other variant of color such as white and peach. Then you also need to consider the shape. There are a round shape, tear drops, button, flat and baroque. The higher value of it is the round ones. You also need to consider on its size and weight. Women accessories or pearl accessories have heavier layers of nacre that makes it can be last longer. The shinier ones, the higher price it is sold at stores and shops pearls. Pearl has been around since the beginning of its formation because it depends on the quality of the minerals that formed it.