Pearls: what kind of stone is it and where is it mined, properties and types

What woman did not try on at least once a pearl necklace or earrings? The brilliance of this stone is fascinating, its radiance makes the eyes of the one who wears it shine. But what is the appeal of pearls and why is it so interesting? Let's try to understand.

Pearl is a gem of animal origin. He is alone in the world. His education is not in the depths of the earth, as, for example, in rubies or sapphires, and in the shells of bivalve mollusks.

The ancient Greeks claimed that the tears of mermaids turn into pearls, hardening, and in medieval people believed that angels hide in the sinks the tears of those who were wronged without guilt, and then they become pearls.

Of course, the explanation of the origin of pearls is much more prosaic - so the mollusk, whose house is the shell, protects itself. A pearl begins to form when a foreign body appears inside the shell, which begins to irritate the tender flesh of the mollusk. He is not able to throw him “overboard”, therefore he proceeds to envelop it with mother-of-pearl, covering it with layers, just as if he had formed his own shell.

In another way, organic pearls are called wild. It consists of a germ - it can be a grain of sand, a tiny insect or a bubble of air, a drop of water, and numerous mother-of-pearl layers. As soon as a carbonate ball is formed, the friction force decreases.

The shape that a pearl takes in the process of growth is related to the location of its embryo. Perfectly round pearls form in the mantle mantle region.And if the embryo is not far from the surface of the shell, such a pearl grows together with a layer of mother-of-pearl of the shell and acquires an irregular shape. Such pearls are called blisters. If the embryo fell into the muscle of the mollusk or the area next to it, the shape of the pearl can be very peculiar.

Mollusks combined in groups with the ability to form pearls are called pearl mussels. They are divided into marine and river (freshwater) species.

River pearls are more common and cheaper than sea pearls. It is easier to obtain, as in freshwater pearls at the same time can grow up to 20 pearls. However, it should be noted that river pearls are smaller, less shiny and not as perfectly round as sea ones. But they are much more durable and less susceptible to abrasion. River pearls are mainly mined in the world.

Initially, pearls were obtained with the help of divers. This is an ancient and extremely dangerous profession, it is more than 4 thousand years old. The diver plunged into the water for about 20 meters, having only a knife with him, and had to stay there for a minute or a half, collect as many shells as he could. And the most important thing - he had to make at least 30 such dives per day! Let's not forget about the sharks who were waiting in the sea of ​​desperate pearl hunters.

Burmese pearls are known that have been mined in the Persian Gulf since ancient times. He was worn by nobles, including Russian. It was considered expensive and very high quality.

Learning about how pearls are formed in nature, man learned to grow it artificially. The first such attempts date back to the 13th century. In China, they began to try to grow pearls in oysters, opening them with bamboo sticks, placing copper, lead or wood particles in the sink. Then the oyster was closed and again returned to the deep sea. Finished pearls were collected after 3-4 years.

At the beginning of the 20th century, this method was patented by the Japanese, in particular, Kokichi Mikimoto. They are still leaders in the global cultivation of cultured pearls. And this despite the consequences of the catastrophic tsunami in 2011, as a result of which the vast majority of pearl farms were destroyed. For a short time, China took global leadership in this industry, but Japanese industry quickly recovered.

How does this happen? They take an oyster, gently open its wings slightly, place a “foundling” there, it can be a tiny glass ball or beads. After that, the shell is placed in a reservoir in which optimal conditions for the life of the mollusk are created. It takes about 3 years to grow one good sea pearl, and 2 years for the river.

These pearls are called cultivated. 90% of the pearls from which jewelry is made belong to cultured. Its properties are exactly the same as that of the wild, but the cost is much lower. However, you should know that cultured pearls contain a large number of defective specimens. The main suppliers of this type of pearl are Japan and China. Australian and Polynesian cultured pearls are also highly regarded.

Species of pearls are much more than just river and sea. Let us dwell on the most popular.

Tahiti pearls are formed by large black-lipped oysters. Pinctada margaritifera. This species is the only natural species in the world, the rest are colored.Tahitian pearls grow more quickly than the rest, but perfectly round pearls produce a very small number of mollusks. Each of the black Tahitian pearls has a unique shape, so creating jewelry from them is not easy.

To “fit” one to the other, you have to sort out a huge number of pearls. In addition to differences in shape, they are colored differently - they have a blue tint, eggplant, olive, blue and even dark red, wine. The most expensive colors are cobalt and the blue-green “peacock” - peacock. It takes years to assemble a Tahiti pearl necklace, because you need to choose the shape and color of the pearls perfectly. Accordingly, the price of such a decoration is astronomical.

The name "Tahiti" does not mean at all that it is only mined there. They don’t get it there, Tahiti is only a shopping center for this type of industry. And the scatter of pearl farms is throughout Polynesia: the Gambier Islands, in Micronesia.

Baroque pearls are different - both wild and cultured. The difference is in the bizarre forms taken by the pearls. As for the color scheme, the "baroque" come in various colors, in addition, they have different ebbs. Although pearls of a perfectly round shape are considered to be the most valuable, the price of “baroque” can be high.

Pearls of the South Seas - a type of cultured pearl, considered the most noble and beautiful. It is produced by the very large Pinctada maxima marine mollusks, whose shell weight can reach 5 kg. The perfectly round shape of pearls is very rare. Now all the pearls grown with the help of Pinctada maxima are called the “pearls of the South Seas”, mainly Australian, Indonesian and Philippine waters. In diameter, pearls reach 10-20 mm, being the most expensive of cultivated ones.

The color scheme ranges from white to gold and orange, as well as blue and shades of black. Dark pearls shine more intensely than light ones. Gold is the most spectacular and expensive. The pearls of the South Seas are covered with a very thick nacreous layer - about 6 mm.

Let us dwell on freshwater pearls. Its average size is 4-6 mm, rarely - more than 9-10 mmThese are usually cultivated specimens that are very expensive. A very small core is used to cultivate river pearls, therefore the layer of its mother of pearl on it is much thicker, and the gloss, respectively, is stronger.

The most developed cultivation of freshwater pearls in the waters of China. Two types of mollusks are used for this: Hyriopsis cumingii, the “producer” of pearls of various shades, and Cristaria plicata, is responsible for creating white, cream and pink specimens. They have a very different form - from an oval to a drop.

Pearls Akoya produced by oysters with the appropriate name. Pearls are most often spherical in various shades: white, cream, pink, silver, pale yellow and greenish black. The diameter range is 5–9 mm; larger stones are rare and very expensive. This type of pearl is made in Japan on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu.

Pearls "Caches" formed when marine or freshwater mollusks reject a planted implant. There is no nucleus in such a pearl, however, mother of pearl grows on very small particles in the shell, just like in all other cases, in layers. These copies are also considered natural. Keshi is more commonly found in the wild, rather than cultivated. The shape of keshi resembles the petals of a flower; it is used to create jewelry.

Hemispherical pearls are grown in China, Japan and America. The shape of the hemisphere is achieved due to the fact that the pearl is grown on the sink.Hemispherical pearls are very popular in jewelry production, it is used to design rings, earrings, pendants and bracelets, where they are attached with the flat side inward. This is an inexpensive type of pearl, but there are also expensive specimens of marine origin. This species is called mabe (mabe), the so-called "semi-pearl".

After the dome-shaped “semi-pearl” grows on the inner surface of the sink, it is cut with great accuracy, and epoxy is poured into the cut cavity. Mabe is not as durable as an ordinary pearl. As a rule, mabes have the correct geometric shape, large size, and also an unusual and very rich color scheme of delicate shades. The range ranges from pale pink to bluish with a metallic sheen; there are also silver-white and dark pearls.

Artificial pearl is a mineral synthesized without the participation of a mollusk shell, but exclusively thanks to man. Mother of pearl for pearls is obtained directly from the sink. The core uses plastic or glass. There are a large number of technologies for the production of synthetic pearls.

Mineralogy defines pearls as:

• having pearlescent shine;
• white, pink, yellow, black;
• amorphous syngony;
• Mohs scale determines hardness by 4 points;
• density - 2.6-2.8 g / cm3;
• having a shell-like fracture.

The structure of the pearl is as layered as that of mother of pearl. Because he is the mother of pearl, not only on a flat, but on a spherical surface. Due to the fact that the mother-of-pearl protein tissues slowly evaporate moisture, the pearl dries out, loses its luster, stratifies, turns yellow and ultimately disintegrates.

The magical properties of pearls is that it brings financial prosperity and a happy life. In some cultures, the fragility of this stone, on the contrary, is a symbol of tears and vain hopes. Also, pearls are a guardian against damage, the evil eye, theft and lying people. They balance the course of life, correlate it with the cycle of the moon. There is a belief that this gemstone attracts luck to strong-willed and spiritually rich people.

The composition of this stone includes organic calcium in large quantities, and the healing property of pearls depends on it. It was used in different ways, but one way or another, the substances of which it consists should enter the body. For example, in Chinese medicine, rubbing pearls into a powder and rubbing it into the skin is suggested.

A method of drinking acidified water is also common, in which pearls were kept for some time before. After a certain period of time, the pearls dissolve completely in dry wine, and then the wine is saturated with all the trace elements useful to humans.

Pearls and turquoise are two stones that “signal” about health problems. The turquoise begins to darken, and the pearl dims and then becomes cloudy in appearance, and this means that it is time for the owner to visit a doctor. This is relevant only for those jewelry that a person wears constantly, since they are in contact with his body.

Tibetan pearl water - a drink that fights inflammation, bacteria, stops bleeding. To prepare it, you just need to take a few pearls and place them in clean water, putting them in a cool place and closing the container. After 3-4 hours, the water is ready. It can treat gum disease, gallstones, and normalize the menstrual cycle.

There is no woman who would not go jewelry with pearls, but whether it suits her is a question.This is a stone of great strength, but also of high sensitivity. It is not suitable for self-righteous, pompous people, as well as for those whose sensitivity without pearls is high. Actors, athletes, travelers do not need to wear jewelry with pearls - there is a high probability of “unbalancing” physical forces with mental ones.

And ladies doing business, or representatives of such professions as a judge, lawyer, prosecutor, tax inspector, it is highly recommended to wear pearl jewelry more often. Business women will be able to conclude extremely successful transactions for themselves, and the "siloviki" will be able to make the right decisions, guided by both "body" and "spirit."

As for the color type, type of appearance, age and style - pearl jewelry is so diverse that every woman can choose the right one for herself, and it does not matter how old she is or what style she prefers.

Of the 12 zodiac signs, astrologers recommend wearing pearls to Cancer and Pisces. For a strong manifestation of the properties of the stone, it must be worn in several threads - both on beads and on bracelets.

The quality of fake pearls is often very high and the fake stones look like real ones. However, in most cases, it is quite possible to distinguish a fake from natural pearls even in appearance - the luster, smoothness, and the presence of external defects will all speak for themselves.

Finding out if the real pearl is in front of you is very easy. You need to throw the pearls on a flat surface - a countertop, for example. Natural stones will push off the surface and bounce, while artificial stones will roll.

Also, experts are trying products "on the tooth." As a rule, fake jewelry has perfect smoothness, while real mother of pearl is rough, as it is unprocessed. Pearls do not need to be polished or otherwise processed.

In order not to fall for the bait of scammers, buy pearl jewelry where the probability of acquiring a fake is zero. For example, take Vietnamese pearls from a trip to Vietnam, and Japanese cotton from Japan.

In everyday life, pearls must be worn very carefully so as not to add age, since this stone is very "age". If you don’t have an evening dress “on the floor” and you don’t go to a social event, then you definitely do not need a pearl set of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet.

On weekdays, it’s best to wear a few long pearl strings with a chanel tweed jacket, white shirt or blouse, and jeans. If you are not afraid to attract attention, choose a bracelet or beads from very large pearls with several threads. Rings of unusual design with large pearls look great.

The nature of pearls is organic, so it tends to collapse faster than other gems. In a humid environment, it swells, and with too dry air it crumbles and decays. Pearls do not have hardness, while they are durable. They tend to react to acid, makeup and cosmetics, hair spray, perfume.

Avoid getting everything listed on the stone, otherwise it will begin to lose its luster. To prevent the pearls from aging, it is necessary rinse in water with dissolved sea salt. This must be done every six months.

Interesting facts about pearls, see the next video.