What is so special about pearls that women love them?

Jewelry made of pearls, or pearls combined with precious metals and precious stones, emphasizes femininity and beauty. What is it about pearls? Who doesn't admire them – beautiful, harmonious, and subtle, they have been known and appreciated by people for centuries. Their beauty, rarity, and high price have contributed to their widespread presence in culture and art. Vermeer's 1665 painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is known to everyone thanks to Peter Webber's film of the same name. John Steinbeck titled his famous book "The Pearl." Pearls also appear numerous times in the Bible, hence the saying "don't cast your pearls before swine."

Pearls are the only gemstones created by a living creature. Each pearl is composed of multiple layers of calcium carbonate, represented by mother-of-pearl—a natural material produced by mollusks. Until the 20th century, the only way to obtain pearls was by diving to depths of over 30 meters without diving equipment. Today, natural pearls are very rare and found almost exclusively in the waters of Bahrain. Only about 5% of pearls on the market are natural, the remaining 95% being cultured.

By the early 20th century, pearls had become extremely desirable, with pearl jewelry being valuable and sought after by many traders. Kokichi Mikimoto is credited with developing the pearl culture method. Round pearls are cultivated by implanting a nucleus into an oyster. The animal protects itself from the foreign body by secreting a layer of nacre around it, thus creating a pearl. This intricate technique, called "seeding," requires great precision and took considerable time to perfect.

Pearls today are divided into two main types: freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls. Freshwater pearls are commonly cultured in China and other warm climates. Among saltwater pearls, Akuna, Tahitian, and Nam Hai are the three most famous types of cultured pearls. The Tahitian black pearl of the Polynesian Islands was once called the black wonder of the sea due to its rarity.

For centuries, pearls were believed to have magical powers and bring women luck and love. Today, pearl jewelry is worn by young girls and adult women both for everyday wear and for special occasions.

Properties of pearls

Size

Oysters take longer and are more difficult to form into large pearls. Naturally, large pearls are both rarer and more expensive.

Sphericity

Only a small fraction of all pearls are spherical. Therefore, perfectly spherical pearls are highly valued.

Other pearl shapes

Baroque - uneven pearl
Pendeloque - teardrop-shaped
Bouton - flat
Poire - pear-shaped

Gloss

Luster is a pearl's ability to refract and reflect light. A pearl's beauty and longevity are determined by its strong nacre and good luster.

Surface

Only artificial pearls are perfect. Real pearls, like all natural products, often have slight surface irregularities. However, the smoother the surface, the more valuable the pearl.

Color

The color spectrum is vast, and the possibilities are numerous. Pearls are usually white, but can range from gray-blue or brown to gold, pink, or green. Black pearls do occur but are very rare. Color does not determine quality.

Joanna Czarnecka, Luxury Boutique magazine

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