According to ancient Chinese legend, the moon holds the power to create pearls, instilling them
with its celestial glow and mystery. Pearls have been treasured for their lustrous, creamy
texture and subtle iridescent reflections since the dawn of humankind.

Pearls are unique in the world of colored gemstones since they are the only gemstone formed within a
living creature. Because natural pearls are so rare and difficult to recover from the ocean's
depths, man invented the technique of culturing salt and freshwater pearls from
mallusks carefully seeded with irritants similar to those produced by nature.
The painstaking effort of culturing is one of the most dramatic
examples of man's quest to coax beauty from nature.

Today, cultured pearls are grown and harvested in many parts of the world including the fresh waters
of the Tennessee River. The majority of cultured pearls come from Japan, China and the South
Pacific. Cultured pearls come in many beautiful colors including: gold, yellow, champagne,
pink, peach, lavender, gray and black. Cultured pearls come in many shapes and sizes,
and can be acquired in both graduated and uniform strands. They can be
purchased singly or in pairs for rings, pendants and earrings. June
birthdays and third and thirtieth anniversaries are
celebrated with the gift of pearls.

Due to demand of perfectly matched white pearl strands, cultured fresh and saltwater pearls are often
bleached to achieve a uniform color. They may also be polished
in tumblers to clean and improve their luster.

Dyes, heat treatment, and irradiation are sometimes applied to produce a wide range of hues such as
yellow, green, blue, purple, gray and black in freshwater and Akoya cultured pearls. Some
South Sea cultured pearls are bleached to lighten their hue, but most South Sea
and Tahitian cultured pearls are not subjected to enhancements to
create or improve their color.

Pearls require special care because they contain calcareous crystals that are sensitive to chemicals
and acids. To care for your cultured pearls, avoid using perfume, hairspray, abraisives,
solvents, and nail polish removers while wearing them. Like your skin, cultured
pearls contain water and may dehydrate and crack if exposed continuously
to arid conditions.



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