Pearls are a gift from the sea, symbolizing fidelity, truth, love. It is an organic material, valuable throughout the world.
Legends and stories
About how pearls are formed, people have been thinking since ancient times. One of the most beautiful legends says that these are the tears of a beautiful nymph, mourning love and family. They say that it so happened that a magnificent maiden descended from the sky, lured by the ocean, and then she met a young fisherman of incredible beauty. Descending from heaven time after time, she observed the industrious young man, and at last, plucking up courage, spoke to him. The nymph learned that the young man fished every day to cure his mother.
The beautiful maiden took pity on the poor man, made the booty increase day by day. Time passed, the mother went on the mend, and the young man invited the girl to become his wife. The nymph who fell in love with the fisherman gave her consent, and they lived happily ever after. Over time, the couple even had a son. But the gods found out about the earthly well-being of the heavenly inhabitant and punished her by locking her in a tower. How are pearls formed? The tears of the maiden flow into the ocean, inhabited by shellfish,and become magnificent beads in their shells.
Value since ancient times
It is not known whether pearls first became popular and only then a legend was invented, or the opposite happened, but in ancient Greece and Rome, sea treasure necklaces were highly valued. Knowing from legend how pearls are formed, people considered them a symbol of marital happiness and fidelity.
Time passed, and the popularity of pearls only grew. In the Middle Ages, it was customary to embroider a bride's wedding dress with sea gifts. To show their love for the girl, young people gave rings decorated with pearls. It was considered the most reliable symbol of love for life and even an oath of allegiance.
Famous all over the world
There are as many legends about how pearls are formed as there are peoples living on the planet. In all areas where mining of this value has been known since ancient times, there are legends about the origin of a magnificent treasure in an unsightly shell.
For a long time, the beauty of the sea gift has been sung in the poetry of all peoples. "Pearl" in many languages is consonant with the words "radiant", "unique". Traditionally, it is customary to compare female beauty with the charm of a sea treasure.
Want to learn more about pearls in literature? Pay attention to poetry:
- Japanese;
- Chinese;
- Persian;
- Byzantine;
- Roman.
What will the science say?
If you turn to scientists with a question:“How are pearls formed?”, you can find out that this happens during the synthesis of a specific calcium carbonate, popularly known as mother of pearl. In addition, one bead also contains conchiolin, which plays the role of a horny substance.
If there is some foreign object in the shell of a clam, pearls appear over time. How is treasure formed? The mollusk feels that a foreign body has appeared in its "house". It could be:
- grain of sand;
- larva;
- shell fragment.
The body is trying to remove this element from the living space, in the process of which the body is enveloped in mother-of-pearl. A biochemical reaction takes place in the body, and a jewel is formed.
Who, how, what?
It is already known for certain that hundreds of varieties of inhabitants of sea and fresh waters can form pearls. The key condition is the presence of a sink. But the beads are not the same: both the shape and color are excellent. The classic version is a slightly “powdered” grayish shade. In addition to him, the sea gives pearls to humanity:
- pink;
- blue;
- gold;
- black;
- bronze;
- greenish.
Since pearls are formed in the shell under the influence of environmental conditions, it is the chemical composition of the waters in which the mollusk lived that determines the color of the treasure. In addition, the type of mollusk has an effect, since different types are characterized by different compositions of s alts inbody.
Since ancient times, the most valuable pearls have been mined in the waters of the Persian Gulf, giving people creamy white and pink pearls.
Valuable sea treasures that are taken from the waters nearby:
- Madagascar;
- South America;
- Philippines;
- Myanmar;
- Pacific islands and archipelagos.
Only natural?
One of the largest producers of this marine gift today is Japan. Surprisingly, there are few deposits in this country, but the locals have invented several methods of cultured pearls.
Special conditions are created that are as close to natural as possible. At the same time, processes characteristic of wildlife are imitated. Since pearls are naturally produced under such conditions, they are highly valued.
Specifications
Tell about how pearls are formed in the shell, photos taken at the seabed and special cultivation facilities.
Received beads have the following characteristics:
- hardness - 2, 5-4, 5 Mohs;
- density - 2.7 g/cm3.
No special surface treatment required.
Pearl lives one and a half to three centuries. The specific duration depends on the origin. Organic matter loses moisture over decades, causing the decoration to fade, exfoliate, and decomposition processes begin.
For pearls to last longer, they need care:
- cannot be stored in a damp, dry place;
- no direct sunlight;
- when tarnished, washed with s alt water;
- Ether, potassium carbonate is used at the first sign of destruction.
Modern myths
Despite the fact that people have long known how pearls are formed in nature, to this day there are some beliefs associated with this process. They are strongest on those islands that live off pearl divers.
In Borneo, people believe that the ninth pearl has a unique property - it produces its own kind. Therefore, locals take small containers in which they put pearls, mixing them with rice - two grains for each sea gift, and then wait for more treasures.
Pearls and High Tech
Because people figured out how pearls are formed in shellfish, it was possible to build factories for cultivating the sea treasure. It is cultured beads that are most often found today.
Cultivation was invented in 1896, at the same time the process was immediately patented. The author of the idea is the Japanese Kohiki Mikimoto. To make the pearl larger, the inventor came up with the idea of placing a bead in the shell of the mollusk, which he would extract after a few years as a mature, beautiful, large pearl.
Having studied how natural pearls are formed, they invented several options for making artificial analogues. However, in their beauty they are incomparable with seafood. howas a rule, this is a base made of glass, decorated with pearl powder or covered with a thin layer of mother-of-pearl. To understand what is in front of you, set up an experiment: throw an object on a stone plane. Natural pearls bounce high and ball-like, while artificial pearls do not.
Another method for separating fake pearls from natural ones: run the product over your teeth. If the surface feels rough, it is a natural material. But the industrial imitation will be absolutely smooth to the touch.
Interesting Features
There is only one precious mineral in the world that does not need to be processed. This is a natural pearl. How a pearl is formed is described above. It was the features of this process that determined such beauty, smoothness, suitability for wearing a sea gift immediately after its extraction.
According to archaeologists, pearls were the first precious material that interested man because of their beauty.
The use of pearls was invented by the Chinese 42 centuries ago. Treasures mined in China used:
- as decoration;
- as money;
- to indicate social status.
Pearls were valued no less in Egypt and Mesopotamia. They decorated themselves with the treasures of Semiramis, Cleopatra, extracted from the sea waves. Legend has it that an Egyptian beauty once, having argued with Mark Antony, dissolved a pearl in wine and drank the drink.
Another important historical milestone is related to pearl mining as follows. When Alexander the Great was about to take over India, his advisers advised him to start with Socotra, famous in those days for the extraction of sea jewels. The great warrior was struck by the beauty of pearls, especially the magnificent combination of black, white and pink. Since then, he began to collect strings of pearls, which soon attracted other noble and we althy people. This passion for gemstone collecting continues unabated today.
Pearls and rulers
A variety of natural pearls are valued. How is such a rich variety of jewelry formed from just one type of raw material? The secret is that nature gives people different forms of beads. There is an international classification that highlights:
- buttons;
- ovals;
- pear-shaped;
- spherical;
- round;
- semicircular;
- teardrop;
- irregular pearls.
Since sea gifts have always been highly valued, they have traditionally been used to adorn the outfits of roy alty. For example, at the baptism of Louis XIII, Marie de Medici was dressed up in a dress decorated with 30,000 pearls.
But Europeans first saw black pearls only in the 15th century. It happened thanks to Hernando Cortes. Centuries later, it was possible to discover the origin of this species off the coast of North America, in the Gulf of California. Largely due to thisthe city of La Paz flourished, to this day considered the international center of black pearls.
But the English Queen Elizabeth I valued pearls from China first of all. She adorned herself with several threads at once, and in total, up to a thousand precious beads could be observed only on the neck of the ruler.
The Spanish ruler Philip II owned a pearl called "Peregrine". It is known to connoisseurs in our time. The jewel passes from hand to hand. Owned by:
- Napoleon III;
- Mary Tudor;
- Elizabeth Taylor.
It was through the efforts of the latter that Peregrine became the centerpiece of the luxurious jewelry created by Cartier jewelers.
Famous gems
The specificity of the origin of pearls is such that the coalescence of several beads into one is extremely rare. If fishermen get such a marine treasure, it makes a splash among connoisseurs. One of the legendary pearls, consisting of several at once, was called the "Great Southern Cross". It consists of nine elements.
Another famous name is "Princess of Palawan". It was formed in the mollusc Tridacna. The weight of the sea treasure is 2.3 kg. The bead is over 15 cm in diameter. This marine gift was put up for auction at the Bonhams Los Angeles auction organized by the Museum of Natural History.
But the most expensive pearl is the Regent. It looks like an egg and was a Bonaparte family heirloom. The story tells that the pearl was purchased as a gift forMaria Louise, who became the future wife of the emperor. The deal was made in 1811. Then the sea treasure came to Faberge and was kept in the St. Petersburg collection. In a 2005 auction, the magnificent jewel went for $2.5 million to a new owner.
The largest of the treasures mined on our planet from the depths of the sea was called the "Pearl of Allah". Place of origin - Philippines. Weight - 6.35 kg, and diameter 23.8 cm. Value - 32,000 carats. The pearl is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Tahitian pearls
Of all the types of cultured pearls, the Tahitian black was the last to be created. For its production, the mollusks Pinctada margaritifera are grown. Today, the black treasures produced by these organisms are the only known natural species. Any other beads are dyed.
The characteristic of Tahitian pearls is their rapid growth. On the other hand, only a small percentage of marine life is able to create a pearl. Each jewel is unique, different from the others. Largely for this reason, jewelry made from black Tahitian pearls is valued, because the process of working with it is painstaking and requires a lot of skills, effort and time. Jewelers select pearls suitable for work from hundreds and thousands of beads created by shellfish.
