Pearls of wisdom
Pearls of wisdom
Looking after organic gems
Pearls are in a league of their own as gemstones. They aren't
formed over millions of years by the earth's geological changes,
but organically formed over a few months or years by a mollusc.
So, here I include a chapter devoted to this unlikely precious
gemstone beloved by women the world over.Real or fake - can you tell?
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Both real and fake pearls are delicate. To test if your pearls are
real, take one of the pearls and gently rub it on a tooth. A real
pearl with have a slightly gritty, sandpaper feel against your
tooth, whereas a fake, made of glass or even natural materials
such as those advertised as 'natural shell pearls', will be
smooth.Real pearls come in many shapes and sizes and colours, with
numerous names, such as baroque, mabe, blister or just round.
They include freshwater and salt-water varieties and cultured
and natural. Natural pearls are rare and almost impossible to
nd now so are the most expensive. Cultured pearls are a
popular and a ordable alternative for most of us. Either way,
cultured or natural, they are all formed in the same way inside
a mollusc shell, by its occupant, in water.