Pearls the Birthstone for June https://amzn.to/4bDrYd4 And A Favorite for June Brides https://amzn.to/3QLyxT6
Pearls come with the lore of the ocean. First found in the shells of oysters and other mollusks. They are created when a foreign object gets into the shell against the soft tissue. Just as we secrete and fill our sinuses to rid ourselves of a cold virus, the mollusk secretes a fluid to cover and coat the object. Succesive coatings buildup and create the pearl. https://amzn.to/3WKSGMA
We learned that implanting a irritant into a mollusk shell can create pearls, and so man started farming the oysters and other mollusks. The oyster species in the genus Pinctada is used in ocean farms. An irritant, usually a round seed, is placed into the mantle of the oyster and then they are placed in cages and put back into the ocean. We farm both ocean varieties and the freshwater varieties of mollusk. With the oyster being the most productive for the ocean variety and the pearls have the higher quality nacre.
Nacre is the material the mollusk secretes. It is composed of the mineral aragonite and the protein chonchiolin. And the placement of the layers leads to the quality called luster in a pearl. It is the luster that is loved by the jewelry world. Luster is the light reflecting quality of a substance.
Pearls have been used in jewelry 2000 years before Christ. The natives across the globe who utilized mollusks as a source of protein would find these prized nodules within the shell and give them to the locals to adorn themselves. Natural pearls have a rarity, which kept them expensive and used for royalty. Only after 1920, when farming became commercially viable, did the price of pearls become an affordable luxury for the masses.
Now, pearl jewelry is readily available. The birthstone of June and weddings keep the need for beautiful pieces of pearl jewelry available. Find the pieces you love and wear them and enjoy.
