Pearl diving first began centuries ago when divers would dive down to the bottom of the ocean and grab handful’s of mollusks, put them into a bucket, and bring it up to the boat. Needless to say, they became frustrated easily when no pearls were found. Why you ask?!(Because I am sure you are) That is because there is only a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a natural pearl in the open waters. And that is when the culturing process started.
The culturing process is very interesting and intriguing. They take a perfectly round shell and surgically insert it into the oyster at a very young age. (need not worry, it does not hurt the oyster, they barely feel it.) The oyster builds up its defense mechanism, known as nacre, and it hardens and crystalizes, hardens and crystalizes, and over time it becomes a pearl. It takes anywhere from 2-4 years to fully form a pearl.
The Akoya pearl is one of the most popular and well known pearl. The Akoya pearl can be found in stores like Tiffany’s and Cartier. The Akoya pearls are cultured in the South Sea’s of Japan and are perfectly spherical in shape. They are also known for their natural luster (the shiny part of the pearl, it’s just a fancy way of saying shine).
Pearls are not just for girls though. (Yes, loud gasp) In Ancient Roman times, Men would wear strands of pearls to protect them. Also, when pearl diving first began it was thought that women had a stronger heart and lungs than men. Kinda interesting…
So ladies and gentleman, that is my little lesson to you. I hope you enjoyed it. Here are some AMAZING pictures from one of our designers at Solutions Bridal. Paris, uses Swarovski glass pearls. Everything is handmade in The United States and is a wonderful company! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as me!!
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