Welcome to JAYSDESIGN!

JAYSDESIGN produces beautiful handcrafted jewelry in one-of-kind designs, adhering to the belief that true beauty is simple and flattering. Many designs include pearls, semi-precious stones, genuine Swarovski(tm) Crystal and sterling silver.

Please visit our Etsy shop to see our latest pieces available for sale. Shipping is free to USA and Canada.

Each design is entirely unique. Once it is sold, that's it. JAYSDESIGN does not take custom orders at this time.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Pearls, Glorious Pearls

The pearls we often see today are cultured, meaning the oyster is more or less forced to make the gem. With cultured pearl farms all over the world, this beautiful and timeless gem is now easily obtained.

The culturing process officially began in 1893 when the first pearl was "created" by Kokichi Mikimoto. Simply, a pearl is made by placing a tiny bit of shell or other debris inside the oyster. It is then coated in layers of nacre until a pearl is formed. After several months, the pearl is harvested.

It was Mikimoto's desire to see pearls around the throat of every woman, not just the wealthy. In developing the culturing process, he made that wish a distinct possibility. 

There are so many works of art out there featuring pearls. Several are posted below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

This article was originally published at A Lady's Deception, (c) Laura J Miller, and is reprinted here with permission.
*For more info on Mikimoto and pearl culturing visit these sites: Cultured Pearls: History of MikimotoMikimoto KōkichiCultured pearl