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 Mikimoto; Mikimoto Kōkichi; Cultured pearl