Versatile Pearls

Technically, pearls aren't gemstones. Gemstones are crystalline rocks that can be cut and polished for jewelry. Pearls aren't rocks; hence, they're not gemstones. But call them what you will; pearls are still powerful.

Pearls have been used to express feminine power long before "feminine power" was a conscious concept of humankind. Elizabeth the First ruled her empire with an iron fist and draped herself in pearls while she ordered her enemies beheaded. (You just don't mess with a lady wearing pearls!) Most people believe that pearls are only produced in the bellies of oysters, but that's not accurate. Some of the most rare and beautiful pearls have been found in conch, quahog, Melo snails, and even scallops. The quahog clam produces an incredibly rare purple pearl….but you aren't likely to find one. Just one in 100,000 quahog clams contain a pearl, and only one in every twenty of those pearls is actually of gem quality. (Still…you might consider ordering clams a little more frequently.)

If you have more than a passing interest in jewelry, you've probably heard of Cartier. It's the most prestigious jewelry house in America and islocated at a very prestigious address on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Cartier exists at that location all because of a double strand of pearls. The year was 1917, and a wealthy banker named Morton F. Plant traded his mansion on Fifth Avenue for a two-strand pearl necklace that his wife wanted.

The odds of owning real pearl jewelry are becoming lower as oceans are overfished. But there's hope. More and better shaped cultured pearls are available on the market today than ever before and jewelry designers are having a ball with these luminous, powerful and versatile pearls.