We are pleased to provide the following information so you can learn more about the only gem material that requires no cutting or polishing to unlock their beauty . . . Pearls.

Pearls are unique. It is the only gem created by a living creature. A perfectly graceful gift from the depths of the sea. Many legends have sprung up around pearls. But perhaps the best known is that the pearl was the teardrop of an angel. She was crying for joy. In the family of gems, none are quite as gentle and feminine as pearls. Weddings, anniversaries, or a memento from your travels, there remains no finer gift to express your love.

Choosing a pearl is often an instinctive decision. But some pearls do complement different skin tones more than others do. Pinkish, rosy-white and cream pearls generally flatter paler complexions and blonde hair, while darker skin tones and brunette hair bring out the richness of darker pearls. Every pearl we sell is a genuine natural or cultured pearl, mostly imported from oyster beds in the South Seas, Japan, or China.

The ocean is home to the pearl. Originally, pearls were formed by accident in pearl oysters. They were created when a foreign body of some sort, such as a grain of sand or a parasite, found its way into the pearl oyster. The oyster reacted by coating the irritant with layer upon layer of the pearly substance, known as "nacre", that gives the pearl its unique appearance and luminescent beauty.

Cultured pearls are formed by more or less the same process except that in this case, humans rather than nature introduce the irritant. A bead is inserted into the oyster by a technician, creating a pearl that turns out every bit as natural as one that originated in the wild.

The beauty and magic of pearls have been a source of fascination and desire since their discovery in ancient times. Viewed as magic charms, symbols of purity and love, or sources of wisdom and power, pearls are one of the oldest known gems and have been revered by countless civilizations.

Legend has it that Cleopatra dissolved a large pearl in a glass of wine and drank it to impress Marc Antony with her wealth and power - a ploy that worked all too well. Knights in the Middle Ages wore pearls onto the battlefield to protect themselves from harm. Queen Elizabeth I so loved the white gems that she had them sewn on all her clothing and wore ropes of them around her neck. In addition to its fascinating beauty, the pearl occupies a unique spot in the world of precious gemstones. Instead of being found in a core of rock, a pearl is made over time by a living creature, an oyster.

Prized by man, the pearl begins its life as an irritant to the oyster. To protect itself, the oyster coats an intruding object or grain of sand with nacre, a crystalline substance that builds up over time, resulting in a shimmering, iridescent creation. The culturing process developed by man mimics nature. Pearl farmers implant a fine bead into the oyster where it cannot be expelled. The oyster does the rest and creates its lustrous masterpiece.

South Sea - Large (10mm and up) cultured pearls grown in tropical and semi-tropical oysters in the South Seas and around the coast of Australia.  Their color ranges from silvery white to gold; they are quite costly due to their size and rarity.

Mabe - Large, hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shells of oysters rather than in the oysters' bodies. Less expensive than round cultured pearls due to their half-round shape, they are most popular in earrings, rings and brooches.

Lustre - A combination of surface brilliance and a deep glow that seems to emanate from within the heart of a pearl. The lustre of a good quality pearl should be bright, not dull, enabling you to see your own reflection clearly on the surface of a pearl. A pearl that appears too white, dull or chalky indicates poor quality.