Pearls and love

Did you know that pearls are associated with love? That's why they've been long associated with brides. Think of Venus, the goddess of love, emerging like a beautiful pearl from the oyster shell.

Painting by Botticelli, 15th century.

Pearls by Pearls Melba, 21st century.

Which pearl is the right pearl for me?

Sometimes people ask this, thinking that there is some definitive answer about the "best" pearl. Is it the biggest one? The most expensive one? The white one? The black one? The one that's been in the oyster for the longest?
How do you know?
The answer is to hold the pearl, or strand of pearls, up against yourself in a mirror and see which ones suit you best. Which pearl looks like it comes alive against your skin? Which pearl is the one you can't possible leave without? Which is the one that makes you smile?
That will be the best pearl for you. Not for everyone. Just for you.

What is a pearl?

Pearls are the beautiful result of an irritant in an oyster. Before the days of cultured pearls, when oysters lay on the sea bed calmly taking nutrients from the constant flow of water through them, a tiny crustacean or some other small particle would get stuck in the oyster's flesh. This would irritate the oyster, which would then begin to coat layer upon layer of nacre (mother-of-pearl) over the hapless creature and, over time, those layers of nacre would become a pearl.

With cultured pearls, the process for the oyster is the same, except a human hand has implanted the irritant in the form of a bead nucleus which is then coated with nacre.

Cultured pearls are "natural" pearls in the sense that they are the product of a natural creature - the oyster. Truly natural pearls, those that have formed without human aid in wild oysters are rare and always have been. 

To see some beautiful cultured pearls ready to wear, visit www.pearlsmelba.com