June - Pearl
Pronounced
Purl
Pearls are the only gems that are grown inside living creatures, so rather than being mined like other gems, pearls are farmed and harvested. Pearls have been harvested from mollusks for thousands of years, either by chance or, more recently, purposely through culturing. From the start of mankind's love affair with them, pearls have been symbolic of class, purity, refinement, and wealth, but modern designs with fashionable new pearl shapes and colors are helping pearls appeal to a broader audience. They truly are not just your grandmother's pearls anymore.
Name Origin and Meaning
Just as the original discovery of pearls is unknown, the origin of the name is also uncertain. The word "pearl" may derive from the Latin perna, a type of shell, or sphaerula, meaning "spherical." The names of various types of pearls are modified by a word that connotes where they are cultured (South Seas) or the type of oyster that grows them (Akoya), with one exception being keshi pearls. The word "keshi" is Japanese for "poppyseed," so named because of their generally small size.
Discovery and History
The first pearl discovery is an ancient mystery, though it was likely accidental and by a fisherman who was opening oysters or mussels for food. Freshwater pearling has been known in China since 1000 B.C., and while the Chinese were culturing blister pearls as far back as the 14th century, whole cultured pearls have only been available since the 1920s. Natural pearls have been harvested for hundreds and maybe even thousands of years. A natural pearl occurs only once in 15,000 mollusks. In addition to oysters (saltwater) and mussels (freshwater), other creatures occasionally produce pearls, like the very rare and expensive pale orange Melo Melo pearls from marine snails and beautiful pink conch pearls with unusual flame patterns. Other pearls include recently discovered non-nacreous brownish-purple scallop pearls and distinctively blue-green iridescent abalone pearls.
Value
While some folks may believe there is no such thing as an ugly pearl, the jewelry industry grades pearls with a variety of factors, many of which are unique to pearls and unlike the value factors for other colored gems. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades pearls based on their seven pearl value factors: size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching. Luster, or the light reflecting from a pearl's surface, is the most important factor of a pearl's value and beauty. Surface quality refers to the presence or absence of irregularities or blemishes and their size, number, location, and type. Nacre quality refers to the thickness and quality of nacre layering; if it's too thin, the pearl's nucleus will be visible, and poorly layered nacre can create a chalky appearance.