No grit, no pearl!

Pearls

Pearl in shell

Perfect pearls!
This is one of my favourite sayings. Everyone interprets sayings in different ways that are unique to them and their situation. For me, this means that in order to get the results I want in life I have to go through the hard times to get to the good.

How pearls are formed
Pearls are formed when an irritant, a grain of sand or bit of floating food, slips in between one of the two shells of the mollusk (usually an oyster or mussel) and becomes trapped. Once the irritant is trapped the mollusk will coat it with nacre which is the mollusk’s defence mechanism. Nacre is very strong, over time the mollusk coats the irritant with thousands upon thousands of layers of nacre, and over time, a pearl begins to slowly form. It can take anywhere from 2-4 years for a pearl to form.

Where pearls come from:
Freshwater pearls primarily come from China, whilst saltwater pearls are found off the coast of Japan, French Polynesia, and Australia.

Why do brides wear pearls?
It is believed that wearing pearls on your wedding day will ensure your marriage is happy and you won’t shed tears during it.
Fun Facts:

  • The most expensive pearl ever is a pearl that measures, founfin the Philippines and is estimated to be worth $100 million.
  • Pearls are the only gemstones that come from a living creature.
  • They have been prized by humans for thousands of years and were significant in many different ancient cultures including Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome.
  • Mussels produce pearls in freshwater rivers and ponds, oysters produce pearls in saltwater.

Older Post Newer Post