DIAMOND

Both Oriental and cultured pearls are animal products, the result reign body or object introduced into the shell of an oyster or, case of fresh-water pearls, of a mussel or clam. The mollusk defends itself by secreting a smooth hard substance, called nacre, in layers.

The resulting pearl may take years to form. The only difference between Oriental and cultured pearls is that the foreign body accidentally gets into the pearl oyster in Oriental pearls and is implanted by man in pear! oysters in cultured pearls. One further note: pearls are not found in any or all oysters; they are found only in a specific kind of oyster. This oyster is not the kind you buy to eat in restaurants or fish markets.

Pearls have a hardness of 3'/z on the Mohs scale. They come in a wide variety of colors, including several shades of white, black and gray, blue, green, red, yellow, purple, and violet. The five-point criteria used to determine the value of pearls are size, shape, luster, color, and surface. In general, the rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is.

The luster should be luminous and deep-seated, not on the surface. The surface should be silky smooth and free of blemishes or roughness. The color should be subtle, pure, and clear. Rose or pink pearls are the most preferred, but the best color for you is the one that suits your skin color and hair. If pearls are matched, all pearls should be of equal size, regardless of that size. Graduated pearls should be symmetrically graduated.

Pearls come in many shapes. They may be round or pear-, egg-, or teardrop-shaped. Irregularly shaped pearls are called baroque pearls and can be lovely, while very tiny pearls are called seed pearls. Blister or mabe pearls are pearls that grow against a shell, forming half a pearl. They are used for rings, earrings, and pins where roundness in three dimensions isn't necessary. 8iwa pearls are fresh-water pearls that come from Lake Biwa in Japan and are mussel pearls.

Pearls are said to bestow love, happiness, and good fortune or their owners. In ancient India, wise men held a "talisman pearl" in one hand to secure enlightenment. The ancient Greek word for pearl implied "perfect purity," while to the Romans it suggested sweetness and pleasure. They were also jewels of love, and Cleopatra is said to save dissolved pearls in wine as a love potion for Mark Antony Green pearls were symbolic of happiness.