Pearl, the Mother of Gems!

London has been dull and grey for the last two days and the forecast is still not good. I have therefore decided to make use of my interesting collection of tidbits and reference from my travels in Dubai and share them with you. Now that the festive season is officially over, I went to the gym yesterday, for the first time in 2006, at Fitness First, where I am a member. I will also be talking about health and fitness on my future blog to help me achieve my New Year's resolution to stay lean and fit. I will also be sharing with you the diet I have been doing for the last 2 years which helped stop my weight from 'yoyo-ing' - so watch this space!

The topic today is Pearls. I thought this is the next best thing to blog about after Diamonds. By definition, a pearl is a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel and it has a shade of white the color of bleached bones.

Contrary to popular beliefs, pearls rarely result from the intrusion of a single grain of sand into an oyster shell, instead forming when an irritant, such as a wayward food particle becomes trapped and is coated with layers of aragonite (a mineral form of crystalline calcium carbonate; dimorphic with calcite) and conchiolin, thus giving birth to the actual gem. Naturally occurring pearls only appear in around one in every 10,000 shells and it was the advent of the cultured pearl industry in the early 20th century that developed techniques to drastically improve the odds, launching pearls onto the mass market.

Pearl fishing was a major industry crossing the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf with pearl divers seasonally working the fertile sea bed. These divers frequently risk their lives in pursuit of the treasures hidden in the deep, diving for over two minutes with little more than a nose clip and heavy stone weight to pull them more than 70 feet down to the ocean floor.

In the Gulf region, the pearl fishing industry was a mainstay of the economy through to the late 1940s when the blossoming cultured pearl movement led to a collapse in demand for the natural version. Around 80,000 men earned their living from pearling and some of the best natural pearls came from these waters.

Huge fleets of pearling vessels set out to the oyster banks each season with the crew spending months away from home and existing on subsistence rations. The Trucial States (precursor to the United Arab Emirates) had some 1,200 pearling dhows, of which 335 where from Dubai. (DHOW - A long, flat sailing vessel that is lateen-rigged and found in the Indian Ocean along the east coast of Africa, the Arabian peninsula, Pakistan, and India).

The captain kept any pearls found which were often few and far between, negotiated their final price with divers receiving a mere fraction of the profit. A reverential experience, the opening of an oyster shell was undertaken in silence and any treasures gently wrapped in red cloth to later show them off to their best advantage.

Pearl as a Status Symbol

As ancient trade routes snaked their way across the world, pearls became important symbols of wealth, status and taste. As far back as 6,000 years ago, archaeological finds showed evidence that in the Persian Gulf region, people were sometimes buried with a peirced pearl resting in their right hand. The oldest known Gulf pearl dating back some 7,000 years, was found in Kuwait and was probably part of a necklace.

Ancient Middle Eastern cultures are believed to be the first to value pearls and pearl shells (mother of pearl). In Persia, the pearls were said to be worth their weight in gold and to convince Rome that Egypt possessed a heritage and wealth that put it above conquest, Cleopatra wagered Mark Antony that she could give the most expensive dinner in history. As he reclined, Cleopatra sat with an empty plate before her and a goblet of wine. Crushing a large pearl earring, she dissolved it in the liquid and drank it. The astonished Antony declined to consume his dinner - the matching pearl - and Cleopatra claimed victory.

According to Islamic thought, pearls represent perfection and completeness. In the west, the tradition of gifts of pearl jewellery for new brides and the handing down of heirlooms from mother to daughter is associated with purity, perfection, innocence and longevity.

As far back as 1870, a US newspaper reported that pearls were 'exquisitely beautiful and constitute an appropriate and elegant present to a young bride'.

With the arrival of cultured pearls on the international market in the first half of the 20th century, these formerly elitist gems became more readily available. Designers such as Coco Chanel used them to full effect. By the 1950, cultured pearls were essential accessories for well-dressed women in the United States and Europe.

In the 1950's, at their fashionable height, a pearl necklace was sought by newly married women, budding debutantes, mothers and grandmothers; but the prestige of owning a string of these cool gems is timeless.

Not just the city of gold, Dubai's jewellers offers pearls in every shape, colour and style, from the classic single strand a la Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis to sparkling diamond and pearl sets for very special occasions. Audrey Hepburn glammed up her black dress with a classic choker in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Scarlett Johanssen visually seduced Colin Firth with a single orb in Girl with a Pearl Earring. When in Dubai, haggling for the best price is obligatory and compared to the west, prices are highly competitive.

Pearl Tales

According to historians, Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC to obtain among other things, freshwater pearls.

At the height of the Roman Empire, the historian Suetonius wrote that the Roman general Vitellius financed an entire military campaign by selling just one fo his mother's pearl earrings.

Queen Elizabeth I of England is said to have established an artificial pearl industry to satisfy her love of pearls.

In 1917, the jewellers Cartier bought a building in New York with two strands of natural pearls valued at US$1,200,000.

Pearl characteristics - because of the natural process of formation, a pearl isn't as smooth as you would imagine. Uneven layers create surface irregularities and you can distinguish a real pearl from an artificial one by rubbing it gently across your teeth. A real pearl will feel gritty and an artifical one - smooth and slippery.

Pearls come in diffirent colours from cool white and gentle cream to the gold-hued variety loved in the gulf region as well as purple and even black. The colour depends on both the type of mollusc and surrounding environment. Pearls are said to 'glow' and their lustrous rainbow-like colours results from the reflection of light rays off the surface and the iridescent layers.

In olden times, pearls were said to be taken whole or in powdered form. Pearls were believed to cure heart disease, indigestion, insomnia, cataracts, ulcers, headaches, liver problems, nervouse diseases, blood disorders, leprosy and even insanity. They were also linked with the moon, good fortune and weddings, offering protection to those who wore them.

Taking Care of Your Pearls

Always store your pearls separately from other jewellery especially diamonds, to avoid scratching.

Apply perfume or cosmetics before you put on your pearls as the delicate surface is easily damaged.

After wear, wipe your pearls with a damp soft cloth.

Take care for now and I will blog soon,

Alan Aldana