Pearls, also called orphic gems, sea gems or concentric deposits of Caco3 are synonymous with feminine beauty. These round and albumen colored beauties have been used to make embellishments for the last 6000 years. No woman in this world is complete without them.

A pearl is just a concentric formation of calcium carbonate, water and organic binding compound. Pearl commands great value, passion and is compared with love and purity.

A pearl is formed when an irritant or a foreign substance enters a mollusk. In a typical reaction, the mollusk secretes layers of nacre which encapsulates the alien object. Over a period of time this ball of nacre transforms into a pearl.

Below mentioned are some of the salient features of these beautiful sea gems.

1.They are highly lustrous and are generally round in shape.

2.They are available in white, cream or dark colors; but their overtones vary widely.

3.Embellishments made from these orphic gems are suitable for all occasions and age groups.

Pearls are classified as natural or cultured. Today, almost 90% of orphic gems that are sold in the market belong to the latter category. Below mentioned are the names of oysters that are synonymous with some of the popular pearl names.

1.Akoya pearl oysters (Pinctada Fucata)

2.Freshwater oysters (Hydriopsis Schlegeli)

3.Black Lip mollusk (Pinctada Margaritifera)

4.White lip pearl oyster (Pinctada Maxima)

Cultured orphic gems are further classified as.

1.Cultured saltwater sea gems.

2.Cultured freshwater sea gems.

Distinguishing the two of them is not easy. The characteristics of both the freshwater and saltwater sea gems are quite common. Freshwater sea gems are available in unusual shapes; known as baroque pearls. Freshwater sea gems that originate from China have intriguing shapes and colors; typically used to craft fancy adornments for the younger crowd. They are affordable and look trendy.

On the other hand, Akoya cultured orphic gems are very costly, followed by black Tahitian sea gems. Tahitian pearl is dark, almost black. These sea gems have mystical overtones such as; peacock green, blue and purple.

These jewels of the sea are sometimes dyed or bleached as per the requirements; typically found off the coasts of China, Japan, Indonesia and Australia.

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