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Pearl
Queen of the Gems - Before the creation of cultured pearls in the early 1900's, natural pearls were so rare and expensive that they were reserved almost exclusively for the noble and very rich. A pearl is the product of an oyster's defense mechanism. It is formed when, in response to an irritant within their shell, certain types of mollusks secrete nacre and build up a smooth coating around the irritating object. With cultured pearls, the irritant is most likely a parasite or grain of sand. The culturing process developed by man mimics nature. Pearl farmers implant a fine bead into the oyster where it cannot be expelled. Oysters are then returned to the sea to create its lustrous masterpiece, and after approximately 2 years are harvested.
Fifty percent of oysters will die. Pearls are most commonly thought of as white, but many colors abound such as cream, pink-peach, blue-grey, and black. Folklore - Pearls have been recognized as the emblem of modesty, chastity, and purity. They have come to symbolize a happy marriage. Pearls have long been used in Asian medicine, and are thought to be efficacious in the cure of eye ailments, heart trouble, indigestion, fever and bleeding. The Chinese have a legend that pearls fall to the earth as rain when dragons fight in the sky, and that pearls offer protection against fire breathing dragons. Western beliefs held that pearls could cure mental illness and soothe heartbreak for the wearer. They were also credited with being a powerful antidote against poison. Knights in the Middle Ages wore pearls onto the battlefield to protect themselves from harm. Use the following quality factors to evaluate any piece of cultured pearl jewelry:
Don't expose pearls to acid-based hair sprays, cosmetics or perfumes, or clean them with chemicals or abrasives. Wash them with mild soap and water when you take them off. This will remove any traces of hair spray or perfume.
Folklore - Opal has been treasured throughout history around the world. Opal was also treasured in the Middle Ages and was called ophthalmios, or eye stone, due to a widespread belief that it was beneficial to eyesight. Opal has symbolized hope, innocence and purity through the ages. Origin & Mining -The story of opal in Australia begins more than 100 million years ago when the deserts of central Australia were a great inland sea, with silical-laden sediment deposited around its shoreline. After the sea receded and disappeared to become the great Artesian basin, silica was released into a solution which filled cracks in the rocks, layers in clay, and even some fossils. Some of this silica became precious opal. Opal still contains 6 - 20 percent water, a remnant of that ancient sea. Gold panners in Australia found the first few pieces of opal in 1863.
Choosing An Opal -Within each opal variety, the brilliance of the play of color is the most important value factor. After this consideration, the colors seen and the pattern of the colors will also influence value. Generally, opal with red fire is the most valued because opal that shows red will also show other colors when rolled back and forth. Opal should be protected from heat and strong light, which can dry it out, causing cracks. Opal is best set in a protected mounting. The most expensive and sought after opals are called black opals. The body color of the gem is black. Opals should also be thick. You do not want a thin stone. The reason you get color flashes from an opal is exactly the same as when you get a rainbow reflection on the pavement after it rains. The combination of oil and water produces the rainbow effect. However, if the water dries out, the stone will craze, and lose its value. You should not expose the stone to extreme heat or cold. You might also want to store the gem in distilled water.
Origin & Mining - First unearthed in Tanzania and Kenya. Deposits are usually small and very unpredictable. Due to tremendous volcanic heat and pressure, it is rare that rough crystals are found more than 3" in length that are clean enough for a cutter to fashion.
It is rare to find tsavorite is sizes larger than 3 carats. Tsavorite is mined in Kenya, Lokirima. It is cut mostly in Tanzania, Kenya and Idar Oberstein. Because of its' rarity and increased demand, deep colored, larger tsavorites are becoming more valuable every year. Pale color, smaller gems are getting pricier, but still are fairly reasonable.
Green is the rarest form of garnet and it is called Tsavorite. Pinkish tone garnets are normally called Rhodalite Garnets Choosing A Garnet - Most people think of Garnet as a single type of stone that is dark red, but actually Garnet is a family of gems that spans a range of colors. Garnets colors include oranges, red, green, pinks. There are garnets that change color in different light, translucent garnets, and garnets with stars. Garnets are fairly hard, durable gemstones that are ideal for jewelry use.
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