A Pearl Just Wants to Have Fun....

Well my friends, the ever enchanting pearl has made its return to the fashion front and when you visit http://www.vintagecouturejewelry.com/, you will see some fun loving pearls looking for a whirl with the right girl! Angelina Jolie loves her pearls in triple strands which can set off a little black dress like nothing else. German model Tonia Michaely adores her long rope pearls. Kate Bosworth pairs her pearls with diamond dangle earrings, Mandy Moore likes her pearls in a long rope with black beads and Paris Hilton launched her newest fragrance Can Can in huge teardrop pearlie earrings setting off a retro white suit.

Pearls are the only "gem" made by nature that needs no cutting, polishing or shaping. The pearl is a result of a small particle entering an oyster which becomes irritated. And there is nothing madder than an iritated oyster! The mollusk secretes a substance to cover the irritant and repeats this over and over for years thus producing the pearl.

Natural pearls are rare. They sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars and are highly collectable.
In a haul of three tons of oysters only three or four oysters will produce a perfect pearl so.... enter the cultured pearl. These are the pearls that are used for today's jewelry. Mikimoto pearls, Akoya pearls, Mabe pearls, freshwater pearls, Biwa and Baroque pearls are all harvested from pearl farms that "plant" the irritant into the oyster. Damn! Most of these farms are located in China and only an xray or microscope can tell the difference.

Imitation pearls have the same luster, look and feel of the real pearl but the "tooth test" will help determine if the pearl is real (natural or cultured) or imitation. When you rub the pearl on a tooth and it feels gritty, it is real. If it is slippery, it is imitation. With today's technology, the newer imitation pearls are coated with powdered mother of pearl, coral or conch to give that gritty feel so it has become very difficult to be sure.

6,000 years ago in the Persian Gulf, people were buried with a pearl in their right hand. Asian cultures revered the pearl for its curative properties. The pearl was thought to cure indigestion, benefit the liver, cure deafness and clear the eyes. Ancient Indians believed the pearl to bring about contentment of the mind and strengthen the body and soul. When rubbed on the skin, the pearl was thought to cure skin ailments.

The gorgeous pearl's irridescence sets off the lightness in the face and looks fantastic with any skin tone or hair color. The retro pearls at http://www.vintagecouturejewelry.com/ are great at masquerading and might just help you be happier, look sexier and get thinner!

PatraB