Pearls grow inside living oysters and mussels. Nearly all the real ones sold today are cultured, and many cheap beads sold as pearl are glass or coated shell. We do not carry them.
Organic gem (calcium carbonate in a protein binder)
Pearl
Perla
- Palette
- White Pink Gray Black Multicolor
- Mined in
- China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, French Polynesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bahrain, Mexico
- Hardness
- Mohs 2.5–4.5 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- French perle, from Latin perna, meaning leg
- Also sold as
- cultured pearl, freshwater pearl, natural pearl
- Intention
- Love Calm
- Looking for
- Love Compassion and empathy Focus and clarity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Nearly all pearls sold as beads are cultured. Cheap strands may be glass or coated shell, and many freshwater pearls are dyed or bleached.
Not in our pieces now
75 POUNDS
The Pearl of Puerto, found in the Philippines, is reported to be 67 centimeters long and to weigh 75 pounds, the largest known pearl.
$37,000
Richard Burton bought La Peregrina at Sotheby's in London in 1969 for $37,000 and gave it to Elizabeth Taylor for Valentine's Day.
A DOG'S MOUTH
Elizabeth Taylor once found La Peregrina in her puppy's mouth after it went missing in a Las Vegas hotel suite, not scratched.
What it is
A round to oval bead with a soft, glowing luster that comes from thin layers of nacre, usually white or cream, sometimes pink, gray, gold or black. Real pearls are grown inside oysters and mussels. Many cheap beads sold as pearl are glass or shell coated to shine, and nearly all genuine pearls on the market today are cultured.
What gives it its color
A pearl's color is its body color plus overtones, and its soft rainbow shimmer comes from light bouncing between many thin layers of nacre; many inexpensive colored pearls are dyed.
Where it comes from
China is the largest freshwater pearl producer, Japan and China grow akoya pearls, French Polynesia grows Tahitian pearls, and Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines grow South Sea pearls.
In history
At Pompey's triumph in 61 BC, Rome saw 33 crowns of pearls, and Pliny the Elder ranked the Persian Gulf fishery the richest in the world. La Peregrina, a pear-shaped pearl found in the waters off Panama, belonged to the Spanish crown for more than 200 years and was later worn by Elizabeth Taylor; it sold at auction in 2011 for a record sum. Japanese pioneers grew the first whole cultured pearls around 1900.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, the freshwater pearl is kept for love, beauty and a calm, clear head when a problem needs thinking through. It is also thought of as a stone of innocence and kind feeling toward others.
In older gem lore the pearl was the queen of gems, the emblem of modesty and purity. Ancient writers believed pearl shells took in dew to make their glow.
It is soft, so people wear it as earrings or a necklace and put it on last.
How people wear or keep it: As earrings or a necklace, put on last, after perfume, or in a soft pouch.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, pearl is paired with the third eye chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as earrings or a necklace, put on last, after perfume, in a soft pouch. People reach for it when they want love, compassion and empathy, focus and clarity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraThird Eye
BirthstoneJune
Anniversary3rd
Also calledcultured pearl, freshwater pearl, natural pearl
Care
- Soft (Mohs 2.5 to 4.5) and easy to scratch. Store pearls in a cloth bag away from harder jewelry.
- Put them on last, after perfume and hairspray, which can mark the surface.
- Wipe with a soft damp cloth after wearing. Never soak them or use ultrasonic or steam cleaners.
- Keep them away from vinegar and other acids, which dissolve the surface.
- A bracelet takes a lot of knocks; earrings and necklaces wear better.
How to tell what you have
- Real pearl feels slightly gritty when two are rubbed together; imitations feel smooth. Glass or coated shell beads show the coating chipping at the drill hole.
- Freshwater pearls are often dyed in vivid colors, and the dye only reaches the outer layers.
Rules and sourcing
Pearls from Myanmar (Burma) are covered by US sanctions on the Burmese state pearl enterprise, so a seller should be able to say where the pearls came from; most bead pearls are cultured freshwater pearls from China. Nearly all pearls sold as beads are cultured, and the FTC jewelry guides say they must be called cultured, not just pearl. Many freshwater pearls are dyed or bleached, which a seller should also disclose; glass or coated-shell beads must be called imitation.
Questions people ask at our table
What is a pearl?
A pearl is built up in layers of nacre inside a living oyster or mussel. It is an organic gem, not a mineral crystal, and it is soft.
Are the pearls I see for sale natural or cultured?
Almost all are cultured, meaning a farmer starts the growth by implanting a bit of tissue, often with a bead. Natural pearls are very rare. Cultured pearls are real pearls, made of the same material.
How can I tell a real pearl from a glass or plastic one?
Rub a pearl lightly across your teeth. Real pearls feel slightly gritty and most imitations feel smooth. Glass, shell and plastic beads are given a coating to mimic the shine, and only a lab X-ray settles the question for a cultured pearl.
Is pearl the June birthstone?
Yes, pearl is the best known June birthstone. Alexandrite has been added to modern lists.
Do you carry pearls?
No. The nearest things we carry are moonstone and howlite, and mother-of-pearl and abalone are related shell materials.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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