For more than thousands of years, people all around the world are using pearls and it is known as “Queen of Jewels” because of its timeless quality which has continued to attract people from when it was discovered first until today.
Following are few facts that we have explored about pearls which many of you may or may not have heard before and are part of reasons why they happen to be so special.
- Pearls are only gemstone which come from living creature
Though pearls are classified as gemstones, but they significantly differ from all others gems due to fact that pearls are the only kind of gems that come from certain living creature.
- There is pearl necklace lexicon
With growing popularity of pearls many pearl necklaces of different styles have emerged. There are many different terms used for necklace lengths like Choker, Matinee, Princess, Opera and Rope.
- Natural pearls are considered as world’s rarest jewels
Do you know; less than one in every ten thousand wild oysters may contain pearls? As pearls became popular, they continued growing during the 20th century, but the population of oyster beds in ocean’s waters severely depleted due to overfishing.
- The artificial pearl was first created by a Japanese called Kokichi Mikimoto
In the eighteenth century, Kokichi Mikimoto was the first person who created a cultured pearl. He started testing methodically in 1878, various ways to develop pearls in his own beds of oyster.
After doing various trial and errors for nearly two decades, he succeeded and finally received patent for his cultured pearls in the year 1896.
- Almost 99% of pearls available are cultured
After Kokichi Mikimoto created his first cultured pearl, then it was the beginning of the trend that changed the whole pearl industry forever. At present, almost all of these pearls in the market available are cultured.
- The value of most expensive pearl of the world is US $100 million
One of the most expensive pearl in the world was kept for 10 years under the bed as good luck charm before officials unearthed the gem in 2016 when that house was burned down.
This pearl is measuring 26” long and weighing almost 75 pounds, and one of the largest pearls existing today.