Happy Birthday Gemini!

Celebrate Your Birthstone: The Precious Pearl

DID YOU KNOW? 10 Pearl Fun Facts

1. Pearls are the only gemstone formed within a living creature.
2. Pearls require no special cutting or polishing to maximize their lustrous beauty.
3. Popular as bridal jewelry, white pearls symbolize purity and new beginnings.
4. The rarest pearl color is blue, commanding a high price - especially if South Sea or Tahitian.
5. Pearls naturally occur in many colours including black, gold, chocolate, pink and lavender.
6. It can take anywhere from six months to four years for a natural pearl to form.
7. Measuring 2.5 – 4.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, pearls are relatively soft but can last a lifetime with proper care.
8. Freshwater pearls are nearly 100% nacre (the pearl layer). Saltwater pearls have a thinner nacre, giving them more luster.
9. The three most common types of saltwater pearls are Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea (the most valuable type).
10. Most cultured freshwater pearls are Baroque pearls, which have an irregular, non-spherical shape.

FAMOUS PEARLS

1. The pear-shaped “La Peregrina” pearl, previously owned by several monarchs, was purchased for Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton in 1969 for $37,000. She had the pearl incorporated into a custom designed necklace by famed jeweler Cartier, which sold at auction in 2011 for ~$12M US.
2. The 800+ year old Arco Valley Pearl is the largest known natural saltwater baroque pearl. Weighing 575 carats, it's believed Mongolian emperor Khubilai Khan once gave it to Marco Polo.
3. Pearls have long been worn by women in politics. Jackie Kennedy’s legendary triple-strand necklace once set a style trend and US VP Kamala Harris's penchant for pearls has again elevated them as a modern favourite