Pearls are as popular today as they were in ancient times when crowned heads of countries treasured them for their lustre and beauty.  They were known as the "Queen of Gems" and were the exclusive property of the rich and powerful.  Today, every woman wants to own a string of pearls to go with that little black dress.

In jewellery making two types of pearls are used to create necklaces, rings and bracelets.  The two types are Natural Pearls and Cultured Pearls.  Most of the world's Natural Pearls come from the South Seas and a single Natural Pearl can cost as much as $l,000.00 for a good quality medium to large pearl.  When a piece of sand or foreign substance enters the living membrane of an oyster, this irritation produces a material called "nacre", which over time produces a pearl.  Not all oysters produce pearls and for that reason Natural Pearls are extemely expensive.

Pearl farming produces Cultured Pearls when a tiny bead is placed into the oyster which over a period of two to four years produces a pearl.  The length of time the tiny bead remains inside the oyster dictates the size and cost of the Cultured Pearl.Pearls come in different shapes, size, color and quality.  Saltwater Pearls are generally round in shape, Seed Pearls are tiny round pearls smaller than 2.5mm in diameter, Freshwater Pearls are rice shaped and Mabe Pearls are dome shaped.  Pearls are common in white, black, pink and grey but can also come in other colors.  A string of pearls are strung together with silk thread through a tiny hole drilled into the pearl to make a pearl necklace.  A knot of thread is made between each pearl so they are spaced evenly and prevents them from rubbing against each other.

While the rarity of Natural Pearls make them extremely expensive, Cultured Pearls are considered to be of equal quality.