Introduction

Pearl Facts of Formation

• Natural Formation
• Pearls are a unique gem created by a living organism. They are created when a foreign body finds its way into a pearl oyster. The oyster reacts by coating the foreign body with many layers of the pearly substance that gives the pearl its unique appearance and iridescent beauty.
• Cultured Formation
• The cultured pearl was created to keep the supply of pearls up with the demand of customers. They are created when a human places a bead or nucleus into the oyster. A cultured pearl turns out to look just like the natural pearl. Cultured pearls are commonly found in jewelry stores because natural pearls are rare and high priced.
• Imitation Pearls
• Imitation pearls consist of glass or enamel coated with essence d'orient, which is produced from scales of certain fish. In some imitations, parts of sea snail, muscles, teeth or plastic is used. All imitations should be clearly identified as imitations.

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Pearl Properties

• Color: White, Pink, Green, Blue, Black, as well as Silver-, Cream-, and Golden-colored
• Color of Streak: White
• Moh's Hardness: 2.5-4.5
• Density: 2.60-2.85
• Cleavage: None
• Fracture: Uneven
• Double Refraction: 1.52-1.66 and for black, 1.53-1.69
• Dispersion: None
• Pleochroism: Absent

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References