THE ROMANCE OF PEARLS :
A SYMBOL OF CLEOPATRA'S PASSION...THE OBSESSION OF ELIZABETH

The magical luster of pearls has fascinated women and men alike for thousands of years. Pearls conjure up visions of tropical South Sea islands and beautiful waters.

Where pearls were first discovered is unknown. Bits of irritating debris, perhaps a grain of sand, causes oysters to transform them, layer by layer, into objects of great beauty, prized throughout history.

We know pearl divers risked their lives to bring these treasures to the surface. The Middle East, India and China are thought to be among the earliest civilizations recognizing the attraction of pearls. The finest of all pearls come from the Persian Gulf.

The Chinese believed pearls poured from the mouth of their rain god. The Romans used pearls in love potions. Caesar may have invaded Britain for pearls.

According to legend, Cleopatra toasted Anthony with a pearl dissolved in wine. Elizabeth I of England reportedly had an insatiable appetite for pearls. Through the ages, pearls have been used in medicines and to adorn crowns, gowns and even religious temples. Pearls also inspired the creation of The Pearl Fishers, one of opera's greatest masterpieces.


NATURAL AND CULTURED : BOTH OBJECTS OF DESIRE

The birth of a pearl is one of nature's wonders.

Natural pearls occur when an oyster seeks to protect itself from a tiny intruder that gets inside its shell. Intruders in the form of sand or pieces of shell are layered over with nacre. Nacre, a secretion of mother-of-pearl, builds up over time to form a spherical pearl. The luster created by the accumulation of nacre is highly prized and an essential quality of fine, natural pearls.

Natural pearl-bearing oysters live along coasts at a depth of 50 feet. The Persian Gulf has yielded some of the most lustrous pearls since antiquity. They are renowned for their red and creamy white sheen. Smaller, seed pearls — mainly pinky red and soft yellow - are found in beds in the Gulf of Manaar, between India and Sri Lanka.

A tour of other natural pearl beds leads to the waters off Japan, the South Pacific Islands off northern Australia and the Gulf of California. The coasts of Panama and Venezuela, in the Caribbean Sea, are also rich birthplaces of natural pearls. Fishing for natural pearls has declined, as cultured pearls have grown to account for some 90 percent of the pearl trade.

Cultured pearls are cultivated by inserting a mother of pearl bead inside the oyster. In response, the oyster deposits the Pearle scent nacre around the bead. When the process begins with man's help, the intruding bead is typically much larger than a grain of sand. Creating a cultured pearl takes much less time than for a natural pearl, but three years is typical. Cultured pearls require only a single layer of nacre to develop an attractive luster.

Japanese and Australian coastal waters are the main sources of cultured pearls. Careful cultivation produces pearls of fine color and iridescent luster. Non-round, irregularly shaped pearls have grown in favor with pearl lovers and jewelry designers alike.

The largest of all cultured pearls thrives in the warm coastal seas of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Called South Sea pearls, they come in many colors, from various whites and white pinks, through golds to blue gray.

Black pearls, a stunning accent to eveningwear, begin life in the languid waters off the island of Tahiti. Light gray to charcoal, Tahitian pearls are valued for their size and dark sensual hues. Large Tahitian pearls rank among the rarest. Their singular shapes challenge the jeweler's art to match pearls for earrings and necklaces. The classical beauty of Tahiti's black pearls fits romantic and professional settings equally well.

Streams, lakes and rivers around the world are sources of fresh water pearls. Two varieties, the biwa of Japan and China pearls cultivated in China, are the most popular. Because more than one pearl at a time can be grown in freshwater mussels, the pearls tend to be less expensive than saltwater pearls.

Freshwater versions offer a greater color range than their natural or cultured saltwater cousins. The off-round shapes of freshwater pearls are attractive in many types of fashion jewelry.

Biwa pearls were originally of higher quality than China pearls. Because environmental factors have cut the output of biwa pearls and because the cultivation of China pearls has improved, large round China pearls are especially prized.

PEARL TYPE : EVEN THEIR NAMES WILL INTRIGUE YOU

Akoya pearls are named for the Japanese oyster cultivated to produce classically round cultured pearls.

Baroque varieties, which come in both natural and cultured versions, are prized for their irregular shapes.

Biwa refers to freshwater pearls grown in Lake Biwa in Japan. Rarely perfectly round, they may be oval-like or baroque.

Blister pearls are natural half pearls. Their flat sides make them ideal for mounting in a bezel.

Double pearls are two or more pearls united by birth. Though joined, each pearl retains its distinctive shape.

Drop versions are shaped like drawn-out water drops, globular at the bottom and tapering to a point at the opposite end.

Dust pearls are tiny seed pearls, pierced and strung as necklaces.

Half pearls, owing to imperfections, begin life whole, but are sawed in two and mounted like Blister pearls.

Mabe is often a South Sea pearl, cultivated for its large size and mounted with a bezel. Pronounced "mah-bee".

Oriental pearls, natural salt-water pearls so named before the advent of cultured pearls, come mainly from Oriental waters.

Paragon, or master, pearls are superior in shape, size, color and luster. They are exceptionally large and round.

SELECTING A NECKLACE :
6 WAYS TO LOOK AND FEEL YOUR BEST...EVERYTIME

Elegant. Sexy. Sophisticated. Demure. Daytime. Evening. Pearls are the perfect accent for every mood and occasion.

At home, in the office or a night on the town, there's a strand of pearls to fit the moment. Rose-hued pearls look best with lighter complexions. For darker skin tones, consider gold and cream-colored pearls.

Depending on the occasion, your stature and what you wear, here's what you need to know in choosing a pearl necklace.

Collar (12-13 inches): Three or more strands hugging the middle of your neck. Creates a more formal, elegant impression. The ideal complement to v-neck and off-the-shoulder styling.

Choker (14-16 inches): A single strand circling the base of your neck, just above the collarbone. Classic simplicity that goes with everything. Perfect for all styles and occasions.

Princess (18 inches): Versatile accent highlights a variety of fashions. Enhances the formality of crew and high necklines. A stunning counterpoint to plunging necklines.

Matinee (20-24 inches): Catches the top of your cleavage. As its name implies, a style you can wear to an afternoon at the theater. But also to a business meeting.

Opera (28-34 inches): Signals style and confidence. Ever so chic with turtlenecks. Or, for an entirely different look, create your own double choker.

Rope (45 inches or more): Think of it more as a glamorous pearl lariat, capturing both your sexy and elegant moods. For day or night, under an open jacket or dangling from a high neckline.

JUDGING QUALITY : CHERISH 5 POINTS OF VALUE FOR EVERLASTING ENJOYMENT

Size: This is usually the most critical factor in determining value. Large natural pearls are worth more than similarly sized cultured pearls. Because natural pearl fishing has declined, large natural varieties are rarer. Natural pearls also contain more nacre than cultured pearls of the same size. Thus, they will be priced more.

Shape: The most desired pearls are perfectly round. Two sought after variations are slightly off round and off round. The first is detected only by instrument. A trained eye confirms the second. Other popular shapes include the drop, pear, egg and button. More irregular shapes are also prized.

Surface: Depending on the kind of oyster, the surfaces of pearls may range from smooth to rough. Smoother pearls are worth more than grainy ones. Irregular surfaces may display raised or depressed dots, color spots and bumps. Ultimately, these features reflect the pearl's natural origin.

Luster: Look at a pearl under a microscope. The surface is an amazing world of ultra-fine ridges. Though the ridges cannot be seen with the naked eye, their ability to reflect light causes the iridescence we call luster. The better the nacre, the brighter the luster. To appreciate the differences in luster, examine pearls of varying quality and price. Cultured pearls are graded very bright, bright, medium, slightly dull and dull. Akoya and Mabe pearls are especially notable for their luster.

Color: When you think about pearl color, think also about skin tones, the shade of your hair, the hues you like to wear. Pearl colors accent and complement. They vary widely. Names like rose' rose', white rose', cream, white, blue white, yellowish white and hard yellow are all part of the pearl color palette. When deciding on color, compare several pearls or necklaces near one another. This makes the differences easier to see. Need help in picking the color best for you? Click on Ask Julie for assistance.




CARE OF PEARLS : TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO PROTECT LOTS OF BEAUTY

Like any jewelry of value, pearls require proper care to keep them looking good. Pearls may not feel that way, but their surfaces are soft. They are sensitive to dramatic changes in temperature. They are also affected by acids, cosmetics, perspiration and hair spray.

Never use abrasives or solvents to clean pearls. Cleaning products with ammonia should be avoided. Steam cleaning or using an ultrasonic cleaner can damage pearls. Do not use anything that could scratch the surface, including toothbrushes.

Using a mild liquid soap, you can wash pearls in water with a soft cloth. To dry, spread them on a moist towel. When both are dry, the pearls should be ready to wear. Wearing a necklace that is still moist will stretch the string.

PEARL MYSTIQUE : STORIES OF BEAUTY AND THE BIZARRE

• An oyster harvested in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka contained an incredible 87 pearls.

• When the Duke of Buckingham went to Paris to bring back the bride of English King Charles I, he wore satin decorated with pearls worth LL20,000, a staggering sum for the time.

• Pearls were so popular during the Elizabethan era that the queen herself was forced to buy fake pearls at the then-unheard-of price of a penny apiece.

• The Pearl of Asia, the largest known pearl, is the size and shape of a small eggplant.

• In Babylonian times, pearls were thought to be endowed with the powers of the fountain of youth.

• According to Greek myth, when the god of love Aphrodite was born from the sea, she turned drops of water into pearls.

• During the Renaissance, many countries forbade anyone but nobility to wear pearls.

• The most expensive pearls: A strand of Australian South Sea pearls sold at auction in l993 for a record $2.25 million.

• Frederick Kunz, who devised a gauge to measure the size and weight of pearls, estimated that 100,000 oysters fished from the Arabian Gulf were needed to create a matched natural pearl necklace.

• In 1917, Pierre Cartier acquired his Fifth Avenue mansion for two strands of pearls then worth a million dollars.

• One in two cultivated oysters survives to bear pearls and only one in five of the survivors gives birth to a pearl that has the quality to become a jewel.

• It takes 10,000 cultured pearls to produce a single, closely matched necklace.

• How many oysters does it take to create a perfect, flawless pearl? Perhaps one in a million.