"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us."
-Unknown

Thursday, 17 May 2012

Peach in Pearls


Peach pearls 

I think I was about nine when I came across a section in my books of how pearls are formed. In some of my story books, there are stories about divers, children helping out in pearl farms, and how it takes years to form pearls.

Pearls are created inside a living creature: oysters, and pearls are the by-product of a process which oysters use to protect themselves. Pearls can both be found in fresh water and saltwater, and some pearls have also been found inside clams and mollusks.


Pearl in oyster 
Pearl formation begins when a foreign substance enters the oyster, and this irritates the oyster. The natural reaction is for the oyster to cover up that object with a substance called nacre. Thus begins the formation of a pearl.

Matching peach pearls with round beads

Some pearls do not come out as perfectly rounded ones, and some "disfigured"  pearls are called baroque pearls, with layers and excess nacre still attached to the foreign substance. There are so many shades of pearls these days, from black (which is quite pricey), to white, gray, pink and peach, and so on.

Cultured pearls are the result of irritants implanted by pearl farmers. The whole process takes at least 3 years. And of course, there is the issue of garbage and pollution, and uncontrolled oil spills which can damage oysters and this amazing natural process.

Wonder how many oysters were "harvested" to produce these necklaces 


Tiny elongated ones are called rice pearls


Peach and gold

Pearls being worn by aristocrats and the royalty have dated back as long as Cleopatra's time. In Stacy Schiff's book about the empress, Cleopatra: A Life, which will soon hit the movie screens, with Angelina Jolie playing Cleopatra, she reflected the wealth of the empress through her choice of hair accessories.


Angelina as Cleopatra based on the book written by Stacy Schiff

In Cleopatra's time, pearls were the diamonds of her days. And it is said that she wore pearls on her hair. This is the book cover depicting Cleopatra.

For interested book worms, Cleopatra: A Life is a biography and the writing style is quite scholarly. Although it has many interesting, exotic stories. Stacy Schiff is a Pulitzer Prize recipient.


Cleopatra: A Life (2010) by Stacy Schiff


Pulitzer Prize Author Stacy Schiff










7 comments:

  1. Very informative! I would love to read the book by Stacy! :) Sounds interesting :)Haven't read books in ages!

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    1. Thank you Kai, just a reminder lang to people who damage our oceans. =)

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  2. I attended a pearl talk once for Jewelmer and my god, I fell in love with their jewelry! They produce Golden South Sea Pearls and set them in really beautiful designs with other gems. I want to own a Jewelmer pearl but they were super expensive! :-s

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    1. Ooh, I'm interested in where they get their pearls. I have lesser expensive ones lang, magkano kaya? Haha.

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  3. People should read this.. :) Very informative. Dapat mas inaalagaan ang mga ito. These aren't found just anywhere. :D

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    1. Sad na other people keep throwing garbage and neglect our oceans and other water sources. Who knows baka may oysters lying around in the deep.

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  4. Hello Kristina, glad to be of help! =)

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