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The Colors of Pearls
While there is no universal agreement on what color a perfect pearl should be, some colors are rarer or considered more attractive and desirable than others.
White: Wisdom and Purity...In ancient Greek, pearl meant "perfect purity" and to Romans, "sweetness and pleasure." Astrologers found wisdom in the white luminosity of the moon and stars that they could not find on earth. Closely associated in ancient mythology with thebut from spiritual motivation.
A commonly held believe also conferred upon them the power of great virility. moon, the sun and the heaven in general, the pale luster and aquatic origins of pearls identified them most strongly with the moon, a symbol of purity, virginity and solitudeThe ancient Greeks believed pearls should be a part of the wedding. They thought pearls would bring love and all guests of the wedding were adorned in pearls. Pearls were sacred wedding gems given as gifts and the word “pearl” became highly associated with “love.”
Cream: Success... After Aphrodite had stepped from the waters, a young prince who had remained hidden, not daring to speak, gathered the foam that trailed behind her, frothy as cream.
He wreathed it about his head and from that moment good fortune was his.
Some historians have argued that the human obsession with pearls sprang not from a lust for richesPearls are part of the discription of Paradise in the Koran, which says: "The stones are pearls and jacinths; the fruits of the trees are pearls and emeralds; and each person admitted to the delights of the celestial kingdom is provided with a tent of pearls, jacinths, and emeralds; is crowned with pearls of incomparable lustre, and is attended by beautiful maidens resembling hidden pearls."
Peach: Health... The gods once gathered in a great conclave to find which fruit would be most beneficial to their health. They ordered young maidens to bring fruits from every corner of the earth. After all the fruits were brought, each was crushed into a nectar and placed in huge goblets from which the gods drank. When the nectar had been drained from each goblet, the fruit they chose above all others was the peach.
Some cultures such as the Chinese have used pearls medically to treat a variety of ailments - indigestion, fever, heart disease. Today, calcium carbonate, the main component of pearls, is used as an antacid and a dietary supplement.A Native American princess presented Hernando de Soto with gifts of animal skins, cloth, copper, and freshwater pearls. Colonizers from Spain, France, and England all found native tribes using pearls as jewelry and for trade. Once the colonial powers discovered the sheer volume of pearls available in America's rivers, pearls became one of the chief products sent from the colonies back to Europe.
Golden: Wealth...Yellow is the color of the life- sustaining sun and of gold, the symbol of wealth. Golden brightness is the natural color of enlightenment and the intellect. It is cheerful and radiates warmth. The Chinese adopted yellow and golden as their imperial hue. Gold and Black: Also for prosperity.
Natural Pearls come is many other colors besides the colors above.
Pearls can also be silvery white, pink, rose, salmon, red, copper, bronze, brown, purple, green, and blue.
Lavender: Love...Purple has long reflected royalty and wealth. Lavender or violet traditionally symbolizes spirituality and is linked with our deeper feelings. Light violet is interpreted as sensuality. Tibetan monks were said to possess a "seduction pearl" that caused any woman caught in its rays to become ravenous for love, so it is not surprising that pearls were prescribed as a love potion. Pink:Works especially for the heart. Pearls are best without other gems.
There is a legend that the pearl oyster, Te Ufi was offered to man by Oro, the god of peace and fertility, who came down to earth on a rainbow. Another version of the legend is that Oro offered the pearl to the beautiful princess of Bora Bora as a sign of his eternal love.
Black Tahitian pearls are produced by the black-lipped oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) in the islands of French Polynesia.
The finest black pearls have a green overtone that is called "peacock green". A solid black pearl with no overtone is considered undesirable and may cost as much as 50% less than one of similar quality with green overtones.
Abalone Pearl Natural Pearls
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