Pearls and mother of pearl have been used as adornments for centuries in jewelry, buttons, and for clothing or accents in decor. The oldest record of pearls being mentioned dates back to an ancient Chinese writing in 2206 BC. As years passed, the desire for pearls remained strong. As a symbol of status and wealth, many royal families sought after these lustrous gems.  Christopher Columbus, on his third and fourth voyage to the New World, discovered natives of present day Venezuela and Panama wearing natural pearls.  This discovery intensified demand for pearls in Europe and caused an explosion of overfishing for almost 100 years. It was this discovery that, in part, caused a decline in the supply of Natural Pearls. Although, in many countries the primary reason for collecting mollusks were to produce mother of pearl buttons - finding natural pearls was a secondary source of income.   Once mass-produced plastic buttons became popular in the 1920’s and the demand for mother of pearl declined, it was no longer financially feasible to harvest natural pearls. Although natural pearls still exist where pearl-bearing mollusks live, a shell diver might search HUNDREDS of oysters without finding a single pearl and of those, few would be gem quality. Natural Pearls are formed inside any pearl-bearing mollusk. This occurs when an irritant, usually a small parasite (not a grain of sand, as many people think) enters the shell. The mollusk responds by issuing a layer of nacre, which layers over time, forming a pearl. Less than 2% of natural pearls are perfectly round. In the early 1900s Japanese and Australian experts began to culture pearls.  That way, they could control the size, quality, and number of each pearl produced.  Implanting a bead nucleus irritates the mollusk as a parasite would, which produces nacre to form on the perfectly round bead.  This technique nearly wiped out the need for natural pearls completely and now 99% of all pearls are Cultured. Pearl-bearing mollusks also produce nacre on the inside of their shell. This is called mother of pearl. Stop by Bethany’s Jewelry and Design at 84 Main Street in Wellsboro to see their selection of pearl earrings, necklaces, and rings. Receive 20% off all pearl jewelry for the month of June if you mention this feature.

After Part One of our Pearl Behind the Sparkle feature aired (https://www.thehomepagenetwork.com/behind-the-sparkle-pearls-part-1/ ), Lauren received her AJP (Applied Jewelry Professional) certification from the Gemological Institute of America. She’s certainly putting this certification to good use in this feature! Exciting destinations, vivid colors, and fun, new, vocabulary words await you in this broadcast, as Lauren takes us through the four main types of pearls – Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea. Freshwater pearls, the most common type of pearl, can range in color and size. While they can be dyed in many colors, other pearls are naturally found in many colors. Akoya pearls have a soft pink tint to them as a result of the pink layer of nacre along the shell of the oyster. These oysters, known as Pinctada Fucata, are mainly found off the coast of Japan. Tahitian pearls are formed in the crystal-clear waters of the Cook Islands and French Polynesia. Their unique colors of green, blue, and even black make this gem stand out among other types of gems. Actually, Tahitian pearls are Bethany’s personal favorite! South Sea pearls are the rarest (and largest) of the pearls - some reaching up to 18mm! They’re typically found off the coast of Australia and feature a soft, satiny luster. They can occur in both white and gold, but gold is the rarest. We have one in stock at Bethany’s Jewelry for you to check out! How are pearls formed? What’s the difference between natural and cultured pearls? What is mother of pearl? To find the answer to these questions, watch Part One! (https://www.thehomepagenetwork.com/behind-the-sparkle-pearls-part-1/ ) Check out Bethany’s Jewelry and Design at 84 Main Street in Wellsboro to see their selection of pearl earrings, necklaces, and rings. Receive 20% off all pearl jewelry for the month of August if you mention this feature. Additional contact information for Bethany’s is listed below: Phone: (570) 724-7333 Email: bethany@bethanysjewelry.com Website: https://www.bethanysjewelry.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanysjewelry/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewelryshopgirl/