River pearls as stars of the night sky, like sparkles of snow attracts and attracts to itself. For a long time, only the elite could flaunt decorations from this stone, demonstrating luxury and wealth. But now such products delight many thanks to master jewelers. Natural river pearls are used to create different jewelry for women. Such products will suit both an elegant evening gown and everyday wear, for example, a sundress and even a business suit. Also, this decoration is an integral part of the wedding image of the bride. Sometimes a young dress is sewn with pearls, a veil is made out.
What is a pearl? It is a solid round formation that is extracted from mollusk shells. Pearls in the form of a gemstone in jewelry are especially valuable.
Pearl formation in nature
The pearls ripen in the mollusk shell. Foreign substance gets into it. After, nacre is deposited around it, which is calcium carbonate and conchiolin. Mother of pearl lies in the waves reflected in the light. It turns ordinary white pearls. But there is also black pearl (river). There is still green, yellow and blue. The latter are of the greatest value, since they are very rare and attractive.
Freshwater pearls are obtained from freshwater mollusks in countries such as Russia, Germany, China and the United States of America.
There is no simpler material for creating jewelry than freshwater pearls. Earrings from it turn out just magnificent. But the pearls are not kept for long - the oldest jewelry has already collapsed. Only the Cairo Museum has preserved the most ancient product, which is more than four thousand years old.
Currently, natural pearls are almost gone. If someone gets caught, you can consider this an incredible success. Of course, the price of this product is very high. To find one good pearl, you need to examine many hundreds of shellfish.
Interesting appearance method
After no pearls remained in nature, they began to cultivate it on farms. Often, he appeared thanks to small parasites. They fell into the trap of mussels, which enveloped a foreign body and began to release mother of pearl on it. Thus, after a few years, a pearl was born up to twelve millimeters in diameter. It contains many pearlescent layers. In their form, pearls are diverse, and there are no perfectly round pearls.
The process of obtaining pearls by man
In the process of cultivation, a similar river pearl is obtained. Its properties are the same, only it matures under the control of a person and according to the proportions and forms specified by him.
At the end of the nineteenth century in Japan, one farmer studied the process of origin of river pearls for twenty years, until he finally received a patent for its cultivation. From here began the pearl industry.
How is this process going? A small ball is inserted into the body of the mollusk with a needle. You can enter several in one sink in order to subsequently receive several pearls. Next, the above process of enveloping the ball with mother of pearl occurs. As a result, a pearl of a round ideal shape is born. Only a slight roughness of the surface will indicate that it has grown in the natural environment.
Types and varieties of pearls
The most valuable is considered to be the pearl of the river, whose shape is round. During cultivation, as a rule, it turns out to be almost perfectly round. In nature, you cannot guess what shape a pearl can grow. It depends on the bends of a foreign body that has fallen into the shell.
The main categories in the form of pearls:
These categories are still divided into such forms as:
- a circle;
- oval;
- button;
- pear;
- a drop;
- baroque;
- semi-baroque.
River pearls most often grow in the form of baroque. This is the most versatile variety, featuring a wide color range. The undisputed leader of its production is China, where the cultivation process began long before the invention of such farms and vaccinations of oysters.
Production in Russia
In our country, pearls were mined in Valdai. It was believed that the more salmon in the pond, the greater the number of pearls there. This is due to the fact that the salmon was called "royal fish." Depending on the size, pearls had such names as "pearl cucumber", "pearl grain", "beads".
It was used to decorate women's clothing, hats. Special ornaments that served as amulets were embroidered from it. Until the end of the nineteenth century, Russia was engaged in the fishing of river pearls. After the beginning of the twentieth century, it was no longer possible to find pearls of natural origin even in world markets. This became the privilege of the royal families.
Pearl application
But in the twentieth year of the 19th century, the notorious Coco Chanel again made pearls popular. She proved its necessity as a complement to any outfit. She also introduced multilayer thread from river pearls into fashion trends. To make such a piece of jewelry, it takes about seven years of tireless painstaking work of the craftsmen to select the required number of stones.
Pearls can be different in shape, color, size, purity and luster. In total, more than a hundred shades are now used. Asymmetric forms of stones, sometimes fantastic, are becoming more and more fashionable. They provide increased attention to their owners.
Famous jewelry companies present exquisite jewelry. This is an original platinum necklace with a scattering of colored pearls and diamonds, as well as magnificent necklaces made of beads of different colors and shapes.
River pearls are universal in their application. Not only jewelry is made from it, but even shoes. Such magical in their beauty sandals adorn female legs. But their cost, of course, was not disclosed.
Little conclusion
Now you know what river pearls are, photos for clarity are presented in the article.
Jewelry from this material will never go out of fashion. It is not particularly important what kind of pearls they are made of, river or sea, natural origin or cultivated. It is equally ideal for both royal women and ordinary housewives. The shape and color of pearls will add charm and charm to its owner. Pearls can be worn with almost any clothing. It is perfectly combined with a strict office suit and a luxurious evening dress. Currently, many women can afford it.