The Healing Power and Beauty of Pearls

Pearls are beautiful, classic, and very popular. As a jewelry designer, I sell more pearl necklace sets than any other gemstone. There is nothing so elegant and feminine than wearing a pearl necklace, earrings and bracelet. It is used in bridal headpieces, corsages, and a nice evening out. Men have also started buying pearls to wear as a necklace or bracelet.

Pearls have been highly valued for centuries. The earliest record of pearls is in the Chinese historical text the Shu King, which recorded tributes sent by small kingdoms to the great king of China. Some of these tributes contained pearls. Other ancient cultures such as Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Byzantine, and Middle Eastern kingdoms as well as India prized the pearl. They have been used for jewelry, sewn into clothing, and crushed and used in medicines and cosmetics. A smooth, round, white pearl with a high luster is the most valued.

Formation of a pearl inside a pearl oyster occurs because of the presence of foreign material inside the body of the oyster. To save itself from the undesired material, the mollusk coats the object with many layers of nacre. It takes many years for a mollusk to produce a pearl of substantial size. The process through which pearls are formed is very delicate. Any disturbance at any stage of development can influence its shape and luster. The finest and most desired pearl is a pearl which has no foreign matter in its core.

Cultured pearls are plentiful and inexpensive due to pearl farms. Cultured pearls account for almost 100% of the pearl market today and are what I use in my jewelry designs. Most of the cultured pearls come from China, although there are also pearl farms in the US, Japan, and the South Seas. Pearl farms have thousands of oysters. The oysters are nucleated and cared for during the 2-5 years that it takes a pearl to form.

It is said that gemstones have specific frequencies of energy vibrations which can rebalance deficiencies in the human body when they are worn. Different gemstones are used for healing different parts of the body to create balance and provide relief.

Jyotish Astrology, or Eastern Astrology, prescribes certain gemstones to be worn based on your birth chart to strengthen planetary aspects to create health and success on all levels. In order to get the right effect from the gemstone, it must touch the body. Jyotish rings are set so that the stone will always touch the finger. Based on my personal Jyotish chart, pearls were recommended to me, as well as red coral and yellow sapphire. My engagement/wedding ring is a beautiful yellow sapphire set into a gold ring. I felt tremendous energy from it the moment I held the stone in my hand. It has brought me a lot of success and luck. I have a large pearl set in silver worn on my right hand which brings me emotional peace and stability.

The pearl is associated with the Moon. It is the birthstone for the month of June. Pearls have a calming and peaceful effect on the mind and specifically the emotions. Wearing pearls is also supposed to reduce heat and bodily fluids. It is said to help with bleeding, lung and eye diseases, diseases of the mind such as melancholy and depression, menstrual cramps, insomnia, and uterine problems, and act as an aphrodisiac.

I love working with pearls when I make jewelry. It is always popular whether I make a strand of pearls with no other gemstone added, or add Swarovski crystals, or red coral, or agate. It does not matter what stone I set it with. The elegance and luster of white pearls is always in style.