Pearls are bestowed upon us by nature and are very beautiful and can have the same admiration as natural diamonds. They are found all over the world but a large concentration of pearls comes from the Far East and the South Pacific. Pearls are made into beautiful and eye-catching necklaces, rings, earrings and many other types of jewellery.

The first thing to note about pearls is that there are different types of pearls and the main indicator of the differences is the price. The first type of pearl is the natural pearl. Natural pearls are formed by shellfish and in particular the mollusc shellfish. A small piece of grit or dirt finds its way into the shell and the fish then builds up a layer around this as a form of defence. The longer
the intruder stays in the mollusc the more layers will be built up around it. This is what makes a pearl. Natural pearls are rare and today you are more likely to come across cultured or farmed pearls.

These pearls are made in exactly the same way as natural pearls with a little help from man. Instead of letting the dirt or grit find its own way into the mollusc shell, it is introduced to ensure that a pearl will be formed. This method is not successful in every case but it is far more successful that trying to find a natural pearl. Depending on the type of shellfish the pearl can be plain in colour or have different coloured hues. Pearls from the South Pacific are normally extremely colourful and dazzling. Pearls shine and glow like diamonds and are ideal to be set into rings.