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"Pearls are always right," said Coco Chanel who made pearls the most democratic decoration, which will adorn any woman. Grand Mademoiselle first approved the combination of white pearl necklaces with black sweaters, stylish jackets, short, black dresses. Pearls became a necessary complement to a business suit and an evening dress. Every woman should have a pearl necklace in her collection.
Pearls never go out of fashion, and you'll wear it again and again: it is universal and can be worn in everyday life, and for special outputs. Now pearl necklaces are at the regular peak of popularity. The current fashion for pearls does not insist on a preference for a particular model of necklaces, and offers a choice of pearl strings of different lengths depending on the case and the style of clothing.

Regarding pearl necklaces of different lengths stylists offer the following recommendations:

Choker

This classic necklace in one thread usually has a length of 35-40 cm, covering neck densely, almost at the base. Such a necklace is a good choice for banquets, daily outputs and trendy parties.

Collar

This necklace is located on the middle of neck, tightly embracing it. This splendid Victorian-style necklace is usually 30-32 cm long and consists of two or more threads. It is ideal for V-neck dresses and dresses with bare shoulders. Collar necklaces (especially of small beads) are advised to wear for young women with smooth and soft skin. It is particularly suited to owners of thin and long neck.

Princess

This is the most versatile traditional necklace length of 42 to 47 cm. Such necklaces look good with suspensions and pendants, which are now fashionable to wear with necklaces. It visually lengthens the neck if it is located at 5 cm below the collarbone.

Matinee

This necklace is perfectly suited to free or business style clothing. The length is 50-60 cm.

Opera

This necklace is considered to be of royal length - 70-85 cm. It can be both single thread, and folded in half as a double choker. Opera necklaces suit for wearing with any style of clothing, emphasizing femininity and sophistication.

Rope

Elegant and sensual necklace Rope has always been the main favorite of Coco Chanel collections. Necklaces of this type have a length of more than 112 cm and are often equipped with concealed clasps, allowing split it into shorter, consisting of several threads, necklaces and bracelets.

Pearls are classified according to size, shape, color and luster, which depend on the type of mollusk and its habitat. First of all pearls are divided into sea pearls and freshwater pearls. Any cultured pearl produced by mollusks living in salt water, is considered to be a marine pearl.
Here are four most common types of pearls: Akoya, Tahitian, South Sea, Freshwater cultured pearls.

Аkoya Pearls

This type of pearls is produced by oysters called  "Pinctada fucata martensii", also known as AKOYA oyster. This mollusk is farmed in Japan and China. Akoya Pearl differs with its special luster and is considered to be classical. These pearls are usually white or cream-colored with shades of pink and silver, and are usually small in size ranging from 2 to 11 millimeters. In addition, they usually have round or nearly round shape, which makes them ideal for use in jewelry such as strands and bracelets.

Southsea Pearls

This type of pearls are mostly large with a diameter exceeding 10 mm, made by "Pinctada maxima" oysters, in the warm waters of the Southern Seas, in the southern part of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. South Sea Pearls are one of the major commercial species, procured in the world. Most of the gems are in the range from 9 mm to 20 mm and the average size is 13 mm. The color of pearls depends on the species of "Pinctada maxima" oysters and the color of its inner surface can be white, silver and yellow-gold.

Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian pearls are made ​​by black oyster called "Pinctada margaritifera", dwelling around Tahiti, French Polynesia and the islands of Okinawa. These pearls are unique because of their natural dark color. The size of Tahitian pearls is quite large, about 8 - 15 mm. Most of the "black" Tahitian pearls are not really pure black, and have shades of purple, silver and green. Pure black pearls of are the most beautiful pearls in the world and are extremely rare. To create a necklace many black pearls are needed which match in size, shape and color and their selection may take several years.

Freshwater Pearls

Despite the fact that the traditional source of pearls are marine mollusks, freshwater mussels that live in ponds, lakes and rivers, can also produce high quality pearls. The major world producer of freshwater pearls is China. In addition to China the USA is also considered to be a large producer. However, in recent years due to excessive production and increasing environmental pollution mussel population, capable of producing high quality pearls is much reduced.

Freshwater pearls are generally not as round as sea pearls, and do not have such a bright shine. However, they come in many different shapes and natural colors, and are less expensive than sea pearls, which make them very popular among young people and designers. In addition freshwater pearls are more durable, and have high resistance to wear.

In ancient Egypt pearl was considered to be a stone, bringing the owner longevity and beauty. We know from history that the famous Queen Cleopatra was not only wearing necklaces and bracelets made of pearls, but also was drinking a drink from the dissolved in vinegar pearls every day, mixed with pomegranate juice (sometimes with donkey's milk). The contemporaries of the famous “Heartbreaker” claimed that precisely because of this drink the queen managed to stay young and attractive.

In the Middle Ages there was formed a custom to give to the bride on the wedding day a string of pearls, as it was thought that it strengthens the love of her darling, and guarantees loyalty. It had to do either the young spouse, or his parents. Brides never wore inherited pearls because it was thought that it would bring bad luck. She wore decoration presented by her husband only on special occasions.

Astrologers claim that wearing this stone can only be in the form of pearl bracelets or necklaces. People have to be very careful with this stone. Pearl is safe only for strong spirits, self-confident people. Pearl completely disorganizes weak and weak-willed people. It is not recommended to wear this stone for people working with children, actors and travelers. Pearls bring good luck, happiness and love especially to Aquarius and Pisces. The remaining signs of the zodiac can wear it, following the mentioned warnings.

Talismans and amulets of pearls

As a talisman pearl helps its owner to establish close relationships with other people who pacifies his pride, it knocks arrogance, helps to get rid of vanity. It helps businessmen to make a right choice, makes it possible to achieve maximum benefit for any transaction, provides a way to escape.

A set of beliefs is associated with pearls. In the Roman Empire pearl was considered to be a symbol of power and wisdom, and for women it was a stone of happiness and sweet dreams.
According to the testimony of John the Theologian, the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem are made of pearls, pearl crowns symbolize the divine powers.

Pearl is a soft mineral, the hardness of which is not greater than 2 on the Mohs scale. It should not be scratched. According to this, keep pearls separately from other jewelry in a soft box. It is afraid of chemically strong solutions.

Jewelers recommend to protect pearls from dehydration and in order to extend the durability of pearls you need to wear them more often. If a person wears the decorations of pearls permanently or at least quite often, they are subjected to continuous exposure of sweat glands (sweat has a slightly acid reaction). This greatly slows down the process of dehydration of pearls and promotes the dissolution of its weathered layers, which are gradually removed, and the pearl keeps its luster.

On the Palawan island, in southwestern Philippines, lives the only person in the world, who has revealed the secret of making a rare form of jewelry, gold pearls. The fragile natural pearls are treated like royal jewelry. Each oyster requires five years to produce one such gem, and a slightest jolt can kill it.

A small boat is maneuvering between rows of ropes stretched over a vast area used for the production of gold pearls. Five divers wear masks and aqualungs and dive into the turquoise water in order to find oysters. In this place, surrounded on all sides by the 20 islands, oysters, that produce pearls, are protected from strong currents. At first oysters spend 2 years in the incubator, and then grow at a depth of 15 meters in calm warm waters of the South China Sea in 3 years.

The farm, growing pearls, is 500 km. from Manila and is very well protected from the emissions of the city. Absolutely all efforts are made on protection of the oysters from external influence and negative impact on their growth.

Jacques Branell, the director and co-founder of the farm since 1979, is very worried about his possessions. He examines pearls from the sky, flying on his helicopter. No detail is overlooked. On the ground he wears a pink shirt, a hat and runs to inspect the farm. He gives orders to his Filipino assistant, who tries to follow his chief everywhere.

"Cultivation of pearls is very time-consuming process," explains Jacques. "Any changes in temperature and water conditions can affect the oysters. I have been in cultivation of pearls for 38 years, and I am still learning something new. Mining of gold pearls is very difficult. It is necessary to overcome a long way in order to achieve perfection in this work. "

The most surprising of pearls is that they create living creatures - mussels! We suggest you to learn a little more about this amazing jewelry.

In fact, any mollusk with a shell can grow a pearl, but nacreous pearls found in nature are very rare. The point is that for creating such a gem external interferences are necessary - any stimulus (a grain of sand, parasite, etc.) and the mollusk saves it inside the pearl. Thin nacreous pellicles are being superimposed on each other one by one, which becomes a pearl in the result.

A nacreous pearl is composed of aragonite (calcium carbonate unit) and conchiolin (horny substance), that is, in pearls organic mineral substance is combined.

Depending on the place of origin, pearls can be either marine or fresh water, and depending on the method of emergence, pearls are divided into natural and cultured. Natural pearls have become extremely rare recently, because you need to kill hundreds of mollusks to find at least one precious pearl. It is much easier to cultivate pearls - the process is actually the same, the only difference is that a person artificially enters into the oyster a stimulus, usually a piece of tissue of another oyster. The formation of pearls usually lasts from two to seven years.

There are only two forms of mollusks which can create a precious pearl - pearl oyster that lives in seawater and freshwater mussel, living in rivers and lakes.

Another interesting fact from the world of pearls is that due to their semi-organic origin these gems rarely live longer than a couple of centuries, in contrast to the eternal diamonds, sapphires, rubies and other precious and semiprecious stones. The oldest gem is owned by Elizabeth Taylor is the pear-shaped "Peregrine" weighing 55.95 carats, found in the Pearl Islands in the middle of the XVI century.

Majority of the cultivated freshwater pearls come from China, while pearls are also grown in Scotland, Germany, Russia and North America. Sea pearls are grown in quiet lagoons of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, as well as on volcanic atolls of Sri Lanka and Japanese coasts.

By the way, pearls can be not only white.  Although this color is the most common, depending on the interference of light, pearls can also be creamy or pink, rarely yellow, green and black. And the most rare and expensive ones are blue and lead-gray pearls.

After diamond no other gemstone has fascinated mankind more than pearls. Pearls admire humanity. Poets of Rome, Byzantium, China and Japan have sung in verses about the beauty and perfection of pearls long before our era. They believed that only a woman's beauty can be compared with the beauty of pearls. In ancient mythology pearl necklace was a symbol of marital happiness. In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance a dress embroidered with pearls served as a wedding dress for brides.

Pearls symbolize love, modesty, chastity and purity, that is why pearls are so popular gift to the bride on the wedding day. There is a belief that pearl is a stone of happiness for those, who is born under the constellation of Pisces. In ancient times girls and unmarried women, regardless of age, were recommended to carry it.

Mystics believe that pearls have a special mystical quality that is associated with a glow, as if emanating from the center of the stone. In ancient times, the glow was associated with a strong inner life. It promotes clairvoyance, protects from the evil eye. Rings with pearls guard from thieves and dishonest transactions. However, despite the popularity, pearl is a very dangerous stone. It removes the "rose-colored glasses" - the person sees the surrounding reality without embellishments. At the same time pearls pacify the pride and vanity, give obedience and constancy.

Medicinal properties of pearls: it removes heat and inflammation, helps with epilepsy, fractures, fevers, infections, diabetes, sepsis, eczema, asthma, diseases of the uterus, cures diseases of liver, kidney, bladder and urinary tract infections.

It is believed that the color of pearls should be closer to the color of the skin of the wearer, but this is not an axiom. In the East the preference was given to yellowish or brownish pearls, and in Europe to snow-white pearls. Natural pearls are produced in India, Ceylon, Tahiti, in Iran and in the Red Sea, and now they are also grown on special plantations. The most expensive are large oval pearls.

Natural pearls of high quality are rare gems. The value of a natural pearl usually is determined as in the case of other valuable jewels. There are different factors of pearls’ valuation such as shape, color, size, orient, quality of surface and luster.

Single, natural pearls are often set as centerpieces in unique jewelry or are purchased by collectors. There are very few matched strands of natural pearls. They are often sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars by the people who do them.

The natural pearl’s value was lowered by the Great Depression , but certainly it had been some time coming. The introduction of the cultured pearl hit the industry of pearl seriously. The dealers publicly argued over the authenticity of these new cultured pearls, and many consumers were worried about the lower prices. Essentially, the image of both cultured and natural pearls was damaged. By the 1950s natural pearls began to take a small place in the pearl industry, and every woman was able to own her own pearl jewelry.

Natural pearls of high quality are rare gems. The value of a natural pearl usually is determined as in the case of other valuable jewels. There are different factors of pearls’ valuation such as shape, color, size, orient, quality of surface and luster.

Single, natural pearls are often set as centerpieces in unique jewelry or are purchased by collectors. There are very few matched strands of natural pearls. They are often sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars by the people who do them.

The natural pearl’s value was lowered by the Great Depression , but certainly it had been some time coming. The introduction of the cultured pearl hit the industry of pearl seriously. The dealers publicly argued over the authenticity of these new cultured pearls, and many consumers were worried about the lower prices. Essentially, the image of both cultured and natural pearls was damaged. By the 1950s natural pearls began to take a small place in the pearl industry, and every woman was able to own her own pearl jewelry.

Pearls can be cultured and wild. Cultured pearls are created by people and wild pearls are created by nature without human intervention. Pearls are being formed inside a shell. This shell is of definite mollusks and is a protection system against different threatening irritants. These irritants can be vermin inside its shell or onrushes from the outside world. The mollusk creates a pearl saccule in order to seal off the irritation.

The casting net of the mollusk appends layers of carbonate of calcium (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral  aragonite or a mess of calcite and aragonite kept together by a conchiolin. This is an organic compound. Mother-of-pearl is made of  the combination of conchiolin and aragonite, which is called nacre. There is a belief that a grain of sand can be an irritant, however it is not true. Such an irritant includes organic material or damage displacing mantle tissue to another part of the body of mollusk. These small bits may enter on the period when the shell valves are open for respiration or feeding. The irritant is an introduced piece of the epithelium of mantle, together or without a spherical bead, in the case of cultured pearls.