Birth month of June
Pearls
Throughout history, the pearl, with its warm inner glow
and shimmering iridescence, has been one of the most
highly prized and sought after gems. In ancient Rome,
pearls were considered the ultimate symbol of wealth
and social standing. The Greeks held the pearl in high
esteem for both its unrivaled beauty and its association
with love and marriage.
A natural pearl begins life as a foreign object, such as
a parasite or piece of sand, that accidentally becomes
lodged in the oyster's soft inner body where it cannot
be expelled. In an effort to ease this irritant, the oyster's
body takes defensive action and begins to secrete a
smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant
in order to protect itself. This substance is called nacre.
As long as the irritant remains within its body, the
oyster will continue to secrete layer upon layer of nacre
around the irritant. After a few years, the irritant will be
totally encased by the silky crystalline coatings. The
result is the lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl.
Cultured pearls are formed by oysters in an almost
identical fashion, except that man surgically implants
the irritant - a small piece of polished shell - in the
oyster, rather than leaving it to chance. The process
from then on is the same as with natural pearls. Swarovski (Austrian) Crystal is considered by many people to be the finest quality, full-lead crystal made today. It contains a minimum of 32%PbO, making the crystal optically very pure. The crystal is then faceted with tremendous precision, creating beautiful prisms. Brilliant colors and/or coatings are added to these crystals to create pendants, stones, and beads of dazzling beauty and tremendous variety of shapes and sizes. Swarovski Crystal is unmatched in quality and distinction .Swarovski beads are made in a factory in Wattens, Austria. Swarovski crystal beads are created using a formula perfected by Daniel Swarovski and his three sons at the turn of the 20th century. All Swarovski crystal beads are fired using a combination of quartz sand and natural minerals, then cooled slowly to avoid causing stress to the crystals. The high percentage of lead in all Swarovski crystal beads (32% compared to competitors 24%) as well as the secret manufacturing process produces high quality Swarovski crystal beads with a diamond like brilliance.
Made in the USA
Care Recommendations: May be cleaned with a soft cloth
