Dimensions: 2 inches long.
Sterling silver, fresh water pearls, and Swarovski Crystals 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. AB - Aurora Borealis is a coating that gives the crystal a rainbow sparkle effect, it was inspired by the Northern Lights.
Made in the USA
Care Recommendations: May be cleaned with a soft cloth
