PEARLS! PEARLS!! PEARLS!!! BLOG HOP

People say "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend"....but I think "PEARLS" are a Girls Best Friend". 

 

I was born in June (The Twins) so I have always loved PEARLS as it is my birthstone. 

 

Here's a little history about the PEARL as my Birthstone and how the PEARL came to be:

 

June Birthstone : Pearl

Birthstone Color: White

From one of the humblest of life forms, the mollusk, comes the pearl -- a gem of unsurpassed beauty and elegance.  Ancient civilizations had many stories to explain the origin of June's birthstone, such as the Greek belief that pearls were the hardened tears of joy that the goddess of love shook from her eyes as she was born from the sea.  According to Arab legend, pearls were formed when oysters were lured from the depths of the ocean by the beautiful moon and then swallowed moonlit dewdrops.  And the Ancient Chinese thought that these gems originated from the brains of dragons.    The scientific explanation for natural pearls is almost as mystifying as folklore.  When an irritant, such as a small parasite or a fish lodges in the flesh of an oyster, mussel, or clam, a protective substance called "nacre" is produced.  Over years, layer upon layer of shimmering nacre coats the intruder, creating a lustrous pearl.  Natural pearls are relatively rare, so a process evolved in which a piece of shell or bead was placed inside a mollusk to stimulate the production of nacre.  This results in a cultured pearl, which accounts for about 90 per cent of the pearl industry.  Most of the cultured pearl industry is in Japanese and Australian coastal waters.  These gems come in a variety of colors, from pure white to pink, yellow, gray and black.  They also come in different shapes and sizes.   Pearls have been a passion and even an obsession of people throughout the ages.  These gems have adorned crowns, clothing, and temples, and were said to be a favorite of Cleopatra.     Only those with royal status once wore pearl jewelry, but eventually these gems were seen among all classes of people.  They continue to be viewed as a mark of taste and refinement as well as a symbol of purity, and they are often given to celebrate a marriage or the birth of a child.  Pearls are nature's perfect gift, suitable for all ages, and elegantly worn with everything from jeans to an evening gown.

So Thank You Michelle (Mishel Designs) for this wonderful Blog Hop about PEARLS.  Michelle Buettner even has a diploma in Pearls from the Gemological Institute of America because she loves Pearls so much.

Please visit her Blog for all the details at:

                                                                  http://www.misheldesigns.blogspot.com/

 

 I love to design with PEARLS and I use them a lot.  I love to wear them!  I like them to be formal and casual sometimes at the same time.  Keishi Pearls are one of my favorites...but I love Pearls that are of different shapes and sizes, too.  The following are designs that I have done.  Some are recent and some are from a little while back.

 

 

Keishe Pearls and Potato Pearls 

 

 

This necklace is designed with my two favorite gemstones Longneck Coin Pearls and Turquoise.

 

 

Here I was having fun with Potato Pearls and Resin Clasps that I made (bracelets 1 & 3)

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Please visit the other Participants and see their Beautiful Designs and just have fun as you Hop around!

 

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop Participant List:

 

MiShel Designs - Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Host  

Sadafulee,…Always in Bloom 

Antiquity Travelers

Jewelry By Jasvanti

Bead Contagion

 Back Story Beads

Sharyl’s Jewelry and Reflections

Silver Niknats

Fresh Baked Designs

Lisa Yang Jewelry

Designed by Vera

Serena Trent

Amy Bright

Carefree Jewelry by Lisa

Agape Creations Jewelry

Klassy Joolz

Beautifully Broken Me

One Kiss Creations

Stories from the City of  Brass

Make Bracelets!

Carolyn’s Creations

Raindrop Creations Jewelry

Freestyle Elements