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Pearl Bracelet

Pearls are produced naturally in the body of saltwater and freshwater mollusks such as oysters and mussels. When these animals sense an irritant, such as a grain of sand, they produce a soft coating of calcium carbonate substance around it. The result is a pearl. Because perfectly round, naturally produced pearls are so rare, a process known as cultivation was developed by Kokichi Mikimoto in the early 1900s. A small bead of polished shell, the nucleus, is used as an irritant. The nucleus is delicately inserted into the mantle of the mollusk. It takes approximately 20 to 24 months of intensive husbandry to cultivate a saltwater pearl and somewhat less time to cultivate freshwater pearls. The harvest usually takes place during the months of June and September.

While pearls come… Click here to read more