In honor of my Pearl themed release, LOVERS AT LAST here are a few snippets about pearls.
1. Pearl is the official birthstone for the month of June. (as adopted by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912)
2. Pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters and mussels. They are formed when an irritant (a tiny stone or bit of sand) gets inside the mollusk’s shell. A lustrous substance called nacre is secreted around the foreign object to protect the interior of the mollusk. The layers of nacre make a pearl and can take up to seven or eight years to form.
3. The most valuable pearls are perfectly symmetrical and naturally produced. Most of the principal oyster beds are in the Persian Gulf, along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka and in the Red Sea.
4. Once pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods. Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying.
5. Pearls are thought to give wisdom through experience, to quicken the laws of karma and cement engagements and love relationships.
6. Pearls vary in color from white to those with a hint of color such as pink, brown or black.
7. Pearls are quite soft.
8. Ancient Chinese literature refer to pearls as originating in the brain of a dragon and being lustrous and visible from a thousand yards.
9. Queen Elizabeth 1 loved pearls and wore them around her neck in ropes and embroidered on her dresses.
10. In the 1800s freshwater pearls were found in US rivers. The most famous one was found in 1857 in Patterson, NJ. It was sold to Charles Tiffany for $1500 and later resold for $2500.
11. In the 15th to 17th century people thought pearls were actually the eggs of oysters.
12. Pearls were considered the ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity and innocence.
13. During the month of June Ellora’s Cave has several releases all featuring the pearl. Lovers at Last by Shelley Munro (that’s me!) is the first release.
Do you like pearls?
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
