Soft, silky buds resembling a kitten's tail. Handmade of cast bronze with Freshwater pearls and then patinaed 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.
Made in the USA
Pearls should not be exposed to water, cleansers, excessive perspiration or prolonged sunlight. They may be cleaned with a soft cloth.
