Learning and understanding the growth and development of a pearl is the first step to truly appreciating how unusual and precious these little gems really are.

A Pearl is one of just a handful of organic gems (the others well known ones being Amber and Jet) and are grown in mollusks (a term used for all shells that open and close on a hinge, such as oysters, clams, and mussels).

When a foreign matter, such as a grain of sand enters a mollusk, it is an irritant to the little creature inside, so it protects itself by releasing a silky substance to cover the uninvited guest, this substance is called nacre. Over several years the oyster will continue to release nacre over the foreign body and three to five years later, when opened, the uninvited foreigner has been turned into a glorious pearl.

It is amazing to think how nature can turn an unwanted grain of sand into one of the most beautiful gems in the world.

There are still many terminologies and phases to understand and appreciate, and we will go through all of them - but the main criterion to appreciate is that these little guys have a tough time getting here.

When we hear the term Cultured Pearls it is referring to Pearls that are grown environmentally friendly in Pearl farms. Simply put a Cultured Pearls is one that is grown under supervision and not one that is taken from natural surroundings.

It is a very beautiful thing to think Natural Pearls form and grown in the sea and are discovered when divers find them at the bottom of the ocean, but to what expense are we retrieving this treasure.

To dive for Pearls is sadly destructive for the coral and the sea life alike, therefore it is has been prohibited in many seas for this reason.

Many people today prefer to know that their Pearl is cultured so as to avoid the possibility that it may have been taken from the likes of a protected Coral Reef and the good news is that around 99% of today’s pears are cultured.

Most natural pearls one sees today are found in estate jewellery collections or museums, so it is really not a case of Natural Pearls versus Cultured Pearls, but Pearls versus synthetic. If you have some Pearls at home now and your not sure if they are genuine or not, a great way to test them is to rub them on your teeth; you want the pearl to feel slightly grainy rather than smooth. If it’s smooth you know its not a real one, as companies who produce synthetic Pearls have yet to master the grainy effect of natural nacre.

Round, flawless, and orient are words you’ll hear and use to determine a pearls value, and credibility. The word round seems a bit of an obvious one to describe a pearl but it is in fact the most important. It’s a common mistake to think Pearls have been faceted in some way to give them their perfect spherical shape, when in-fact the shape of a Pearl is all down to the work done by the Mollusk. Because no two Pearls are identical shape or size, it takes hours and hours to select matching Pearls when stringing them together for necklaces and bracelets.

The finest Pearls do not have any flaws bumps or marks in the nacre: they have an even, clean and fairly smooth texture.

The next consideration when valuing Pearls is their orient. This is the word exclusively used in the gem world used to describe the luster of a Pearl (also referred to as Pearlescence). The orient is a soft iridescence caused by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre.

When cared for properly, Pearls will last a lifetime. Wear them often as the body’s natural oils helps maintain the Pearls orient, but it’s advisable to keep them away from household chemicals, as well as perfume, makeup and hair spray.

Pearls are one of the oldest and most precious gems discovered in the world and are said to have been traded more than 5000 years ago. There are many myths and legends surrounding Pearls, one of the most common being 'pearls bring tears'. This originates from ancient times when people thought that Pearls were the tears of angels or of the moon.

Although it is believed by some that Pearls bring tears, most cultures actually believe the opposite. The Greeks have always regarded Pearls highly for their beauty and association with love and marriage. They thought Pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent the bride from crying on the wedding day, which is where the tradition of giving Peals to bride came from.

In Ancient Rome, pearls were recognized as a definitive sign of wealth and social status and it was believed that they would promote a long and healthy life. Even in battle during the Crusades, knights would wear them believing they would protect.

During the Renaissance period Pearls were regarded so highly that some countries passed laws allowing only the nobility to wear them.

Marilyn Monroe’s private jewelry collection held only two valuable pieces of jewelry, an eternity ring and strand of pearls, both given to her by the very stylish Mr Kennedy. Other Hollywood Stars fanatical about Pearls include Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly.

Pearl is also the birthstone of June along with Moonstone and Alexandrite.