Currently dreaming of pearls! 💭💕 Pearls are organic gems, produced in pearl oysters. When an irritating foreign particle becomes lodged within the oyster, it responds by covering the irritant with iridescent layers of nacre, a variety of calcium carbonate. Eventually, these layers build up to form a pearl. 🦪 For centuries, the Persian Gulf was the main source for pearls in the world. Records dating from 2300 BC document pearls as prize possessions of Chinese Royalty. In Egypt, mother-of-pearl was used as early as 4000 BC, but actual pearls are not documented until approximately 5BC. 🌏 The ancient Greeks and Romans valued pearls as symbols of wealth and prosperity. The most enduring legend concerning pearls is the story of Cleopatra dissolving pearls in the wine she drank in Mark Antony's presence. This is an unlikely scenario, as anything that would dissolve a pearl would not be safe to drink. 😉🍷 In the beginning of the 1900s, it was discovered that a spherical bead could be placed in an oyster, and pearls could be cultured. This made pearls available to the general public for the first time in history. Pearl culturing eliminated the need for pearl divers, and replaced them with pearl farmers. 🌊 For an in-depth look at pearls throughout history, head to the "Education" section of our wesbite, and explore our free Antique Jewelry University!