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Pearl

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation).

Pearls

A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of aliving shelledmollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up ofcalcium
http://globalmarineculture.indonetwork.net/profile&op=baskethttp://globalmarineculture.indonetwork.net/profile&op=basketmailto:[email protected]://indonetwork.net/review.html?354754http://indonetwork.net/recomm.html?comp+354754http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantle_(mollusc)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_shellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molluskhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PerlmuttAusst.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PerlmuttAusst.jpgmailto:[email protected]://indonetwork.net/review.html?354754http://indonetwork.net/recomm.html?comp+354754http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantle_(mollusc)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_shellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molluskhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonatehttp://globalmarineculture.indonetwork.net/profile&op=baskethttp://globalmarineculture.indonetwork.net/profile&op=basket


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carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers.The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls(baroque pearls) occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valuedas gemstones and objects ofbeauty for many centuries, and because of this, theword pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and

valuable.

The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but they are extremelyrare. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters make up the majority of thosethat are currently sold. Pearls from the sea are valued more highly than freshwaterpearls. Imitation or fake pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but thequality of their iridescence is usually very poor, and generally speaking, artificialpearls are easily distinguished from genuine pearls. Pearls have been harvested andcultivated primarily for use injewelry, but in the past they were also stitched ontolavish clothing. Pearls have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines,and in paint formulations.

Pearls that are considered to be of gemstone quality are almostalways nacreous and iridescent, wild or cultured, like the interior of the shell thatproduces them. However, almost all species of shelled mollusks are capable ofproducing pearls (formerly referred to as "calcareous concretions" by some sources)of lesser shine or less spherical shape. Although these may also be legitimatelyreferred to as "pearls" by gemological labs and also under U.S. Federal TradeCommission rules,[1] and are formed in the same way, most of them have no value,except as curios.

Contents

[hide] 1 Etymology

2 Definition

3 Physical properties

4 Freshwater and saltwater pearls

5 Creation of a pearl

5.1 Natural pearls

5.2 Cultured pearls

5.3 Gemological identification

5.4 Value of a natural pearl
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5.5 Origin of a natural pearl

5.6 Different types of cultured pearls, including blackpearls

6 Pearls from other species 7 The history of pearl hunting and pearl farming

7.1 Pearl hunting

7.2 The development of pearl farming

8 Recent pearl production

9 Freshwater pearl farming

10 Momme Weight

11 Pearls in jewelry

11.1 Shapes

11.2 Lengths of pearl necklaces

11.3 Colors of pearl jewelry

12 Religious references

12.1 Hindu scriptures

12.2 Hebrew scriptures

12.3 New Testament scriptures

12.4 Islamic scriptures

12.5 Other scriptures

13 Non-religious cultural references

14 Gallery

15 See also

16 References

17 External links

[edit]Etymology
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The English word pearl originated (via French perle) from the Latin word perla. It isused to translate the Hebrew word of the Old Testament, pronounced gaw-beesh, which means to freeze, or a crystal, but is used to refer to pearls, the Greekword of the New Testament, pronounced mar-gar-ee-tace, whichmeans pearl in greek (the English name Margaret originated from the Greek word

for pearl).

[edit]Definition

A black pearl and a shell of the black-lipped pearl oyster

Saltwater pearl oyster farm, Seram, Indonesia

Almost any shelled mollusk can, by natural processes, produce some kind of "pearl"when an irritating microscopic object becomes trapped within the mollusk's mantlefolds, but the great majority of these "pearls" are not valued as gemstones.Nacreous pearls, the best-known and most commercially-significant pearls, areprimarily produced by two groups of molluscan bivalvesor clams. A nacreous pearlis made from layers ofnacre, by the same living process as is used in the secretionof the mother of pearl which lines the shell.
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A "natural pearl" or "wild pearl" is one that forms without any human intervention atall, in the wild, and is very rare. Many hundreds of pearl oysters or pearl musselshave to be gathered and opened, and thus killed, in order to find even one wildpearl, and for many centuries that was the only way pearls were obtained. This wasthe main reason why pearls fetched such extraordinary prices in the past.

A cultured pearl is formed in a pearl farm, using human intervention as well asnatural processes.

One family of nacreous pearl bivalves the pearl oyster lives in the sea, while theother a very different group ofbivalves lives in freshwater; these are theriver mussels such as the freshwater pearl mussel. Saltwater pearls can grow inseveral species ofmarine pearl oysters in the familyPteriidae. Freshwater pearlsgrow within certain (but by no means all) species of freshwater mussels in the orderUnionida, the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae.

A pearl being extracted from an akoya pearl oyster.

[edit]Physical properties

Akoya pearl grafting shed in Xuwen, China.

The unique luster of pearls depends upon the reflection,refraction, and diffraction oflight from the translucent layers. The thinner and more numerous the layers in thepearl, the finer the luster. The iridescence that pearls display is caused by the
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overlapping of successive layers, which breaks up light falling on the surface. Inaddition, pearls (especially cultured freshwater pearls) can be dyed yellow, green,blue, brown, pink, purple, or black.

[edit]Freshwater and saltwater pearls

Shell of one species of freshwater pearl mussel,Margaritiferamargaritifera.

Freshwater and saltwater pearls may sometimes look quite similar, but they comefrom different sources.

Natural freshwater pearls form in various species of freshwater mussels,family Unionidae, which live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water.

These freshwater pearl mussels occur not only in hotter climates, but also in coldermore temperate areas such as Scotland: see the freshwater pearl mussel. However,

most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China.

Saltwater pearls grow within pearl oysters, family Pteriidae, which live in oceans.Saltwater pearl oystersare usually cultivated in protected lagoons or volcanic atolls.

[edit]Creation of a pearl
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Diagram comparing a cross-section of a cultured pearl, upper, with a natural pearl,lower

The difference between wild and cultured pearls focuses on whether the pearl wascreated spontaneously by nature without human intervention or with human aid.Pearls are formed inside the shell of certain mollusks as a defense mechanism

against a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside its shell, or anattack from outside, injuring the mantle tissue. The mollusk creates a pearl sac toseal off the irritation.

The mantle of the mollusk deposits layers ofcalcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the formof the mineralaragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite (polymorphs with thesame chemical formula, but different crystal structures) held together by an organichorn-like compound called conchiolin. The combination of aragonite and conchiolinis called nacre, which makes up mother-of-pearl. The commonly held belief that agrain of sand acts as the irritant is in fact rarely the case. Typical stimuli includeorganic material, parasites, or even damage that displaces mantle tissue to another

part of the mollusk's body. These small particles or organisms gain entry when theshell valves are open for feeding or respiration. In cultured pearls, the irritant istypically an introduced piece of the mantle epithelium, together or without aspherical bead (beaded or beadless cultured pearls).[2][3]

[edit]Natural pearls
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Natural pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It is thought thatnatural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions when a microscopic intruderor parasite enters a bivalve mollusk, and settles inside the shell. The mollusk, beingirritated by the intruder, forms a pearl sac of external mantle tissue cells andsecretes the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. This secretion

process is repeated many times, thus producing a pearl. Natural pearls come inmany shapes, with perfectly round ones being comparatively rare.

Typically the build-up of a natural pearl consists of a brown central zone formed bycolumnar calcium carbonate (usually calcite, sometimes columnar aragonite) and ayellowish to white outer zone consisting of nacre (tabular aragonite). In a pearlcross-section such as in Fig. 6, these two different materials can be seen. Thepresence of columnar calcium carbonate rich in organic material indicates juvenilemantle tissue that formed during the early stage of pearl development. Displacedliving cells with a well-defined task may continue to perform their function in theirnew location, often resulting in a cyst. Such displacement may occur via an injury.

The fragile rim of the shell is exposed and is prone to damage and injury. Crabs,other predators and parasites such as worm larvae may produce traumatic attacksand cause injuries in which some external mantle tissue cells are disconnected fromtheir layer. Embedded in the conjunctive tissue of the mantle, these cells maysurvive and form a small pocket in which they continue to secrete their naturalproduct: calcium carbonate. The pocket is called a pearl sack, and grows with timeby cell division; in this way the pearl grows also. The juvenile mantle tissue cells,according to their stage of growth, produce columnar calcium carbonate, which issecreted from the inner surface of the pearl sack. With ongoing time the externalmantle cells of the pearl sack proceed to the formation of tabular aragonite. When

the transition to nacre secretion occurs, the brown pebble becomes covered with anacreous coating. As this process progresses, the shell itself grows, and the pearlsack seems to travel into the shell. However, it actually stays in its original relativeposition within the mantle tissue. After a couple of years, a pearl will have formedand the shell might be found by a lucky pearl fisher.

[edit]Cultured pearls

Main article: Cultured pearl
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Nuclei fromToba Pearl Island,Japan

Cultured pearls are the response of the shell on a tissue implant. A tiny piece of

mantle tissue of a donor shell is transplanted into a recipient shell. This graft willform a pearl sac and the tissue will precipitate calcium carbonate into this pocket.There are a number of options for producing cultured pearls: use freshwater orseawater shells, transplant the graft into the mantle or into the gonad, add aspherical bead or do it non-beaded. The large majority of saltwater cultured pearlsare grown with beads, the trade name of the cultured pearls are Akoya, white orgolden South sea, black Tahiti. The majority of beadless cultured pearls are mantle-grown in freshwater shells, tradename Chinese cultured pearls.

Cultured pearls (beadless or beaded) and imitation pearls can be distinguished fromnatural pearls by X-ray examination. Nucleated cultured pearls are often 'pre-

formed' as they tend to follow the shape of the implanted shell bead nucleus. Oncethe pre-formed beads are inserted into the oyster, it secretes a few layers of nacrearound the outside surface of the implant before it is removed after six months ormore.

When a cultured pearl with bead is X-rayed, it reveals a different structure to that ofa natural pearl. A beaded cultured pearl shows a solid center with no concentricgrowth rings, whereas a natural pearl shows a series of concentric growth rings. Abeadless cultured pearl (whether of freshwater or saltwater origin) may showgrowth rings, but also a complex central cavity, witness of the first precipitation ofthe young pearl sac.

[edit]Gemological identification

A well equipped gem testing laboratory is able to distinguish natural pearls fromcultured pearls by using a gemological x-ray in order to examine the center of apearl. With an x-ray it is possible to see the growth rings of the pearl, where thelayers of calcium carbonate are separated by thin layers of conchiolin. The
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differentiation of natural pearls from non-beaded cultured pearls can be verydifficult without the use of this x-ray technique.

Natural and cultured pearls can be distinguished from imitation pearls usinga microscope. Another method of testing for imitations is to rub two pearls against

each other. Imitation pearls are completely smooth, but natural and cultured pearlsare composed of nacre platelets, making both feel slightly gritty.

[edit]Value of a natural pearl

Quality natural pearls are very rare jewels. The actual value of a natural pearl isdetermined in the same way as it would be for other "precious" gems. The valuationfactors include size, shape, quality of surface, orient and luster.

Single natural pearls are often sold as a collector's item, or set as centerpieces inunique jewelry. Very few matched strands of natural pearls exist, and those that dooften sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. (In 1917, jeweler Pierre

Cartier purchased the Fifth Avenue mansion that is now the New York Cartier storefor US$100 cash and a double strand of matched natural pearls valued at the timeat US$1 million.[citation needed])

Keshi pearls, although they often occur by chance, are not considered naturalpearls. They are a byproduct of the culturing process, and hence do not happenwithout human intervention. These pearls are quite small: typically a fewmillimeters in size. Keshi pearls are produced by many different types of marinemollusks and freshwater mussels in China.[4] Today many "keshi" pearls are actuallyintentional, with post-harvest shells returned to the water to regenerate a pearl inthe existing pearl sac.

[edit]Origin of a natural pearl

Previously, natural pearls were found in many parts of the world. Present daynatural pearling is confined mostly to seas offBahrain. Australia also has one of theworld's last remaining fleets of pearl diving ships. Australian pearl divers dive forsouth sea pearl oysters to be used in the cultured south sea pearl industry. Thecatch of pearl oysters is similar to the numbers of oysters taken during the naturalpearl days. Hence significant numbers of natural pearls are still found in theAustralian Indian Ocean waters from wild oysters. X-Ray examination is required topositively verify natural pearls found today.

[edit]Different types of cultured pearls, including black pearls
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A blister pearl, a half-sphere, formed flush against the shell of the pearl oyster.

Black pearls, frequently referred to as Black Tahitian Pearls, are highly valuedbecause of their rarity; the culturing process for them dictates a smaller volumeoutput and can never be mass produced.[citation needed] This is due to bad health and/ornon-survival of the process, rejection of the nucleus and their sensitivity tochanging climatic and ocean conditions. Before the days of cultured pearls, blackpearls were rare and highly valued for the simple reason that white pearl oystersrarely produced naturally black pearls, and black pearl oysters rarely produced anynatural pearls at all.

Mary, Queen of Scots by an unknown artist after Franois Clouet (c. 1559)London, Victoria and Albert Museum

The Queen is shown wearing her rope of famous black pearls.
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Since the development of pearl culture technology, the black pearl oyster found inTahiti and many other Pacific Island areas has been extensively used for producingcultured pearls. The rarity of the black cultured pearl is now a "comparative" issue.

The black cultured pearl is rare when compared to Chinese freshwater culturedpearls, and Japanese and Chinese akoya cultured pearls, and is more valuable than

these pearls. However, it is more abundant than the South Sea pearl, which is morevaluable than the black cultured pearl. This is simply because the black pearloyster Pinctadamargaritiferais far more abundant than the elusive, rare, and largersouth sea pearl oyster Pinctada maxima, which cannot be found in lagoons, butwhich must be dived for in a rare number of deep ocean habitats or grown inhatcheries.

Black cultured pearls from the black pearl oyster Pinctadamargaritifera are notSouth Sea pearls, although they are often mistakenly described as black South Seapearls. In the absence of an official definition for the pearl from the black oyster,these pearls are usually referred to as "black Tahitian pearls".

The correct definition of a South Sea pearl as described by CIBJO and GIA is apearl produced by thePinctada maxima pearl oyster. South Sea pearls are the colorof their host Pinctada maxima oyster and can be white, silver, pink, gold, cream,and any combination of these basic colors, including overtones of the various colorsof the rainbow displayed in the pearl nacre of the oyster shell itself.

[edit]Pearls from other species

A shell of the Indian volute or bailer shellMelomelo, surrounded by a numberofMelopearls

Biologically speaking, under the right set of circumstances, almost any shelledmollusk can produce some kind of pearl, however, most of these molluscan pearlshave no luster oriridescence. The great majority of mollusk species produce pearlswhich are not attractive to look at, and are sometimes not even very durable, suchthat they usually have no value at all, except perhaps to a scientist, a collector, or
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as a curiosity. These objects used to be referred to as "calcareous concretions" bysome gemologists, even though a malacologist would still consider them to bepearls. Valueless pearls of this type are sometimes found in edible mussels,edibleoysters, escargot snails, and so on. The GIA and CIBJO now simply use theterm 'pearl' (or, where appropriate, the more descriptive term 'non-nacreous pearl')

when referring to such items[5][6]

and, under Federal Trade Commission rules,various mollusc pearls may be referred to as 'pearls' without qualification.[1]

Largest known pearl from a giant clam

A few species produce pearls that can be of interest as gemstones. These speciesinclude the bailer shell Melo, the giant clamTridacna, various scallop species, Penshells Pinna, andabalones. Another example is the conch pearl (sometimes referredto simply as the 'pink pearl'), which is found very rarely growing between themantle and the shell of the queen conch or pink conch, Strombusgigas, a large seasnail or marine gastropod from the Caribbean Sea. These pearls, which are oftenpink in color, are a by-product of the conch fishing industry, and the best of themdisplay a shimmering optical effect related to chatoyance known as 'flamestructure'.

Somewhat similar gastropod pearls, this time more orange in hue, are (again very

rarely) found in the horse conch Pleuroplocagigantea.

The largest pearl known was found in the Philippines in 1934 and is known asthe pearl of Lao Tzu. It is a naturally-occurring, non-nacreous, calcareous concretion(pearl) from a giant clam. Because it did not grow in a pearl oyster it is not pearly;instead the surface is glossy like porcelain. Other pearls from giant clams are knownto exist, but this is a particularly large one, weighing 14 lb (6.4 kg).
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[edit]The history of pearl hunting and pearl farming

[edit]Pearl hunting

Main article: Pearl hunting

For thousands of years, most seawater pearls were retrieved by divers working inthe Indian Ocean, in areas like the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and in the Gulf ofMannar.[citation needed] Starting in the Han Dynasty (206 BC220 AD),the Chinese hunted extensively for seawater pearls in the South China Sea.[citationneeded] In the 14th-century Arabian Sea, the traveller Ibn Battuta provided the earliestknown description of pearl diving by means of attaching a cord to the diver's waist.[7]

Catching of pearls, Bern Physiologus (IX century)

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Western Hemisphere, they discoveredthat around the islands ofCubagua and Margarita, some 200 km north of theVenezuelan coast, was an extensive pearl bed (a bed of pearl oysters). One

discovered and named pearl, La Peregrina pearl, was offered to the Spanish queen.[citation needed] According to Garcilasso de la Vega, who says that he saw La Peregrina atSeville in 1507, (Garcilasso, "Historie des Incas, Rois du Perou," Amsterdam, 1704,Vol. II, P. 352.) this was found at Panama in 1560 by a negro who was rewardedwith his liberty, and his owner with the office of alcalde of Panama.

Margarita pearls are extremely difficult to find today and are known for their uniqueyellowish color. The most famous Margarita necklace that any one can see today is
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the one that then Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt gave toJacquelineKennedy when she and her husband, PresidentJohn F. Kennedy paid an official visitto Venezuela.[citation needed]

Before the beginning of the 20th century, pearl hunting was the most common way

of harvesting pearls. Divers manually pulled oysters from ocean floors and riverbottoms and checked them individually for pearls. Not all mussels and oystersproduce pearls. In a haul of three tons, only three or four oysters will produceperfect pearls.[citation needed]

[edit]The development of pearl farming

Today, the cultured pearls on the market can be divided into two categories. Thefirst category covers the beaded cultured pearls, including Akoya, South Sea and

Tahiti. These pearls are gonad grown, and there is usually one pearl grown at atime. This limits the number of pearls at a harvest period. The pearls are usually

harvested after one year for akoya, 24 years for Tahitian and South Sea, and 27years for freshwater. This perliculture process was first developed by the Britishbiologist William Saville- Kent who passed the information along to TatsuheiMise and

Tokichi Nishikawa fromJapan. The second category includes the non-beadedfreshwater cultured pearls, as the Biwa or Chinese pearls. As they grow in themantle, where on each wing up to 25 grafts can be implanted, these pearls aremuch more frequent and do saturate the market completely. An impressiveimprovement of quality has taken place in the last ten years when the former ricegrain-shaped pebbles are compared with the near round pearls of today.

The nucleus bead in a beaded cultured pearl is generally a polished sphere made

from freshwater mussel shell. Along with a small piece of mantle tissue fromanother mollusk (donor shell) to serve as a catalyst for the pearl sac, it is surgicallyimplanted into the gonad (reproductive organ) of a saltwater mollusk. In freshwaterperliculture, only the piece of tissue is used in most cases, and is inserted into thefleshy mantle of the host mussel. South Sea and Tahitian pearl oysters, also knownas Pinctada maxima and Pinctadamargaritifera, which survive the subsequentsurgery to remove the finished pearl, are often implanted with a new, larger beadsas part of the same procedure and then returned to the water for another 23 yearsof growth.
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White pearl necklaceDespite the common misperception, Mikimoto did not discover the process of pearlculture. The accepted process of pearl culture was developed by the BritishBiologist William Saville-Kent in Australia and brought to Japan by Tokichi Nishikawaand TatsuheiMise. Nishikawa was granted the patent in 1916, and married thedaughter of Mikimoto. Mikimoto was able to use Nishikawa's technology. After thepatent was granted in 1916, the technology was immediately commercially appliedto akoya pearl oysters in Japan in 1916. Mise's brother was the first to produce acommercial crop of pearls in the akoya oyster. Mitsubishi's Baron Iwasakiimmediately applied the technology to the south sea pearl oyster in 1917 in the

Philippines, and later in Buton, and Palau. Mitsubishi was the first to produce acultured south sea pearl although it was not until 1928 that the first smallcommercial crop of pearls was successfully produced.

The original Japanese cultured pearls, known as akoya pearls, are produced by aspecies of small pearl oyster, Pinctadafucatamartensii, which is no bigger than 6 to8 cm in size, hence akoya pearls larger than 10 mm in diameter are extremely rareand highly prized. Today, a hybrid mollusk is used in both Japan and China in theproduction of akoya pearls. It is a cross between the original Japanese species, andthe Chinese species Pinctadachemnitzii.[8]

[edit]Recent pearl production

China has recently overtaken Japan in akoya pearl production. Japan has all butceased its production of akoya pearls smaller than 8 mm. Japan maintains its statusas a pearl processing center, however, and imports the majority of Chinese akoyapearl production. These pearls are then processed (often simply matched andsorted), relabeled as product of Japan, and exported.[9]
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In the past couple of decades, cultured pearls have been produced using largeroysters in the south Pacific and Indian Ocean. The largest pearl oyster isthe Pinctada maxima, which is roughly the size of a dinner plate. South Sea pearlsare characterized by their large size and warm luster. Sizes up to 14 mm indiameter are not uncommon. South Sea pearls are primarily produced

in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Mitsubishi commenced pearl culture with the south sea pearl oyster in 1916, assoon as the technology patent was commercialized. By 1931 this project wasshowing signs of success, but was upset by the death of TatsuheiMise. Although theproject was recommenced after Tatsuhei's death, the project was discontinued atthe beginning of WWII before significant productions of pearls were achieved.

After WWII, new south sea pearl projects were commenced in the early 1950sin Burma and Kuri Bay and Port Essington in Australia. Japanese companies wereinvolved in all projects using technicians from the original Mitsubishi south sea pre-

war projects.

[edit]Freshwater pearl farming

In 1914, pearl farmers began growing cultured freshwater pearls using the pearlmussels native to Lake Biwa. This lake, the largest and most ancient in Japan, liesnear the city ofKyoto. The extensive and successful use of the Biwa Pearl Mussel isreflected in the name Biwa pearls, a phrase which was at one time nearlysynonymous with freshwater pearls in general. Since the time of peak production in1971, when Biwa pearl farmers produced six tons of cultured pearls, pollution hascaused the virtual extinction of the industry. Japanese pearl farmers recently

cultured a hybrid pearl mussel a cross between Biwa Pearl Mussels and a closelyrelated species from China, Hyriopsiscumingi, in Lake Kasumigaura. This industryhas also nearly ceased production, due to pollution.

Japanese pearl producers also invested in producing cultured pearls with freshwatermussels in the region ofShanghai, China. China has since become the world'slargest producer of freshwater pearls, producing more than 1,500 metric tons peryear (in addition to metric measurements,Japanese units of measurement such asthe kan and momme are sometimes encountered in the pearl industry).

Led by pearl pioneerJohn Latendresse and his wife Chessy, the United States began

farming cultured freshwater pearls in the mid 1960s.National Geographic Magazineintroduced the American cultured pearl as a commercial product in their August1985 issue. The Tennessee pearl farm has emerged as a tourist destination inrecent years, but commercial production of freshwater pearls has ceased.

[edit]Momme Weight
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For many cultured pearl dealers and wholesalers, the preferred weight measureused for loose pearls and pearl strands is momme. Momme is a weight measureused by the Japanese for centuries. Today, momme weight is still the standard unitof measure used by most pearl dealers to communicate with pearl producers andwholesalers. One momme corresponds to 1/1000 kan. Reluctant to give up tradition,

in 1891, the Japanese government formalized the kan measure as being exactly 1kan = 3.75 kilograms or 8.28 pounds. Hence, 1 momme = 3.75 grams or 3750milligrams.

In the United States, during the 19th and 20th centuries, through trade with Japanin silk cloth the momme became a unit indicating the quality of silk cloth.

Though millimeter size range is typically the first factor in determining a culturedpearl necklace's value, the momme weight of pearl necklace will allow the buyer toquickly determine if the necklace is properly proportioned. This is especially truewhen comparing the larger south sea and Tahitian pearl necklaces.

[edit]Pearls in jewelry

The value of the pearls in jewelry is determined by a combination of the luster,color, size, lack of surface flaw and symmetry that are appropriate for the type ofpearl under consideration. Among those attributes, luster is the most importantdifferentiator of pearl quality according to jewelers.

All factors being equal, however, the larger the pearl the more valuable it is. Large,perfectly round pearls are rare and highly valued. Teardrop-shaped pearls are oftenused in pendants.

[edit]Shapes

Girl with a Pearl

Woman with a Pearl

Necklace, by Jan Vermeervan Delft, 1665 Portrait ofMarie Antoinette,

Queen of France wearing a pearl
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Earring byJohannesVermeer (c. 1665)

necklace and earrings. Portraitby the Studio ofElisabeth VigeLe Brun (1780s)

Pearls come in eight basic shapes: round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval,baroque, and circled. Perfectly round pearls are the rarest and most valuable shape.

Semi-rounds are also used in necklaces or in pieces where the shape of the pearlcan be disguised to look like it is a perfectly round pearl. Button pearls are like aslightly flattened round pearl and can also make a necklace, but are more oftenused in single pendants or earrings where the back half of the pearl is covered,making it look like a larger, rounder pearl.

Portrait ofEmpressMaria Fiodorovnain a Head-Dress Decorated with Pearls by IvanKramskoi (1880s)Saint Petersburg, Hermitage Museum

Drop and pear shaped pearls are sometimes referred to as teardrop pearls and aremost often seen in earrings, pendants, or as a center pearl in a necklace. Baroquepearls have a different appeal; they are often highly irregular with unique andinteresting shapes. They are also commonly seen in necklaces. Circled pearls arecharacterized by concentric ridges, or rings, around the body of the pearl.

In general, cultured pearls are less valuable than natural pearls, whereas imitationpearls almost have no value. One way that jewelers can determine whether a pearlis cultured or natural is to have a gem lab perform an x-ray of the pearl. If the x-rayreveals a nucleus, the pearl is likely a bead-nucleated saltwater pearl. If no nucleusis present, but irregular and small dark inner spots indicating a cavity are visible,combined with concentric rings of organic substance, the pearl is likely a culturedfreshwater. Cultured freshwater pearls can often be confused for natural pearlswhich present as homogeneous pictures which continuously darken toward thesurface of the pearl. Natural pearls will often show larger cavities where organicmatter has dried out and decomposed.
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Some imitation pearls are simply made ofmother-of-pearl, coral or conch shell,while others are made from glass and are coated with a solution containing fishscales called essence d'Orient. Although imitation pearls look the part, they do nothave the same weight or smoothness as real pearls, and their luster will also dimgreatly.

[edit]Lengths of pearl necklaces

Portrait of CaterinaSagredoBarbarigo by RosalbaCarriera, cir. 1740. The subject iswearing a single-strand pearl collar and pendant pearl earrings

Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, owned one of the most famous collections ofnatural pearls. She is wearing a multi-strand choker and a rope of pearls, possiblywith matching bracelet and earrings
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There is a special vocabulary used to describe the length of pearl necklaces. Whilemost other necklaces are simply referred to by their physical measurement, pearlnecklaces are named by how low they hang when worn around the neck. A collar,measuring 10 to 13 inches or 25 to 33 cm in length, sits directly against the throatand does not hang down the neck at all; collars are often made up of multiple

strands of pearls. Pearl chokers, measuring 14 to 16 inches or 35 to 41 cm inlength, nestle just at the base of the neck. A strand called aprincess length,measuring 17 to 19 inches or 43 to 48 cm in length, comes down to or just belowthe collarbone. A matinee length, measuring 20 to 24 inches or 50 to 60 cm inlength, falls just above the breasts. An opera length, measuring 28 to 35 inches or70 to 90 cm in length, will be long enough to reach the breastbone or sternum ofthe wearer; and longer still, apearl rope, measuring more than 45 inches or 115 cmin length, is any length that falls down farther than an opera.

Necklaces can also be classified as uniform, or graduated. In a uniform strand ofpearls, all pearls are classified as the same size, but actually fall in a range. A

uniform strand of akoya pearls, for example, will measure within 0.5 mm. So astrand will never be 7 mm, but will be 6.57 mm. Freshwater pearls, Tahitian pearls,and South Sea pearls all measure to a full millimeter when considered uniform.

A graduated strand of pearls most often has at least 3 mm of differentiation fromthe ends to the center of the necklace. Popularized in the United States during the1950s by the GIs bringing strands of cultured akoya pearls home fromJapan, a3.5 momme, 3 mm to 7 mm graduated strand was much more affordable than auniform strand because most of the pearls were small.

[edit]Colors of pearl jewelry

Earrings and necklaces can also be classified on the grade of the color of the pearl.While white, and more recently black, saltwater pearls are by far the most popular,other color tints can be found on pearls from the oceans. Pink, blue, champagne,green, black and even purple saltwater pearls can be encountered, but to collectenough of these rare colors to form a complete string of the same size and sameshade can take years.

[edit]Religious references

[edit]Hindu scriptures

The Hindu tradition describes the sacred Nine Pearls which were first documented inthe Garuda Purana, one of the books of the Hindu mythology. Ayurveda containsreferences to pearl powder as a stimulant of digestion and to treat mental ailments.According to Marco Polo, the kings ofMalabar wore a necklace of 108 rubies and108 precious pearls which was given from one generation of kings to the next. Thereason was that every king had to say 108 prayers every morning and every
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evening.[10] At least until the beginning of the 20th century it was a Hindu custom topresent a completely new, undrilled pearl and pierce it during the ceremony.[10]

The Pearl or Mukta in Sanskrit is also associated with many Hindu deities. The mostfamous being the Koustubha which Lord Vishnu wears on his chest. Apart from

religious connotations, stories and folklore abound of pearls occurring in snakes, theNaaga Mani, and elephants, the GajaMukta.

[edit]Hebrew scriptures

According to RebbenuBachya, the word Yahalom in the verse Exodus 28:18 means"pearl" and was the stone on the Hoshen representing the tribe ofZebulun. This isgenerally disputed among scholars, particularly since the word in question in mostmanuscripts is actuallyYasepheh - the word from whichjasperderives; scholarsthink that refers to green jasper (the rarest and most prized form in early times)rather than red jasper (the most common form). Yahalom is usually translated by

the Septuagint as an "onyx", but sometimes as "beryl" or as "jasper"; onyx onlystarted being mined after the Septuagint was written, so the Septuagint's term"onyx" probably does not mean onyx onyx is originally an Assyrian word meaningring, and so could refer to anything used for making rings. Yahalom is similar to aHebrew word meaning hit hard, so some people think that it means diamond. Thevariation in possibilities of meaning for this sixth stone in the Hoshen is reflected indifferent translations of the Bible the King James Version translates the sixth stoneas diamond, the New International Versiontranslates it as emerald, andthe Vulgate translates it asjaspis meaning jasper. There is a wide range of viewsamong traditional sources about which tribe the stone refers to.

[edit]New Testament scriptures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Vishnuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahya_ben_Asherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Exodushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoshenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebulunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuaginthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berylhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Versionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Versionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emeraldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulgatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pendant_Louvre_OA10910.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pendant_Louvre_OA10910.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Vishnuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahya_ben_Asherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Exodushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoshenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebulunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuaginthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berylhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Versionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Versionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emeraldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulgatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=26


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Religious pendant showing Christ blessing, framed with rubies and pearls, fromtheByzantineempire, 12th or 13th century

In a ChristianNew Testamentparable,Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven toa "pearl of great price" in Matthew 13: 45-46. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like

unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl ofgreat price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

The language of symbolism was in common use around the time of Jesus Christ;most people were familiar with the symbolic meanings. The circle is a symbol ofGod because it has no beginning and no end. The circle or pearl was considered torepresent Love, Knowledge (the combination of equal amounts of Love andKnowledge is a symbol of Wisdom, the 2 circles intertwined (owl eyes) is symbolic ofWisdom. Some other pearls are Truth, and Faith.

The twelve gates of the New Jerusalem are reportedly each made of a single pearl

in Revelation 21:21, that is, the Pearly Gates. "And the twelve gates were twelvepearls; every gate was of one pearl: and the streets of the city were pure gold, as iftransparent glass."

Holy things are compared to pearls in Matthew 7:6. "Give not that which is holy untothe dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them undertheir feet, and turn again and rend you."

Pearls are also found in numerous references showing the wickedness and pride ofa people, as inRevelation 18:16. "And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that wasclothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and preciousstones, and pearls!"

[edit]Islamic scriptures

The Qur'an often mentions that dwellers of paradise will be adorned with pearls:

22:23 God will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds, to Gardensbeneath which rivers flow: they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold andpearls; and their garments there will be of silk.

35:33 Gardens of Eternity will they enter: therein will they be adorned withbracelets of gold and pearls; and their garments there will be of silk.

The handsome young boys in paradise are similarly depicted:

52:24 Round about them will serve, [devoted] to them, youths [handsome] aspearls well-guarded.

[edit]Other scriptures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearly_Gateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur'anhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=28http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearly_Gateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur'anhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=28


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The metaphor of a pearl appears in the longer Hymn of the Pearl, a poem respectedfor its high literary quality, and use of layered theological metaphor, found withinone of the texts ofGnosticism.

The Pearl of Great Price is a book of scripture inThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-

day Saints.[edit]Non-religious cultural references

"Pearl" is used as a first name in various languages, usually as a female name. It isalso used as family name.

Various locations in different countries are called "pearl" - see Pearl(disambiguation).

[edit]Gallery

Jewelry set withpearls

Russian pearls Pearls from Tahiti Pearl decoration,Louvre

Golden pearlnecklace

Lace necklace withpearls

German pearls fromMnchen Museum

Pearl Market inBeijing, China

[edit]See also

Ammolite another organic gemstone formed primarily of fossil aragonite

mollusk shells Broome, Western Australia, a pearling town

Cave pearl

Les pcheurs de perles The Pearl Fishers an opera by Georges Bizet

[edit]References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymn_of_the_Pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_of_Great_Price_(Latter_Day_Saints)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saintshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saintshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=30http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=31http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammolitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broome,_Western_Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_p%C3%AAcheurs_de_perleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Bizethttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=32http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pearl_market_Beijing.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Schatzkammer3,_Residenz_M%C3%BCnchen.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crochet_lace_and_pearls_necklace.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_pearl_necklace.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Serpentine_paten_Louvre_MR415.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Perles_Tahiti.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Venets_kremlin.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jewelry_set_04.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymn_of_the_Pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_of_Great_Price_(Latter_Day_Saints)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saintshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saintshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=30http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=31http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammolitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broome,_Western_Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_pearlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_p%C3%AAcheurs_de_perleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Bizethttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=32


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1. ^ ab"Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries". Ftc.gov.1996-05-30. Retrieved 2010-07-17.

2. ^ Neil H. Landman, et al (2001) Pearls: A Natural History, Harry Abrams, Inc.,232 pp., ISBN 0-8109-4495-2

3. ^ "Pearl oyster farming and pearl culture". Fao.org. Archived from theoriginal on 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2010-07-30.

4. ^ Hanni, H A (Juni 2006). "KeshiPerlen: EinErklarungbedurftigerBegriff (KeshiPearls a term in need of explanation".Zeitschrift derDeutschenGemologischenGesellschaft(DGemG) 55 (1-2): 3950.

5. ^ "CIBJO 'Pearl Book'" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-30.

6. ^ "GIA 'Gems & Gemology' magazine news archive". Gia.edu. Retrieved2010-07-30.

7. ^ Salim Al-Hassani (2008). "1000 Years of Missing Industrial History". inEmilia CalvoLabarta, Merc Comes Maymo, RoserPuig Aguilar,MnicaRiusPinies.A shared legacy: Islamic science East andWest. EdicionsUniversitat Barcelona. pp. 5782. ISBN8447532852.

8. ^ "The origin of the Japanese akoya". Pearl-guide.com. Retrieved 2010-07-30.

9. ^ Fred Ward, (2002) Pearls (Fred Ward Gem Book), 3rd Edition,Gem GuidesBook Company, pp. 3536, ISBN 1-887651-08-X

10.^ ab Kunz, Book of the Pearl, New York, The Century Company, 1908, pp.

412, 350

[edit]External links

WikimediaCommons hasmedia relatedto: Pearls

The History of Pearls. PBS Pearl History Special.

A list of the world's famous pearls

Pearls and Pearling life by Edwin Streeter

Book of the Pearl by George Frederick Kunz and Charles Hugh Stevenson

Recover the major pearl produce country by aquaculture in UAE (Japanesepage with English narration)
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.shtmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0810944952http://web.archive.org/web/20080320144812/http:/www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/AB726E/AB726E11.htmhttp://www.giathai.net/pdf/05-15-07%20CIBJO%20Pearl%20Blue%20Book%20-%202007.pdfhttp://www.gia.edu/gemsandgemology/620/30177/this_weeks_news_details.cfmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salim_Al-Hassanihttp://books.google.com/books?id=gd7pl1x387cC&pg=PA57http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Barcelonahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/8447532852http://www.pearl-guide.com/pinctada-martensii.shtmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/188765108Xhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=33http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pearlshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pearl/time.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pearl/time.htmlhttp://www.pearl-guide.com/famous-pearls.shtmlhttp://www.farlang.com/gemstones/streeter_pearls_and_pearling/page_049http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/kunz_book_of_the_pearl/page_003http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/kunz_book_of_the_pearl/page_003http://www.afpbb.com/article/economy/2397210/2973765http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UAEhttp://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.shtmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0810944952http://web.archive.org/web/20080320144812/http:/www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/AB726E/AB726E11.htmhttp://www.giathai.net/pdf/05-15-07%20CIBJO%20Pearl%20Blue%20Book%20-%202007.pdfhttp://www.gia.edu/gemsandgemology/620/30177/this_weeks_news_details.cfmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salim_Al-Hassanihttp://books.google.com/books?id=gd7pl1x387cC&pg=PA57http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Barcelonahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/8447532852http://www.pearl-guide.com/pinctada-martensii.shtmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/188765108Xhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearl&action=edit&section=33http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pearlshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pearl/time.htmlhttp://www.pearl-guide.com/famous-pearls.shtmlhttp://www.farlang.com/gemstones/streeter_pearls_and_pearling/page_049http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/kunz_book_of_the_pearl/page_003http://www.afpbb.com/article/economy/2397210/2973765http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UAE


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http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiarahttp://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlahttp://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94http://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%9B%E1%83%90%E1%83%A0%E1%83%92%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98%E1%83%A2%E1%83%98http://kv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D3%A7%D1%81%D1%8Chttp://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlashttp://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80http://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%81%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8Dhttp://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%81%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8Dhttp://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiarahttp://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parelhttp://new.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AB%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE)http://new.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AB%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE)http://new.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AB%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE)http://new.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AB%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE)http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9C%9F%E7%8F%A0http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9C%9F%E7%8F%A0http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlehttp://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlehttp://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per%C5%82ahttp://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per%C5%82ahttp://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9rolahttp://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl%C4%83http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%87%D1%83%D0%B3http://sah.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A7%D3%A9%D0%BC%D1%87%D2%AF%D2%AF%D0%BAhttp://scn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pernahttp://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%94http://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%94http://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%94http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearlhttp://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlahttp://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserhttp://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80http://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmihttp://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmihttp://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiarahttp://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlahttp://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94http://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%9B%E1%83%90%E1%83%A0%E1%83%92%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98%E1%83%A2%E1%83%98http://kv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D3%A7%D1%81%D1%8Chttp://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlashttp://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80http://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%81%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8Dhttp://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiarahttp://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parelhttp://new.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%AB%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE)http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9C%9F%E7%8F%A0http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlehttp://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlehttp://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per%C5%82ahttp://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9rolahttp://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl%C4%83http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%87%D1%83%D0%B3http://sah.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A7%D3%A9%D0%BC%D1%87%D2%AF%D2%AF%D0%BAhttp://scn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pernahttp://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%94http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearlhttp://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlahttp://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserhttp://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmi


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Svenska

Tagalog

Trke

Vneto

TingVit

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