The most famous pearls
The largest pearl ever known was found in the Philippines in 1934 and is known as the 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 known to exist, but this is a particularly large one, weighing 14 lb (6.4 kg).
The beauty of pearls can compete with the very pearls themselves. Meanwhile, pearls can be polished, cut, and if it breaks, it will conchoidal fracture, but no splits.
Presented on the Great Imperial Crown, pearls traditionally decorate the state crown of Great Britain. The rulers have always valued the stone, and wished that they were crowned not only by their regal heads.
American actress Elizabeth Taylor had the most expensive pearl necklace in the world. It consists of 150 large black pearls, each with a diameter of 7 millimeters.
Products made of mother of pearl preserved in ancient tombs, with at least several thousand years. In ancient Egypt, mother of pearl was used for the manufacture of jewelry: earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and small vessels for the ladies’ colors that are used to summarize the eye. All these things were made of large shells recovered from the Red Sea.
The Swan Pendant kept in Russian Hermitage, has the dimensions in the vertical and horizontal directions – 19.2 cm and 5.9 cm respectively. A large nacreous baroque pearl, almost oval in shape, constitutes the centerpiece of the pendant, forming the body of the swan. The wings, tail and the curved neck, that completes the composite figure of the swan – made of gold, set with small cut stones and covered with black and white enamel.
Strangely enough, but the pearl of Egypt went out of fashion. The tomb of Tutankhamen didn’t contain any gems. But centuries have passed, and the beauty again triumphed, pearl again became popular.
The most famous pearls
sources
liveinternet.ru/showalljournal.php
www.forbes.com
