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A pearl is made of layers of translucent nacre that
create an opaque whole. Pearls are usually round, though not
necessarily perfectly spherical. They occur naturally in a variety
of colors, including grey, pink, black, white, and the intense
crimson color of the rare fire pearl. Hints of iridescence often
infuse the pearl's predominant color, and the darkest pearls
sometimes possess a peculiar, almost metallic gleam.
Pearls come from oysters, which are ocean-dwelling
bivalve mollusks. Pearl divers ply their trade off both coasts of
Elanthia.
Pearls are strongly aligned with the element of
water, enabling elemental mages to cast powerful water spells even
in the heart of the desert. They are also affiliated with religious
lore, as meditation upon a pearl will assist clerics in perceiving
the influences of various Arkati. Pearls are also quite effective in
dispelling evil enchantments or fashioning wards against sorcery.
On Kezmon Isle, clerics of Niima taught their
flock that every pearl holds one of Niima's tears at its heart. When
Niima's divine mother died, according to Kezmonian legend, Niima
wept for a thousand years, and oysters caught her tears and
preserved them in nacre. At the end of her time of weeping, she set
aside her grief forever, becoming the sunny, joyous goddess to whom
sailors pray. According to the same legend, her father never wept
for the death of his love, and that is the reason for Charl's dark
temper and the storms that sweep over the sea. Since the
disappearance of Kezmon, human scholars have relegated this legend
to the realm of pretty stories rather than according it the respect
of true religious lore.
Pearls are undoubtedly the most popular gem in the
southwest part of the Turamzzyrian Empire. In the garb of human
nobility, pearls serve equally as jewelry and trim. Along the coast
near Tamzyrr, even the poorest fisherwoman normally has a pearl
earring squirreled away for the highest of occasions.
Human poets often refer to pearls as "the gem of
knights" because ancient legends claim that a pure white pearl will
not abide a dishonorable wearer. As a result, black pearls are
rarely worn in the Turamzzyrian Empire. Few modern nobles truly
believe in the ancient superstition, but it still suggests that the
wearer's honor is tarnished. The comparison with the royal black
pearls used in elven heraldry by House Nalfein is inevitable and
damaging to relations between elves and humans. During the retreat
of the Turamzzyrian forces at the end of the Second Elven War,
songsmiths and minstrels made much of the black pearls worn by their
Nalfein opponents, claiming that they had only been defeated due to
elven treachery -- "Look, the pearl tells the tale!"
Pearls are the oldest known gem and for centuries were considered to
be the most valuable. A pearl is truly unique because it is the
only gem created by a living creature.
Pearl is formed in shellfish as a reactant to an irritant such as
a piece of sand. Cultured pearls are created by adding a piece of
mussel or shell inside of an oyster of mussel. This then creates a
pearl as layers of the inside of the shell grow over the added
substance. Pearls are generally white, brown, silver, cream, black
or pink depending on the type of shellfish and water.
Many explanations for the origins of pearls
were advanced in earlier times, some of them very poetic. According
to the old Eastern legend, quoted by the ancient scholar Pliny,
oysters rose to the surface of the sea beneath the moon's rays,
opened their shells and were fertilized by drops of dew.
The oldest known natural pearl necklace is more than 4,000 years
old. It was found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who
died in 520 BC. This pearl is now displayed at the Louvre in
Paris.
It is believed that Roman women took pearls to bed with
them to sweeten dreams. During the Classical Rome era, only people
of certain "status" were allowed to wear pearls.
Gallant knights wore pearls during the Dark Ages Crusades to protect
them from harm. During the Middle Ages, pearls were the gift of
choice for a Knight to give his Lady.
The Roman General Vitellius allegedly financed an entire military
campaign with just one of his mother's pearl earrings.
The beauty
and desirability of pearls dates back many years. An old tale says
that Cleopatra placed a pearl in a glass of wine, and when it
dissolved she drank it to impress Marc Anthony.
Queen Isabella (having hocked her impressive jewelry collection
to fund Christopher Columbus' expedition) regained her investment
from a discovery of pearls in Central America that added to the
wealth of Spain.
Fresh-water pearl is the anniversary gemstone for the 1st year of
marriage; pearl is the anniversary gemstone for the 12th and 30th
year of marriage.
The pearl is one
of the birthstones for June (with
moonstone and
alexandrite), symbolizing
health and longevity . |
