am pearl. I am unique in the world of colored gemstones as I am the only gemstone formed within a living creature. I am a treasured gift of the sea, revered for my color, shape and luster. Old Arabian legend says that I was formed when dewdrops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters. American Indians found me in the mollusks of the Mississippi River and strung me onto necklaces, adorned their headdresses, and set me into copper ornaments.

     Pearls were so cherished by man that as the sources of natural Pearls became exhausted, he learned to cultivate them by implanting an irritant into an oyster.
     Today, cultured Pearls are grown and harvested in many parts of the world including the fresh waters of the Tennessee River. The majority of cultured Pearls come from Japan, China and the South Pacific.
     Cultured Pearls come in many beautiful colors, from palest creme and white to rose, lilac, green, gold, gray, and the dramatic Tahitian black. Cultured Pearls come in many shapes and sizes, and can be acquired in both graduated and uniform strands. They can be purchased singly or in pairs for rings, pendants and earrings. June birthdays and third and thirtieth anniversaries are celebrated with the gift of Pearls.