A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. The beauties of pearls fascinate us all. There are so many stories, detective novel and poems have been composed by writers with it. The invention of pearls for the first time is not clear to us. It is anticipated that, the pearl was discovered thousands of years ago while human beings were searching for food at the sea shore. But throughout history, the pearl has been one of the most highly valued gems with its shine. The ancient Egyptians valued pearls most. Pearls were buried with aristocratic Egyptians when they died. It is said that, the famous queen of Egypt Cleopatra dissolved a pearl in a glass and drunk it as a sign of love and respect for the entire nation. The Greeks thought the pearls as a sign of wealth and social position. The beauty of pearls was associated with love and marriage. In ancient Rome, pearls were considered the greatest sign of wealth and social status. The young women of noble families loved to wear beautiful pearl necklaces. Also the brave knights used to wear pearls in the battles for good luck. Pearl is divided into four categories according to the origins- Natural pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater pearl and Saltwater pearl. The most valuable pearl among these is natural pearl. It grows spontaneously in the nature. The amazing matter is that one pearl can be distinguished from the others only by X-ray examination.
