Category: Pearl Jewelry

Pearls – sought after for their intrinsic beauty for thousands of years. They used to be the pinnacle of jewelry, more expensive than gold and silver combined and its’ only within the recent 100 years that modern technology has changed this fact. Today, most pearls are cultivated and grown in huge farms, making them available to the mass consumer market. Pearl necklaces are particularly popular.

That’s a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who’se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.

Today, this method of pearl hunting is almost gone. The use of slaves has fortunately been abandoned and there are better ways to make a living for most people, even the poor. Cultured pearls have become the norm and there is no risk in producing and selling them. They have an almost equal quality, although the natural variant is still said to be more excuisite and beautiful.

However, there is still a few places in the world that practise genuine pearl hunting. Bahrain – the small gulf state – is one of them. Unlike so many other places in the world, Bahrain has made an conscious effort to preserve the habitat, so that pearl diving can still take place. That’s why some of the world’s most beautiful natural pearls now come from Bahrain, where trade with cultured speciments has been banned.

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Spine plays an important role in our body by helping us stand erect and also by assisting in our movements. It is made up of vertebrae, a collection of small bones which are joined together by muscles and ligaments. These bones are separated at each interval by discs which act as cushions and greatly help in bending or facilitate the body”s movements without the bones coming in contact with each other. The spine, bearing most of our body weight is due to obvious reasons, subjected to regular wear and tear making it highly critical for us to take good care of it.

The vertebrae in the spine are divided into different regions, the cervical spine (the neck region), thoracic spine (chest region) and lumbar and sacral spine (the lower back region).

The spine protects the spinal cord which is a collection of crucial nerves that control all major movements and functions in our body. Spinal cord plays a major role in the central nervous system by communicating between the brain and the other parts of the body. Any problems in the spine immediately reflect on our body depending upon the affected region.

The convenience driven lifestyle of today full of material comforts, lack of exercises due to hectic schedules, long hours of sitting at work, wrong postures, excessive traveling are a few of the prime contributors to our spinal problems. Some however may also occur due to accidents or mishaps where the spine receives considerable amount of injury to render it critically affected. The most common problems found in spine are Disc Herniation, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis, Vertebral Fractures and Lower Back Pain.

Patients with spinal problems usually show symptoms like sharp pain in the back which often radiates to arms and legs, numbness or tingling in arms or legs and progressive loss of strength. Irrespective of the extent of the pain, the spinal problems need immediate medical attention. Consulting a doctor with good knowledge and experience in this field becomes the primary objective. The team of highly efficient neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons at Oyster & Pearl Hospital makes it one of the best Spine Surgery Center.

Oyster & Pearl Hospital was founded by Dr. Amitha Phadnis and Dr. Avinash Phadnis. The orthopedic department of O&P with its Consultant Spine Surgeon like Dr. Rajesh Parasnis is providing the best available services to patients who come to O&P looking for effective treatments of their problems. With a highly competent and knowledgeable doctors on the panel and a facility well equipped with advanced medical equipments, the hospital is just the right place to undergo surgeries like Degenerative Spine Surgery, Minimal Invasive Surgery, Spondlylolisthesis Surgery, Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty, Spinal Trauma Treatment, Infection and Spinal Tumor Surgeries, Epidural block, Ozone Nucleolysis, Nucleoplasty and many more.

The full fledged facilities of the O&P hospital with the team of doctors whom you can trust to find solutions to your problems is one of the highly sought medical facilities in and around Pune.

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Deeply revered for many thousands of years, the Frankincense tree has perhaps the greatest association with spiritual practice of any plant on earth. In many great ancient cultures, including the Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Hebrew, Greek and Roman civilizations, it has played a role in religious and domestic life. Frankincense resin has been sought after by kings, valued as highly as gold, and offered as a gift at the birth of one of history’s most revered prophets. More recently, the essential oil is gaining popularity with spiritual seekers and natural healers alike – what’s so unique about the rich smelling resin and it’s essential oil, and how might we use it for our own benefit?

The name is derived from the medieval French ‘franc’, meaning ‘pure’ or ‘free’, and from the Latin ‘incensium’, meaning ‘to smoke’. The Frankincense tree itself bears the appearance of a rugged survivor, with many knurled branches topped with abundant slim leaves. It is native to the deserts of North Africa, growing in some of the world’s harshest environments. It is not the tree itself, however, but rather its sap that is so greatly sought after. Similar to many evergreen trees, when pierced, the tree ‘bleeds’ a milky sap. The resin forms droplets known as pearls, which are dried in the sun to form hardened incense gum known itself as Frankincense.

For many millennia years, the hardened resin has been burned in temples throughout Asia, and the Catholic church continues to use it ceremonially. The smoke of burning Frankincense resin, as with other ritual incense, is thought to carry prayers to heaven. It is also said to deepen the breath and still the mind, making it useful for meditation and yogic practice. Some components of Frankincense stimulate the pineal gland, or ‘third-eye’, so this concept makes sense under modern scientific investigation. The incense may have health benefits as well, producing a highly antiseptic smoke, keeping churches and churchgoers free from disease.

Frankincense resin has been considered throughout the ages to have a wealth of health supporting properties. In Ayurveda, it has been used to treat many ills, and is well-known for it’s use in treating arthritic conditions. Modern investigation has found the components called Boswellic Acids can have significant support both to relieve joint pain and to further prevent cartilage loss.

Today’s naturopathic practitioners continue to use Frankincense, though the essential oil is now commonly employed because of it’s simplicity of use. It may be applied topically or taken orally with proper instruction from a qualified practitioner. There are many indications for the use of Frankincense oil, including asthma, depression, stress-related conditions and a weakened immune system. Further, Frankincense oil is now under investigation in university studies for it’s anti-tumor effects, particularly for skin and breast malignancies.

It is important to note that the CO2 distillation (a cold-process method of pure essential oil extraction employing harmless carbon dioxide instead of steam) is more likely to contain the same healthful compounds as the resin, as the steam distilled variety may not be able to extract these ‘polar’ compounds. Kurt Schnaubelt, America’s leading medical aromatherapist notes, regarding the production of essential oil from the resin, “It could be that the (health-related) substances in question are too polar and too large a molecular size to appear in steam distillates – their presence would be more likely in CO2 extracts.”

The most immediate and pronounced effect of the oil for many people is it’s ability to calm and elevate the mind. It’s wonderful woody-citrus aroma is pleasantly grounding and elevating at the same time. Components within the oil cross the blood-brain barrier, affecting the emotional centers of the brain directly.

Direct application to the temples and third eye will quiet the mind, deepen the breath, and promote meditative states. It is often combined with one or more of these essential oils with similar woody aromas and calming properties: Sandalwood, Myrrh and Cedarwood. Because these oils combine so nicely, it is easy to find a ratio of each oil in a blend to suit your taste

For use as a simple incense, the resin itself is inexpensive and widely available. The small ‘pearls’ may bit lit, and will release their pleasant smoke as any other incense. The experience of pure Frankincense is unique, and is worth trying for yourself.

For aromatic use of the essential oil, a diffuser or warming lamp can be used to disperse the aroma throughout a space. The oil is also found in aromatherapy candles, where it is released from the heated oil beneath the burning wick. Frankincense oil can be applied directly to the forehead where you can both capture the aroma and absorb the oil directly.

Frankincense, the treat from the tough desert tree, is now available to us all. Treat yourself to a little of this natural wonder, and see what sort of magic it can bring to your life!

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We are lucky to live in the 21st century – for this is the age when the largest and most beautiful pearls in human history are cultivated.

The history of cultured pearls in fairly young, slightly more than 100 years old.But it is fascinating history shaped by three generations devoting to and working towards an ideal of the perfect pearl, working in humility and harmony with the unpredictable forces of nature.

It all started in the 19th century, when the greedy fishing of pearl oysters for natural pearls led to the near depletion and scarcity of natural pearls. To meet the insatiable quest for more, ever bigger and ever rounder pearls, ingenious people observed the formation of natural pearls and attempted to copy the process of nature. A series of experiments were conducted in various parts of the world, but the consensus is that the first round pearls were successfully harvested in 1898 in Japan.

Three Japanese were cited to have initiated the art of pearl cultivation: KoKichi Mikimoto, Tassuhei Mise and Tokichi Nishikawa, Historical records show that the three discovered the techniques to grow round pearls at more or less the same time. The first cultured pearls were between 3mm and 5mm ,mostly button and rarely round, and only the upper part was lustrous.

When these cultured pearls appeared at fairs and auctions in Europe and the United States, pearl merchants in Paris, London and New York were perplexed by these genuine pearls from a new source. Many traditionalists vehemently branded cultured pearls as fakes.

The Japanese akoya industry grew and prospered until before the outbreak of word war II,In those days,the industry grouped 289 farms with a record annual production of 11 million pearls . The typical strands in the pre-war years were called 3.5 momme graduation, because the graduated akoya necklace had a centre pearl of 7mm and end pearls of 3mm, weighing 3.5 momme (about 13g). Nowadays, akoya necklaces are nearly always in uniform sizes.

Attempts to grow south Sea pearls started as early as 1915. Japanese pioneers, motivated by their initial success in culturing akoya pearls, saw the potential of growing larger pearls using a larger oyster sps found in the Pacific Ocean.

Trial farming was carried out in the Philippines and Indonesia. The first harvest of round South Sea pearls took place in 1928 in Celebes, A Dutch colony until Indonesia declared independence. South Sea pearls harvested in those days were mainly between 8mm and 10mm, much larger than the 3mm to 4mm akoya pearls.

Interrupted during world war II, south sea pearls development resumed intermittently in Myanmar, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines after the war, mostly with Japanese investment and know how. But it was no until the ’70s that the cultivation of South Sea pearls began to experience stable and significant growth. Australia and Indonesia are today the two largest producing countries of South Sea Pearls.

The history of black pearls is relatively recent.Tahiti came on stage in the early ’60s , when Jean-Marie Domard of the Fisheries Service commissioned research on the potential of pearl cultivation in French Polynesia. The first 1,000 Tahitian pearls were harvested in 1965.The first registered official export of 1,563g was in 1972.Nearly 40 years later, the Tahyitian pearl industry has matured , with an annual production of between 8 and 10 tonnes, generating an income of USD100 million to the black pearl paradise.

Encouraged by their success in growing marine pearls at the turn of the 20th century, some Japanese started experimenting with the culture of pearls in ponds and lakes. In the ’20s, the first batch of freshwater pearls were harvested in Lake Biwa. Until the ’70s, Japan dominated the freshwater pearl industry, and Biwa Pearls became the synonym of freshwater cultured pearls.

Records showed that the first successful harvest of Chinese freshwater pearls took place in 1968. The first pearls were small, rice-shaped and wrinkled. But China was a fast learner and by the 80s, it surprised the world with smooth-bodied , bigger and rounder pearls . Improvements and cultivation breakthroughs continue, and the size of freshwater pearls has increased from 5mm on average in the early ’90s to 8mm today.

Behind the 100 years of pearl culturing were many colorful individuals — adventurous and curious, daring in their dreams but industrious in turning their dreams into reality. Most of all , they have managed to join forces with nature to bring out cultured pearls that are larger and grander than natural pearls.

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Although they say that diamonds are a womans best friends, pearls have been their most faithful friends, loyal and dependable during ups and downs. Unlike diamonds, gold and platinum, pearls are easily affordable. They also look good no matter what the setting. They can carry off any look and any outfit. They are good for any occasion – party, funeral, business meeting or shopping spree. That is why consumers love pearls and pearl jewelry is so common.

Golden pearls are a relatively new entry into this market. They are also in high demand these days. One of the reasons is their newness, the other, their rarity. Also, gold South Sea Pearls are gorgeous to look at. However, golden pearls are quite expensive too, with deeper gold being more expensive than the lighter variety. A rope of top graded golden pearls can easily fetch more than a million dollars. Yes, they are THAT expensive.

For most ordinary folks like you and me, a pendant made of golden pearls or gold pearl earrings are the best bargain – beautiful, elegant, and most importantly, affordable. Since gold South Sea Pearls are available in impressive sizes, getting a beautiful pair of gold pearl earrings is not difficult, even though they are pricey.

Golden pearls are quite expensive, so they are worth the investment only if you take proper care of them.

Here are some tips on how to take care of your gold pearl earrings:

Use: It depends a lot on how you use your jewelry. If you like to have your earrings at all times, then you are asking for trouble. Pearl looses its sheen quickly when it is exposed to heat, harsh chemicals, oil and dirt. Heat can burn the pearl leaving it dark and discolored. Remove your gold pearl earrings before you go to sleep.

Storage: For maximum usage and beauty, preserve your pearls well when they are not in use. Do not store them with gemstones or other hard pieces of jewelry because pearls are by nature soft and vulnerable. Keep them in a soft pouch and wipe them gently before and after use.

Cleaning: When you need to clean your gold pearl earrings, use only special cleaners that have been set aside for that particular use. Some people use toothpaste, baking soda, detergents, soaps and shampoos on pearls. This is not advisable because the harsh chemicals in these can erode the pearl, leaving it colorless and faded. If you wear your gold pearl earrings to work, take care to wipe them with cotton before you store them. This is to wipe away any residual sweat or salt that may have settled on the pearl. Also, take care to avoid touching the pearl with your fingers all the time. Instead, hold the earring by its clasp.

Pearls are meant to be used by generations of people. They are hardy and they do not lose their beauty as they age. Preserving them in good condition is not difficult. Just remember that pearls are soft and are quite vulnerable. Treat them with loving care and affection, and they will stay by you forever.

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