Book Review: Pearls of Creation, A to Z of Pearls, Seond Edition, by Marjorie Dawson

Next to history and writing, another passion of mine is jewelry. Pearls of Creation, A to Z of Pearls, 2nd Addition, by Marjorie Dawson satisfies my jewelry sweet tooth. When you get a copy of this lovely book, do yourself a favor and just look at the pictures. Pristine waters and beaches, colorful sea life, mollusks, pearls, and beautiful jewels created from them. If you think pearls only came in colors of white, cream, pink, blue/green, and grey/black, you'll be surprised. If you thought that the only shape for a pearl is round, think again. If you believed pearls only came from oysters in the ocean, here's a pleasant surprise. There are endless variations of colors for both natural and cultured (farmed) pearls, as well as high quality synthetic pearls for the likes of me who can't afford the real stuff yet.

Dawson's book has six chapters, and primarily two parts. The first several chapters talk about the history of pearl use and cultivation, including extensive attention to freshwater pearls. Who knew that in the United States, between 1857-1889 (?), there was a small pearl rush in the eastern states, as people discovered they could find pearls in mollusks in lakes and rivers and sell them for a bit of change. Also, I was glad to learn that the lives of mollusks in pearl farms are not wasted. Many farms reseed their mollusks several times, and take great care to house the creatures in clean, nutritious water and stress free environments. Further, when I tried Dawson's test on a strand of my pearls that I was sure was freshwater and real, sadly they were too heavy, too smooth, and thus fake. Caring for pearls is easy, as they require only soap and water. Pearls love to be worn, even high quality synthetics, such as mine, lighten up when they're next to human skin.

The second part of the book is an appendix, literally the A to Z of terms relating to pearls, different shapes and colors of pearls, the pearl industry and creation of pearl jewelry. How does a pearl get from a mollusk in a lake, river or ocean to a jewelry store near you. The number of terms to describe the color, shape, size, and usage of pearls was amazing. For the history nut in me, I hope Marjorie decides to do a book about historical and famous pearls, such as La Peregrina (Liz Taylor's baby), La Pelegrina (with which it is often confused), the Kellie Pearl (in the Scottish royal crown), and others. Keep our fingers crossed.