Pearls:TheStarsoftheSea

IsabelPaner
7December2014
Dr.KiowaBower
BigHistory,FYE2000,Section1

Pearls:TheStarsoftheSea
Forthousandsofyears,thebeautifulpearlhasbeentreasuredforitslustrousgleam.
Althoughitssizeisunassuming,thissphericalgemhasbeenprizedasjewelryandadornments,
andspeaksofastorymuchlargerthanitself.Thisstory,BigHistory,coversthehistoryofthe
universe,fromitscreation13.7billionyearsagountilthepresent,encompassingthecreationof
starsandchemicalelements,theformationoflife,andtheuniqueadaptationsthatsethumans
apartfromtherestoftheworld.Througheightthresholds,BigHistorytracesthecomplexityof
theuniverseandallthatinhabitsit.Likewise,thepearlcanbetracedfromthebeginningoftime,
whentheuniversestartedwithnothing,tothefuture,whenitwillbestillbevaluedasithasbeen
formillennia.Amerespeckintheuniverse,thisgemwouldnothavebeenprizedifnotfor
humans,andwouldnothavecomeintoexistencewithoutthecreationofchemicalelementsthat
makeupnacre,thegleamingsubstanceapearlismadeof.Asanownerofpearlnecklacesand
earrings,Iknowthevalueofthislustrousorbitcomesinaplethoraofcolors,fromblackto
pinktogold.Withaconnectiontoalleightthresholds,thisvaluablegemiswoventhroughthe
fabricofhistory,fromtheexplosionsofthefirststarstotheevolutionofhumanityandbeyond.
Thepearlcanbetracedtotheformationoftheuniverseanditsconstantexpansion,along
withtheformationofthefourfundamentalforces:gravity,strongandweaknuclear,and
electromagnetic.BecauseoftheBigBang,energy,suchasmotionandlight,cameintoexistence,
aswellassubatomicparticlesthataroseinthefirstfractionofasecond(Benjamin,Brown,and
Christian,19).Liketheuniverse,apearlalsohasabeginning.Whenanirritantentersanoyster,
itsecretesnacre,ormotherofpearl,aroundit.Thishard,crystallinematerialislayeredaround
theirritant,expandingliketheuniverse,untilalustrouspearlisformedandremovedfromthe

oyster(Melina,1).Despiteitssmallsize,apearlhasmass.Consequently,ithasgravity,andis
thereforechainedtotheearth.Energy,ofcourse,itsinvolvedinthecreationofapearlthe
irritantwaslodgedinsidetheoysterthroughmotionandtheoystersdefensivemeasuresto
secretenacrearoundtheirritantalsotakesenergy.
Inthesecondthreshold,theuniversewassimplynothingnessatthebeginning,butsoon
wasfilledwithglowingstarsthatstillformtothisday,similartohowtheoystersarefilledwith
apearlonlyafteranirritantislodgedwithinit.Starsareformedbythecondensationofgas
underincreasinggravityanddensity,andtemperaturerisesasdensityincreases.Whenthestaris
hotenough,hydrogenfusesintohelium,lightinguptheclusterofgas.Therearemanydifferent
typesofstars,suchasaredgiant,awhitedwarf,andamassivestar.(Benjamin,Brown,and
Christian,23).Pearlsalsocomeinmanyshapesandsizes,suchasround,pear,drop,and
baroque.Likeastar,thepearlcomesinakaleidoscopeofcolors,frompinktowhitetoblack.
Whilethereisnoheatinvolvedintheformationofapearl,itistheproductoflayeruponlayerof
nacre,muchlikehowthestaristheproductofcondensedgas,heldtogetherbygravity
(dHauteserre,1).Starsconverthydrogenintohelium,andverylargestarscancreateelements
uptoironthroughthecollisionoftwoatoms,whichcollidetogetherfastenoughduetohigh
temperatures,overcomingelectricalrepulsion(Benjamin,Brown,andChristian,23).Thethird
thresholdstatestherestoftheelementsuptouraniumcomefromasupernova,oramassive
explosionthatcreatestheseelementsinamatterofsecondsduetoextremelyhightemperatures.
Theyarethenscatteredthroughouttheuniverse.Nacre,thematerialthatmakesupapearl,is
madeofcalciumcarbonate(Shirai,39).Carbonateismadeupofcarbonandoxygen,andthese
twoelements,alongwithcalcium,areallcreatedthroughthefusionofatomsinastar.Theyare

heavierthanhydrogenandhelium,butarenotasheavyasthosecreatedinasupernovaandare
notradioactive.
Thefourththresholdstatesoursolarsystemwasformedwiththehelpofgravitythis
forcedpulledasolarnebulatogether,creatingthesun,similartohowpearlsareformedwiththe
helpofgravitykeepingnacretogether.Planetswereformedthroughaccretion,orwhenparticles
ordebriscollidetoformevenbiggerparticles,andcirclethesuninellipticalorbitals.Earthwas
formedpartiallythroughdifferentiation,whichcontributedtoitslayeredstructure,andour
continentswereformedthroughplatetectonics,whichshiftourplanetscrust.Duringthe
HadeanandearlyArchaeanera,theEarthbecameenvelopedbytheatmosphere,whichis
comprisedofgasesnecessaryforlife(Benjamin,Brown,andChristian,45).Waterisalso
necessary,whichiswherethepearldwells,sinceitismadeinanoyster,whichisanaquatic
shellfishthatlivesineitherfreshwaterorsaltwater.Whilethepearldoesnotorbit,thewayitis
formedissimilartoaccretion.Theirritantisaminusculeobject,butthenacresecretedaroundit
growsinsizemuchlikehowaplanetesimalbecomeslargerasmoredebriscollidewithit
(Melina,1).Nacreisalsocomprisedpartiallyofoxygen,whichmakesuppartofcalcium
carbonate,oneoftheelementsessentialforlife.
Inthefifththreshold,theemergenceoflifeonEarthowesmuchtoevolutionand
adaptation,andallorganismsarereproductive,adaptive,andmetabolic,suchtheoyster,whose
adaptationshavelentahandintheformationofpearls.Adaptationiskeyfornaturalselection,
whichiswhenthegeneticmutationsthatalloworganismstosurviveandreproduceareselected
tobecarriedontooffspring.Lifestartedfromasinglecell,andovertime,newformsfrom
amoebastoplantstoanimals,rangingfrommammalstoreptiles,cametobe(Benjamin,Brown,

andChristian,67).Thepearlistheresultofanoystersgeneticadaptationtoitsenvironment.
Theoysterhasdevisedaningeniouswaytoprotectitselffromanirritantlodgedinsideitby
secretingnacrearoundapieceofdebrisorparasiteuntilagloriouspearlisformed(Pearl,1).
Muchlikehowhumanshaveshapedtheevolutionofsomeorganismstobenefitthemselves,such
asdogsbeingmoldedintohuntingdogsordomesticcompanions,humansareabletomanually
insertanirritantandcreatepearls(Shirai,65).
Inthesixththreshold,theemergenceofHomoSapiensisdiscussed,alongwith
innovationbroughtbyevolution,suchastheemergenceoftoolsandornamentalobjects,likea
pearlusedforjewelry.Althoughsomeearlyprotohumanancestors,suchtheAustralopithecines,
showedlittlesignsoftoolandfireuse,thespeciesofHomoErectuswasknowntomakeuseof
tools,suchasstonehammers,andfire.However,thespeciesofHomoSapiens,appearing
200,000to300,000yearsagoinAfrica,revolutionizedsocietythroughcollectivelearningand
rapidadaptationtonewenvironments(Benjamin,Brown,andChristian,88).Humansmadeuse
oftheresourcessurroundingthemwithnewtechnologiesandtools,alongwiththecreationofart
andclothing.Preciousgemsandmetalsstartedtobeusedforornamentalobjects,andthepearl
wasoneofthesegems.Strungonnecklacesandmountedonearrings,theseluminousorbshave
beenprizedbyhumanforthousandsofyears,althoughtheirvaluehassincegonedowndueto
increasedavailabilityandmanmadepearls(Bloom,21).Ancientcivilizations,suchasthosein
ChinaandRome,treasuredthesegems,whichwereoftenonlyfortherichduetotherarityand
expensivecostofthenaturalpearl(Ward,1).Humansneednourishment,andearlyhuman
communitieswerecomprisedofforagers,wholivedanomadiclifestyle.Ascommunities

expanded,sodidtheirwaysofgatheringfood,andsomehumanstookfromthesea.Theoyster,
whichapearlgrowsin,isoftheseorganismsfoundintheoceancollectedbyhumansforfood.
Inthesevenththreshold,theAgriculturalRevolution,whenhumansswitchedfrom
extensificationtointensification,ledtopopulationgrowth,theformationofcitystates,and
highlyimprovedmethodsoffarming(Benjamin,Brown,andChristian,115).Muchlikehow
farmingwasrevolutionizedthroughtheagriculturalrevolution,leadingtotheuseofmore
complextoolsandmethods,theproductionofpearlsprogressedfromtheharvestofnatural
pearlstothecultivationofthesegemsbyplacingasmallbeadintheoysterandwaitingforthe
pearltoform.JustastheAgriculturalRevolutionspreadacrosstheworldassocietiesbeganto
fillcitystatesineverycorneroftheglobe,thecultivationofpearlsexpandedthroughcountless
countries(Bloom,8).FromthecoastsofIndiaandCentralAmerica,totheriverbasinsinOhio
andMississippi,oysterbedsarefoundallovertheworld.DuringtheAgriculturalRevolution,
speciesweredomesticatedinordertobemoresuitableforconsumptionandprofit,andthe
environmentchangedduetotheeradicationofunwantedplantspeciesandmodificationofmany
others,bothanimalandplant(Benjamin,Brown,andChristian,123).Likewise,thepearl
farmingindustrythrivedasdemandincreased,andthesegemshavebeencultivatedformass
production,harvestedinlargeamounts.InChina,pearlsaremainlycultivatedinfreshwater
riversandponds,startinginthe12thand3thcentury,whilethoseinJapanarefoundinsaltwater,
itsindustryhavingstartedinapproximately1890(Ward,1).
Intheeighththreshold,theModernRevolutionledtoanexplosionofinnovation,a
capitalisticsociety,andimprovedtechnology.Duetothisrapidgrowthinpopulationand
technology,pearlswerecultivatedtoensureaconstantsupplytojewellers(DHauteserre,1).

WiththeriseoftheIndustrialRevolution,anincreasedglobalinequalityformed,alongwith
distinctsocialclasses,leadingtoawagegapnecessaryforcapitalismtowork.Advanced
technologyarosewiththecreationoffactoriesandsteampower,allowingitemstobeproduced
rapidlyinlargeamounts,asopposedtosmallscale,householdproduction(Benjamin,Brown,
andChristian,248).Pearls,onceonlypurchasedbythewealthyandnoble,becameajewel
availabletothemassesduetoinnovationinpearlfarming.MuchliketheIndustrialRevolutions
largescaleproduction,thesegemsarenowproducedinpearlfarmsacrosstheglobe,from
saltwatertofreshwater.Pearlsarecreatedinanarrayofshapesandcolors,meetingthegrowing
demandofthemasses,andwhilestillfairlyexpensive,aremuchmoreaffordablefortheaverage
person(Ward,1).Yetdespitetheamountofinnovationtakingplace,Earthsclimatehastakena
hit.Oceans,homesoftheoystersinwhichpearlsform,havenotescapedpollution.
Thepearlhasexistedformillennia,andwillcontinuingexistingaslongasoystersdonot
goextinct.Becausethepearlreliesontheoystersecretinglayeruponlayerofnacrearoundan
irritant,theoystermustcontinuetoreproduceforgenerationstocomeinorderformorepearlsto
becontinuouslyformed.Althoughthereisariskoftheoystergoingextinct,itishighlyunlikely
duetorisingawarenessofprotectingtheoceananditscreatures.Thepearlisprizedforits
sphericalshapeandlustrousgleam,andcontinuestobeapopulargemtobeusedinjewelry.
Theyhavebeenusedsincethefifthcentury,inancientcivilizationssuchasAncientRome,when
womenthreadedpearlsintotheirgownsandcouches.Thisdocumentationisproofofthe
timelessnessofthepearlsincethen,thesegemshavecontinuedtobeusedinadornments
rangingfromnecklacestoearringstocrowns(Bloom,21).Duetothepopularityoffashionand
thedemandofjewelry,thepearlwillcontinuetobeatreasuredgemusedforthousandsofyears

tocome.Consequently,itsexistenceisextremelystable,andcaterstomany.FromSouthSeato
Akoyapearls,thesegemsdonotlackinvariety,whichaddstotheirvalue.Inaslittleastenyears
fromnow,thepearlsvaluewillnotdecrease,norwillitdecreaseinahundredyears.Whilethe
pearlhaslostitsmonetaryvalueduetomassproductionandincreasedavailability,itisstill
prizedasabeautifulgem,andwillbeseenassuchinthefuture.Peoplewillalwayswantgifts
fortheirlovedones,oraccessoriesforthemselves,andthepearlistheperfectfit.
Formedbyanoystersprotectivereflexwhenfacedwithanirritant,thepearlundergoesa
journeyasitisformedbylayersuponlayersofnacre,andcanbeconnectedtothejourneyofthe
universe.Withouttheevolutionoflife,whenthefirstoystercameintotheexistence,thepearl
wouldnothavebeencreated.Thisgemwouldnotbeprizedforitssphericalshapeandluminous
glow,either,ifnotfortheconceptofartandbeautyformedbyhumansinsociety.Ithasbeen
affectedbyhumanexpansionandgrowingpopulations,especiallyduringtheIndustrial
Revolution,andpearlcultivationhasbloomedintoabusinessthatresultsintheproductionof
millionsofthesegems.Adorningthousandsofitemsofjewelrymadetocatertoallsocial
classes,whomakeupourcapitalisticsociety,thepearlhasgonefromararegemonlyavailable
tothewealthytoabeautifulaccessorymanycanpurchase.Althoughthissmallorbseems
insignificantwhenputagainstthegrandnessoftheuniverse,itispartoftheincreasing
complexityofourworldanditsinhabitants.

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