Pearls

My love affair with Tahitian pearls began when we travelled to Moorea and Bora Bora about 3 1/2 years ago. While there, we learned about how the pearls are grown, their unique colors and lustre, the different shapes they can have etc..... Of course I wanted a Tahitian pearl to take home as an appropriate souvenir. The one pendant that we could afford was "imperfect;" it was tear-shaped and had circular grooves at the top. But I loved it because it was imperfect. I wasn't really enraptured by the perfectly round, perfectly paired, perfectly matched and arranged pearl. Barf! I needed a little more organic and "real-ness" to my pearl. So my adoration for Tahitian pearls had begun.

While in New York, after eating a large meal and drinking a bottle of wine, we were pushing our way around Chinatown and found ourselves in a jewelry store. Sort-of just looking for fun, we eyed a few loose Tahitian pearls to make as earrings. Hmmmmm.... not quite right. I have small ear lobes. The lady behind the counter was trying to sell us a strand of perfectly shaped black pearls, which I thought looked like glass, not pearl. I asked to see the ones below, the big, not-perfectly round or smooth Tahitian pearls. At least I knew the imperfections wouldn't be fake. In our enamoured love for vacation and Tahitian pearls we offered a very low price for the strand; and our lady bartered a little, but we took them home at a price that we were very, very, happy with-"wholesale", as she liked to call it.

I really like these pearls. They are heavy. The strand is substantial against my skin and hanging from my neck. They remind me that imperfections are beautiful. Imperfections are life. And, I think that's why I like the imperfect instead of the perfect. They have character. A sign that a tiny little irritating piece of sand can turn into a beautiful token of adornment, and show signs of it's struggle. Not perfect, but just right.