Mother of pearl is incredibly popular in the Middle East, making it a huge part of many of our most popular Holy Land gifts. That very popularity has done what greed and the desire for profit usually do, however, and encouraged many mother of pearl retailers to begin manufacturing "fake" mother of pearl (iridescent plastic) and market it as the real thing. So how can you tell when it's real and when you're looking at a fraud?
What is Mother of Pearl?
Before you can accurately launch a quest to differentiate real mother of pearl from a cleverly disguised fake you should know what mother of pearl is. Mother of pearl (also known as nacre) is, quite literally, the "mother" of today's pearls. It's the iridescent layer of material that makes of the shell lining of many mollusks and is made up of plates of aragonite combined with an organic material that strongly resembles silk to make it both strong and flexible and suitable for use in jewelry making.
When an irritant comes into contact with the mother of pearl the organism forms a large bump around it to create an actual pearl.
How to Tell if It's Mother of Pearl or Just Pretty Plastic
There are many opinions out there on how to differentiate real mother of pearl from fake when you're shopping in wares from the Middle East. One savvy shopper recommends a bit test (if possible), stating, "If it doesn't click, its plastic." Beware, they break. Others say real mother of pearl is usually colder than room temperature. If you happen to be talking about buttons or small accessories you can usually look at the reverse side to get a feel for whether it's plastic or real mother of pearl.
Go Straight to the Source
Over time you'll develop a feel for accurately determining which products contain real mother of pearl and which simply clever fakes are. Until then, consider asking retailers for the source of their products. Remember, real mother of pearl comes from mollusks and therefore originates in areas where these organisms can be found. It's native to the Middle East, but chief sources for today's products come from the pearl oyster, freshwater pearl mussels and abalone.
Pearl oysters used commercially are found in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean and parts of the Western Pacific. Some are also harvested in the waters off the Australian coast, particularly the Shark Bay pearl oyster. Certain species are also harvested off the coasts of Fiji, Tahiti, Myanmar, Baja and the Philippines.
Freshwater pearl mussels are listed as an endangered species but are still harvested by permit. They are native to the northern regions of the world, specifically eastern Canada and New England, Russia and Continental Europe. Abalone is considerably more 太陽眼鏡品牌 common and much less endangered and can be found along the coastal waters of every continent, with the exception of certain parts of the eastern Atlantic. Most are harvested in the cold waters off the southern coasts of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia as well as certain parts of western North America and Japan. Inquiring into the source materials of your products should give you a very accurate idea of whether you're dealing with the real thing or a cleverly disguised piece of iridescent plastic.
The invention of eyeglasses was hailed as a revolutionary step forward in the battle against defective vision. However, this new development was not devoid of its share of problems.
People felt were awkward wearing eyeglasses. They were not comfortable about advertising their disability in public. They felt they would invite ridicule from those who had healthy eyes and that is exactly what happened.
Some resorted to using eyeglasses only in private. The English and French invented 'monocular', which could be easily hidden when not in use.
From Childhood To Adolescence
The manufacture and sale of eyeglasses was a lucrative business. However, customer dissatisfaction put the manufacturers on guard. They resorted to innovations and inventions to popularize the use of eyeglasses.
The monocle, also known as the eye ring, was first seen in England in 1800 and the elite took to them like fish takes to water. Monocles soon became a symbol of respectability and panache.
The popularity of monocles with the British elite led to an increase in its popularity in Europe and even Russia.
Another innovation was the lorgnette. The lorgnette is an eyeglass that has two lenses fitted in a frame and held in a handle. Instead of being worn on the face, the lorgnette was held in the hand and used when required.
Lorgnettes were marketed as style accessories and the products were embellished with artistic designs. This made them very popular with women, who despised wearing ordinary spectacles.
The 1840's saw the invention of the pince-nez. The pince-nez can be described as an eyeglass without temples. They became very popular among men as well as women.
They were available in different styles and helped keep the eyeglass revolution alive. Men preferred pince-nez that were:
o Heavy and round, or
o Oval shaped
o Attached to a cord or chain
o Placed around the neck or
o Pinned to the lapel
Ladies preferred:
o Oval and rimless glasses
o Attached to a delicate chain
o Suitable to be hidden in the lady's dress.
Despite all these marked improvements in eyeglass styles, even as late as the 20th century, eyeglasses were considered disfiguring, especially for women and girls. Though sunglasses did become extremely popular starting from 1930, eyeglasses were always viewed as a disfiguring though very practical aid for one's eyesight.
While all the modifications and innovations became popular, eyeglasses were still very unpopular. They were considered disfiguring and avoided at all costs. The eyeglasses were tolerated but never liked or loved.
Adulthood Brought Popularity
However, the recent developments have changed the way the world looks at eyeglasses. Far from being an outcast, the eyeglass has become the most popular fashion accessory of all times.
Makers used high quality metals and plastics to make the glasses look good and cool. Top brands entered the market and the people were finally convinced that eyeglasses were not such a bad thing after all.
New frames, colors, designs and lenses- all helped improve the popularity of the eyeglasses. So much so that people are buying zero powered eyeglasses even if nothing is wrong with their vision.