Polissena (9A)

It is not a stone but a grain of sand, a fragment of coral or a parasite infiltrated inside an oyster, which covers it with beautiful layers of mother-of-pearl to protect itself. The main varieties are the Akoya Pearl (Japan), the Fresh Water Pearl (China, Japan), the South Sea Pearl (Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines) and the Tahitian Pearl. They are said to be the symbol of purity and love. According to Eastern tradition, they are dew drops caught by the oysters.