Antiques: Pearls: Gem with a past, a still lustrous future: "Ah, pearls: lustrous to the eye, smooth on the skin, and very hard to resist. Maybe you're thinking of buying some for your valentine.
Virtually since the first explorers came ashore from the Atlantic, pearls have been an American favorite. The Western Hemisphere became known as the 'Land of Pearls' when Columbus discovered an abundant supply of saltwater pearls off the coast of Venezuela in 1498."