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A History of Lingerie

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to take you on a historical journey full of allure, mystery, and desire of sinful proportions. I speak of course about the history of lingerie.' Walking along the main street or a local shopping mall, it doesn’t seem like just a hundred years ago that the idea of women’s underwear would be a taboo and unspoken topic. Strolling past Victoria’s Secret (I personally begin to wonder what “secrets” Victoria really has left) one must wonder how we reached this point. The lingerie industry is a boundless and rich commerce. In 2003 the global lingerie market was estimated around $29 billion dollars (that billion with a “B”). Out of those sales, bras made up about 56% of the sales and underwear were 29% of the sales, leaving the additional 15% made up in corsets, hosiery, garter belts, etc. But how did we get from hiding bloomers from our husbands to selling crotchless panties on the thoroughfare? To start, we must understand the original purpose ...
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Plumeria

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The plumeria flowering plant, also known as 'frangipani', that grows into scrubs and small trees. The plumeria grows five teardrop sized petals and come in various colors. There are more than 300 named varieties of plumeria. They are most commonly recognized in Hawaiian leis although they are not native to Hawaii. Actually, plumeria is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. They grow as far as Brazil. As well, they grow in tropical and sub-tropical environments. Plumeria, or frangipani, are named after a 16 th century Italian marquess that invented the first plumeria perfume, but it has many different names in different countries. In Persian its name is 'yas' or 'yasmine', India calls them 'champa', and in Hawaii they're called 'melia'. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka the plumeria is called 'araliya' which means Temple Tree . They are also the national flowers of Nicaragua and Laos. Plumeria h...
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Are My Pearls Real?

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Not sure if your pearl is or an imitation glass bead? Its not as hard to find out as you might think. First off, you can always take your pearls to a jewelers. A jeweler can authenticate and appraise your pearls, especially if you're thinking of selling or insuring them. The second method is the tooth test. DO NOT BITE YOUR PEARLS EVER! Not only will you damage your pearls but dental repairs are costly. A tooth test is a non-invasive and tends not to do damage to your pearl's surface (unless you press too hard, which can damage the pearl). The first step is to brush your teeth. You don't want to get any teeth cooties on your pearls and brushing helps perk up your teeths' sensitivity. Next, taking the pearl between your fingers, place the pearl against the flat part of your teeth. Your incisors (or upper teeth) work best but I've learned that your lower teeth work as well (I lost my incisors in a childhood accident and they were replaced by porce...
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Pearl Shapes and Grading

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Doing research on one topic always seem to lead to about three other topics. While researching pearls, both as a buyer and a blogger, I happened upon a couple dozen topics. Most recently, I ordered a necklace of akoya pearls from China. Now, like most buyers, I assumed my pearls would be perfectly round and have a glowing luster. But when I opened my package to view my new necklace, I was surprised to find a string of oddly shaped and grooved pearls. Now, for me, I loved the surprise. I wanted what I call “My Working Pearls” which means I'd have a pearl necklace I could casually wear while bringing a touch of elegance to my outfit. Since I have these delightfully quirky pearls, I thought it might be nice to share some of my knowledge of pearl shapes, luster, quality, and lengths. Pearls are graded into three categories:  A, AA, and AAA. AAA are upheld as the best, and usually most expensive, types of pearls. The different categories are decided by five factors, ...
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The Formation of a Pearl

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Since my two previous posts about opening my own oysters with pearls inside, I thought it might be time to ask “What is a pearl?” A pearl is considered by most people to be a gemstone but scientifically its classified as a mineral. The pearls that are used in jewelry and decorations generally come from oysters but most species of shelled mollusks, like oysters, clams, and mussels, can produce a pearl. For the sake of this blog, I'll focus on the oyster. A pearl is formed when a microscopic object gets stuck in the soft tissue, or mantle, of an oyster. This object could be a particle of sand, a bit of debris, or a parasite. Once this object gets stuck inside the oyster, it starts irritating the surrounding tissue. This irritation causes the oyster to go into defensive mode. The oyster will start secreting calcium carbonate (the same substance that makes up eggshells) around the object to prevent it from damaging the oyster's delicate tissues. This initial sec...
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Pearl Opening at Home

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Once Bryan and I had come home to dismal and cold Pittsburgh after two weeks of sunny and blessedly warm San Diego, we were still excited by the prospect of pearls in oysters. We both were disappointed we hadn't been able to open our own oyster. About a week after we got home, I found a seller on Ebay that sold akoya pearls in oysters. I can't express how thrilled I was to find this Ebay auction. For a small sum of $15 (just like the Pearl Factory) I was able to purchase an oyster with a double pearl. It took a couple of days (which I waited anxiously!) for the pearl to arrive. Bryan and I had agreed we wouldn't open the oyster until we could both be there. And of course the day it arrives, Bryan had plans to be out with the boys. Keeping to my word, I didn't open the oyster that night but spent the night watching “Pitch Perfect”. The next day we joined forces to open the oyster.....and it turned into a comedy of errors. Bryan and I started to shuck the ...
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A Pearl Story

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In March 2014 my boyfriend Bryan took me to San Diego. It was a wonderful, sun drenched time in southern California. We met seals, sea lions, pelicans, and even the occasional starfish. When we weren't checking out the beaches and piers, we were at Sea World. Sea lions at Sea World, San Diego             At Sea World on Mission Bay we feed sting rays (Bryan really connected with the sting rays), touched sharks, played with dolphins, and were all around marveled by the orca whales. While we were in Sea World we happened upon the Pearl Factory stand by the Pacific Point enclosure. When I had told my sister that we were going to Sea World that morning, she'd immediately said “Bring me back a pearl!”. My sister had gone to a Sea World on a field trip a long time ago and she'd gotten a pearl from a pearl diver in the park, and its a memory that she cherishes dearly. So when I came upon the Pearl Factory stand, I went ...
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