Ecuador Pearl Diamond Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

During the pre-Inca period, people lived in clans, which formed great tribes, some allied with each other to form powerful confederations, as the Confederation of Quito. But none of these confederations could resist the formidable momentum of the Tawantinsuyu. The invasion of the Inca in the 15th century was very painful and bloody. However, once occupied by the Quito hosts of Huayna Capac (1593–1595), the Incas developed an extensive administration and began the colonization of the region. The pre-Columbian era can be divided up into four eras: the Preceramic Period, the Formative Period, the Period of Regional Development, and the Period of Integration and the Arrival of the Incas.

The Preceramic period begins with the end of the first ice age and continues through 4200BC. The Las Vegas culture and The Inga Cultures dominated this period. The Las Vegas culture lived on the Santa Elena Peninsula on coast of Ecuador between 9,000-6,000 bc. The earliest people were hunter-gathers and fisherman. Approximately 6,000 bc the culture were among the first to begin farming.[1] The Inga lived in the Sierra near present-day Quito between 9000 and 8000 BC along an ancient trade route.[2]

Chorrera Figurine

During the Formative Period, people of the region moved from the hunter-gather a simple farming into a more developed society, with permanent developments, an increase in agriculture and the use of ceramics. New cultures included the Machalilla culture, Valdivia, Chorrera in the coast; Cotocollao, The Chimba in the sierra; and Pastaza, Chiguaza in the oriental region. The Valdivia culture is the first culture where significant remains have been discovered. Their civilization dates back as early as 3500 B.C. Living in the area near The Valdivias, they were the first Americans to use pottery. They navigated the seas and established a trade network with tribes in the

East Timor Pearl Fashion Diamond Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

The architect of a Broome-based Timorese maritime training program claims WA pearl producer Clipper Pearls has exposed cadets to "extreme and unsafe" working conditions at sea, resulting in fatigue, sickness and injury.

In 2010, Timor-Leste Australia Development Facility chief executive Kevin Austin partnered Clipper Pearls to train 16 Timorese to become pearl divers and deckhands over two years under Australian employment and safety conditions.

A joint pilot program of the Australian and East Timorese governments, it was the first time foreigners had been allowed to do paid training in a primary industry in WA, using stream three of the 442 visa scheme.

Mr Austin has demanded an investigation into the safety and self-regulation of WA's $200 million pearling industry, claiming the Timorese were asked to meet excessive production targets.

He claims the cadets were forced to lift heavy double pearl shell panels that Australians had refused to lift for safety reasons.

He also claims the cadets' meals were delayed and work hours extended, resulting in sickness, injury and fatigue.

Mr Austin said Clipper Pearls had refused his requests to introduce critical safety measures, including standard operating procedures and checklists for duties at sea.

Complaints to Clipper Pearls' parent company, Autore Pearls, had resulted in the partnership being terminated.

Dominican Republic Pearl Diamond Jewelry.

 By Aamir Mannan.

ALL NATURAL BEAUTY

Conch pearls are such rare and unique gems they can be far more expensive than any other natural pearls. Technically speaking, they are not true pearls, as these may be described as 'nacreous encrusted foreign bodies'. Instead, they are calcareous concretions formed inside the animal's flesh in response to tiny holes drilled in the shell by marine worms. Moreover, they are not easy to find; although the ratio in the wild of one pearl in ten thousand shells is widely regarded as true, recent studies suggest it may be as many as one in a thousand. Still very few, specially taking into account that only one out of ten such pearls reaches 'gem status'. This adds to their rarity and high value. Unlike nacreous 

pearls, which have been cultured since the 1920s, a method for culturing conch pearls has been developped very recently by scientists from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI).The research team claims be able to produce both nucleated and non-nucleated pearls. Further information should be available soon.

Although the spiral shell of the Queen Conch was used by some pre-Colombian cultures as a ceremonial music instrument, there are no historic records of the use of its pearls in jewelry before the mid 1800s. 

The subtle yet lively touch of pink blush of a pink conch pearl can enhance platinum jewelry like no other gem. Edwardian designers of the late 19th century were quite aware of this, and Art Nouveau jewelers of the early 20th century incorporated them gracefully in their nature-inspired pieces.After World War I, the interest in conch pearls totally decreased and it was not until the 1980s that they regained the attention of designers. In 1987, Elizabeth Taylor endorsed Harry Winston's jewelry by wearing a conch pearl necklace and earring suite.

 Dominica Pearl Diamond Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

Amber, a fossil resin, is one of the few substances aside from diamond, jet, pearl and ivory that is considered a gem but is not a mineral. It was formed when sap emitted from trees dried up and hardened. The sap could have come out of the tree bark in a single drip, a large amount could have flowed out at one time or it could have come out several drips, one after another. The later method of multiple drops is known as shlaubs and generally has more fossil inclusions because the initial drops would catch the insects or animals and the subsequent drops would naturally cover them.

Nowhere in the world can it be found with the VARIETY OF COLORS same density as in the Dominican Republic. Actually, a large percentage of the amber used in commercial jewelry production comes from the Dominican Republic. Due to the year round warm climate, the amber found in the Dominican Republic also has a higher concentration of fossils and insects than anywhere else in the world. This makes it highly sought after by collectors and scientists alike.

There are three main amber mining sites in the Dominican Republic located in the northeast and southeast. They are the Cordillera Septentrional in the north (Santiago and Puerto Plata provinces, and Bayaguana and Sabena in the east. Amber, it has been determined, in the DR is primarily located at elevations that run over faults. Although it is theorized that these places had once been part of the same sedimentary basin but had been separated by movements along major faults, the amber was formed differently in the Septentrional range than in the hills of Bayaguana and Sabena. In the north, it was formed by caustic rocks or sandstone accumulating in deep water and in the east it is found in sand, clay or gravel.

Djibouti Pearl Diamond Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

The V&A’s fall exhibition is titled simply Pearls: no more is needed to evoke the most elegant of jewels. From the neck of our grandmothers to Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany, pearls are truly timeless. Handed down from a generation to the next, they defy change with their candid sheen. Yet, for all its dreamy atmosphere, the V&A’s exhibition reveals that the most coveted of jewels has a long and adventurous history.

The exhibition’s portrayal of the history of pearls begins – perhaps too Eurocentrically – with the tradition of the ‘cabinet of curiosities,’ the encyclopaedic microcosms constructed by early modern princes and scholars. Reflecting man’s privileged place in God’s creation, the cabinets juxtaposed the creations of art and nature, with one always trying to outdo the other in a battle of conceits. Fished from the seas yet selected and mounted with matchless artistry, pearls captured the transition of human creation into divine

Denmark Pearl Diamond Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

In the webpage dealing with the "History of the Discovery and Appreciation of Pearls - the Organic Gem Perfected by Nature - Page 1" it was shown without any ambiguity that pearls were first discovered and came to be appreciated in the East or the Orient. Several lines of evidence, both historical and archaeological  were presented that consolidated this view, the most significant among which was the fact that historically the most ancient sources of pearls in the world, such as the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Mannar, were the same regions where some of the earliest human civilizations began, such as the ancient Sumerian 

civilization of Mesopotamia, "the cradle of human civilization" and the ancient Egyptian civilization. It appears that the discovery and appreciation of pearls went hand-in-hand with the development of ancient human civilizations. The oldest pearls identified in the Persian Gulf region, a single pierced-pearl and mother-of-pearl artifacts comes from As-Sabiyah, Kuwait, dating back to the late stone age, 6,000-5,000 B.C.E. (7,000-8,000 B.P.). Another solitary pearl belonging to the same period was found among human remains at a site in Umm al-Quwain. A third single pierced-pearl near a female 

chin and mother-of-pearl pendants dating back to 5,200-4,200 B.C.E. (7,200-6,200 B.P.) was recovered from a site in Jebel al-Buhais, in Sharjah. Other ancient pearls ranging in age from 4,000-1,000 B.C.E. (6,000-3,000 B.P.) were also discovered from sites in Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait and Palestine. These areas where the discoveries were made were part of the ancient Sumerian (5,900-2,350 B.C.), Akkadian (2,350-2,193 B.C.),  Babylonian (2,100-1,600 B.C.) or Assyrian empires (2,000-1,800 B.C.). and the age of the pearl or pearl jewelry discovered roughly coincide with the period of these ancient civilizations. Burial of people with a pierced pearl in their right hands appear to be a common custom prevalent during these ancient periods. Thus, without any doubt the Persian Gulf region, appears to be one of

Czech Republic Fashion Model Pearl Diamond Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

The history of what are now known as the Czech lands (Czech: České země) is very diverse. These lands have changed hands many times, and have been known by a variety of different names. Up until the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy after the First World War, the lands were known as the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and formed a constituent state of that empire: the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Prior to the Battle of Mohács, the Kingdom was an independent state within the Holy Roman Empire. After that battle the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were incorporated into the Austrian Empire, and later into the aforementioned Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

They came to be known as the Czech lands after the fall of the Empire, and the rise of the First Czechoslovak Republic, when the term Bohemia (Czech: Čechy), which also refers to the core region of the former kingdom, was no longer deemed acceptable by those in Moravia and Czech Silesia. The integral Czech lands now form the boundaries of the Czech Republic.

Cyprus Pearl Diamond Fashion Jewelllery.

By Aamir mannan. 

The pearl is unique, the only gemstone that grows in a living organism.

Pearl is a natural gem with the longest history on earth. Unlike other gemstones composed with minerals and born after a procedure of production, pearls posses an inherent loveliness, without any manpower. Pearls are soft compared with other gems and precious metals.

Therefore, special care is essential...

     

       Cosmetics, perfume and hair spray, which contain chemicals, can dull its luster. Sweating also leads to a similar effect.

       Always keep your pearls separated from hard jewelry items and are best kept in a soft cloth pouch or a jewelry box.

The string of pearls should be restrung if worn often.

France Pearl Diamond Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

A cuneiform inscription on a broken obelisk probably erected by the king of Nineveh, the 3rd capital city of the Assyrian empire (presently situated just outside Mosul in Iraq, on the east bank of the River Tigris) during the neo-Assyrian period from 911-612 B.C. was deciphered by the famous Assyriologist  Professor Jules Oppert. His translation of this inscription reads as follows :-

In the sea of the changeable winds,                                        his merchants fished for pearls,                                                     In the sea where the North Star culminates,                               they fished for yellow amber.

The reference to "the sea of the changeable winds" in this inscription,, is a reference to the Persian Gulf, and provides evidence for the antiquity of the pearl fisheries carried out in it, dating back to around 900-600 B.C.

 French Guiana Pearl Diamond Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

The Greek philosopher Theophrastus, pupil and successor of Aristotle in the Peripatetic school who lived in the period 371-287 B.C. and whose interests apart from philosophy that included grammar, language, logic, ethics and metaphysics, also included medieval science such as biology and physics, wrote in 315 B.C. that pearls came from the waters off the coast of India, and certain islands in the Red Sea and in the Sinus Persicus (Persian Gulf).Another ancient cuneiform tablet dated around 2,000 B.C. was found at Ur of the Chaldees, believed to be the birthplace of Patriarch Abraham. The inscription on this tablet, refers to a parcel of "fish eyes" from Dilmun, which some scholars have interpreted to mean pearls from Bahrain Island, that was sent to Babylon, the capital city of the ancient Babylonian empire (from around 2,000 B.C to 539 B.C.), which is today in present day Iraq.

Another ancient cuneiform tablet dated around 2,000 B.C. was found at Ur of the Chaldees, believed to be the birthplace of Patriarch Abraham. The inscription on this tablet, refers to a parcel of "fish eyes" from Dilmun, which some scholars have interpreted to mean pearls from Bahrain Island, that was sent to Babylon, the capital city of the ancient Babylonian empire (from around 2,000 B.C to 539 B.C.), which is today in present day Iraq.

French Polynesia Pearl Diamond Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.
Megasthenes, the Greek geographer and writer, who was born in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and lived during the period 350-290 B.C. accompanied Alexander's general Seleucus Nicator in his Asiatic conquests, and was later appointed as ambassador to the court of Sandrocottus (Chandragupta Maurya) in Pataliputra, India. He entered India through the land of the five rivers, the Punjab, and proceeded by road to Pataliputra. During his assignment in India he visited many regions of India, including Madurai, the capital of the Pandya kingdom. While in southern India, he also learnt about the neighboring island of Sri Lanka which he called "Taprobane," and its valuable resources, such as pearls and a variety of gemstones. Subsequently he wrote his famous work "Indica" in which he wrote that Taprobane was an important source of large pearls. Megasthenes in his works also wrote about the pearl fishery in the Persian Gulf.

French Southern Territories pearl jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

Androsthenes of Thasos, another 4th-century B.C. geographer and explorer, also participated in the expeditions of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) in Asia. Alexander sent Androsthenes down the Eupharates to explore the Arabian coast, which he did with Nearchus, in a triacontor, sailing farther than Archias of Pella. Previously Archias, who served as trierarch (commander of trireme-galley used as warship) under admiral Nearchus, was dispatched down the Eupharates on the same mission, with a galley of 30 oars. He sailed down the Euphrates, entered the Persian Gulf and moved down the eastern Arabian coast, and eventually reached the Island of Tylos (Bahrain).  Archais reported that the Island of Tylos was "about a day and a night's sail from the mouth of the Euphrates. Androsthenes and Nearchus reached the Island of Tylos, and reported about the pearl fishery centered around this island. They then moved further downwards along the eastern Arabian coast and discovered another pearling island, a little to the west of the Straits of Hormuz, which Pliny subsequently named the Island of Stoidis.

Cuba Pearl Wedding Party Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Manan.

Today many Cuban women wear clothing based in tradition and culture, according to the Journeywoman website. Traditional outfits involve bright colors, such as red, orange, purple and baby blue and patterns such as stripes and polka dots. Tube tops or tightly fitting, sleeveless blouses with a low cut are paired with a short skirt. Journeywoman also notes that while Cuban women are comfortable and safe in this ensemble, visiting women should wear more conservative attire.

The guayabera is a lightweight, pleated, button-down shirt, typically with four large pockets on the front and an embroidered design. The shirt is often white and made of cotton or linen, though women periodically where guayberas in other colors. The shirts are rumored to have originated in Cuba's Sancti Spiritus by farm workers who turned linen sheets into shirts with large pockets to hold their cigars. Today the shirt is required wear at state functions for both female and male government officials, notes The Guardian's website. Women also periodically wear a guayabera dress, fashioned after the shirt, though the top is more popular.

15th Birthday Attire

Croatia Bridal Weddings Pearl Women Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

Croatia People of Croatia have a phenomenal heritge, which is their traditional clothing worn by them, who not only live in the Republic of Croatia but also by the other Croats who are scattered in different areas of other Central European states. This is also a bitter fact that the most of the Croats have left the centuries old custom of wearing the traditional dress of Croatia and use Western-style clothing on a daily basis. Now, the traditional attires are worn by the people of Croatia on the events of national importance, festive moments, wedding celebrations and religious ceremonies.

The women or Croatia in traditional cpstumes - Image :Radio Velika Goriaca - RVG

The women or Croatia in traditional cpstumes – Image :Radio Velika Goriaca – RVG

The females of Croatia usually wear the dresses that consist a plain white dress or blouse (košulja) or underskirt (skutići), which is usually the basic form of the costume. It is then added with other clothing and decorations, which may include another overdress or skirt (kotula), a decorative jacket (djaketa, paletun or koret), apron (ogrnjač or pregjača), scarf (ubrsac), kerchief or shawl which are usually decorated with a floral or animal motif. The embroidery is very intricate and is usually red, white, blue, gold, or black.

A Croat Girl in traditional attire - paul Barker Hemings

A Croat Girl in traditional attire – paul Barker Hemings

The women of Croatia also wear a lot of traditional jewellery, ranging from necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings could consist of gold, silver, beads, pearls, or even corral from the Adriatic . Hair is interwoven into one or two braids and decorated with red ribbons for girls or women that are unmarried, while married women wear woven or silk kerchiefs on their heads. Costumes of brides consists of a crown or wreath often made of flowers (vijenac) and large amounts of jewelry.

Ivory Coast Stylish Pearl Wedding Women Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

Ivorian Women Characteristics:

It should be known there are 60 different ethnic groups in the Ivory Coast however most of its people are black. The women are tall, usually have high cheekbones, full lips, and very curvy... well... certain parts of their bodies which men find very attractive. Affluent ladies do wear cosmetics, and dress extremely well with modesty. Bright colors, long skirts and dresses are the outfits of choice. A lot of these women wear beautiful wraps around their heads as well. Also, religion will dictate her dress code.

Education was improving significantly until ten years ago, however male literacy rate is considerably lower than female. She has a 57% chance of being literate and only a 70% chance of being educated all together. A lot affluent ladies are not educated either. Women here are encouraged by the government to pursue careers in business, take on political seats, and participate in the workforce, however gender bias has bearing on this and men continue to dominate on every level.

Ivorian women are more apt to have 5 children, marry young, and work the home front by growing food, weaving, and all domestic duties. Extended families are extremely important, especially in the rural areas. In the cities it is more likely for nuclear family lifestyles.

Costa Rica Wedding Pearl Women Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

im 16 years old and for a school field trip im going to Costa Rica in March. Me and about 30 other north americans are going. i have heard that woman shouldn't wear shorts that arent knee length and no tank tops. also that because that i am from noth america that the costa rican boys will whisle at us. is this true? or are my teachers parnoid? Are their any other dangers i should know about the people in Costa Rica. We also are told we shouldn't wear two peice bathing sutes or wear a shirt. is the harrassment that bad? also that we may be "hit on" and asked to get marryed??? because we are of legal marrying age.

please help me. the more my teacher drag on about this the more it worrys me. lol are americans seen as loose? i was told that also.

anything that you could tell me about the people in costa rica would be nice. also this info can be shared with my classmates so we can be safe. i have read about the petty crime about the pickpocketing. so i know about that, but this dress code stuff, im not use to it so i dont believe it. i dont know how i would be able to wear pants in 80 degree weather! I'm from New York USA so the shorts and sun is a VERY nice break..

Cook Islands Women Fashion Pearl Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan.

Designers on Rarotonga are hand-screening Polynesian-inspired images on fabrics to create small but interesting ranges of clothing for women, men and children. These are distinctive designs printed on quality fabrics.

Lengths of fabric can be bought to take home as well, to use in a variety of ways including window drops, curtains, wall hangings, bed covers, throws or wraps. Or made up into unique made-to-measure garments.

There is plenty of choice in the cheap and cheerful holiday range on Rarotonga with several outlets selling clothes imported from Bali, Indonesia, India, China and Australia.

Others have popular brands of surf clothing for youngsters and the young at heart.

T-shirts are always in demand and Cook Islands designers have taken them to a new level with an enormous range of cheeky souvenir Tees. Those looking for something more aesthetic will enjoy the Polynesia-inspired designs by local artists.

Congo, Republic Wedding Bridal Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

The main languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are French, (Ki)swahili, Lingala, Tshiluba and Kikongo, but there are over 200 languages and dialects spoken by around 250 ethnic groups. Over 70% Congolese are Christians, the rest follow African religions, Islam and other beliefs. Around 68% work in agriculture, 19% in services and 13% in the industrial sector. Many people in rural areas live without electricity; water sources are mostly unprotected and subject to contamination. Infections and parasitic diseases claim many lives, with the mortality rate for children under 5years being very concerning.

Education for the African population has been almost non-existent for a long time under the Belgium colonial rule. The little infrastructure that was built under colonialism focused on commercial exploitation of the territory rather than public welfare. Since the independence from Belgium in 1960 extreme political, social and economical instability has been dominant.
The years after independence were shadowed by civil war. In the mid 1990s the conflict in neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi had spread to the Tutsi group in eastern Congo. Civil disorder followed. When president Laurent Desire Kabila, who came into power backed up by Rwandan troops in 1997, shifted away from his alliance with Rwandan and Ugandan troops and ordered them home, a protracted civil war broke out. The eastern provinces of DRC are still under war-like situations, with monitoring by United Nations peacekeeping forces and the national army. People in this area are under constant threat. Most of the visitors in our group are from the eastern part of Congo, and have lived in refugee camps for many years. This has resulted in low literacy for many, as well as trauma. All are in Australia on humanitarian visas.

Democratic Republic Congo Pearl Fashion Jewelry.

By Aamir Mannan. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: République démocratique du Congo), sometimes referred to as DR Congo, DRC, Congo-Kinshasa, Zaire-Congo, DROC,[5][6] or RDC, is a country located in the African Great Lakes region of Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 75 million,[1] the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the nineteenth most populous nation in the world, the fourth most populous nation in Africa, as well as the most populous officially Francophone country.

It is bordered by the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi in the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; the Republic of the Congo, the Angolan exclave of Cabinda, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; and is separated from Tanzania by Lake Tanganyika in the east.[1] The country has access to the ocean through a 40-kilometre (25 mi) stretch of Atlantic coastline at Muanda and the roughly 9 km wide mouth of the Congo River which opens into the Gulf of Guinea. It has the second-highest total Christian population in Africa.