PEARLS ARE FOREVER
The organic gems are soft and easily damaged. But suddenly they are the most trendy engagement ring centerpiece around. There is a reason engagement rings and diamonds are synonymous. With a chart-topping score of 10 on the Mohs scale — which ranks the relative ability of one mineral to scratch another — diamonds are durable enough to wear all day, every day. Pearls, however, rank at just 2.5 on that scale. The organic gems are easily scratched and notoriously delicate. “Pearl can be damaged by many chemicals and all acids,” the Gemological Institute of America warns in its pearl care...