This beautiful freshwater cultured pearl, which grew naturally into the shape of a St. George's cross, comes from Hong Kong, and measures nearly two inches in length. This unique cross-shaped pearl exhibits a beautiful warm glow, which is called the pearl's "orient", and gives the pearl its amazing warm and nurturing energy signature.

To culture freshwater mussels, pearl farmers open their shells, cut small slits into the mantle tissue inside both shells, and insert small beads or pieces of live mantle tissue from another mussel into those slits. 

This insertion starts nacre production. Most cultured freshwater pearls are composed entirely of nacre, just like their natural freshwater and natural saltwater counterparts.

Pearl culturing began as early as the twelth century BC, when Buddhist monks inserted small statues of the Buddha into freshwater mussels, between the body and the shell.

Also formed in fresh water mussels, these cross-shaped pearls are created by inserting mantle tissue alone without a bead. As a result, it's the shape of the tissue that determines the shape of the pearl.

Pearls have traditionally been considered stones of good fortune, and especially fortunate for lovers. Pearls have been given for centuries as tokens of love, and were thought to strengthen marriages and love relationships.

The pearl is also considered to be a stone of purity, and is considered to be helpful for all those who wish to enhance purity of body, mind and spirit, especially as part of their spiritual practice.

This pearl has been cleaned with Universal Life Force Energy, and given an energy attunement using Reiki, a Japanese technique of energy healing, so it will continue to receive and transmit Universal Life Force Energy direct from the Source of Creation. It has also cleaned and charged with the natural energy of sunlight. It is ready for you to program according to your own needs and desires.