Iowa professor tracks pearls worldwide

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A University of Iowa professor's four-year search to undercover everything known about pearls has led to a new book, "Tears of Mermaids."

Stephen G. Bloom set out to trace a single pearl from the ocean floor to a shimmering pearl necklace, the university said in a release Wednesday.

The result is "Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls," a non-fiction book released this week by St. Martin's Press.

Bloom wanted to discover why pearls have captivated the imagination for so many years. He also wanted to explore the lives of the thousands of workers in dozens of countries who prepare perfect, luminescent pearls for market.

Bloom, a journalism professor, interviewed hundreds of people from teenage pearl sorters in rural China to a New York auctioneer selling twin natural pearl strands for $7.1 million, the most expensive jewels ever sold.

"Pearls are the original gem," Bloom said, noting they predate faceted diamonds and intricate gold jewelry and were high on the list of reasons Christopher Columbus embarked on his voyage in search of a western route to Asia and new lands in the late 15th century.