Italian Word of the Day: Perla (pearl)
The Italian word for pearl is the similar sounding perla (feminine, plural: perle). It is thought that both derive from the Latin perna (leg), so called for the leg-of-mutton shape of the mollusk shells from which they originate. Pearls broadly fall into three categories: natural pearls (perle naturali / vere), cultured pearls (perle coltivate) and …