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Pearls Through Time - A History

The Pearl has long been loved, praised, desired and flaunted. Cleopatra wore pearls, Helen of Troy probably had a classic double string tucked away somewhere for the unexpected visit of a party of handsome soldiers from a wooden horse.

There is something in the lustre, the smoothness, the weight, the balance of pearls which connects with the innermost self appreciation of every woman.  Most will put aside other indulgence to enjoy pearl; many will deprive themselves in other areas to satisfy their love of pearl; some will sacrifice hugely to own a particular necklace.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the point better than the story of Maisie Plant, a wealthy New Yorker of the early 1900s, who went along one afternoon to a Cartier exhibition that included a double string of natural pearls said to be the finest in the Western world.  The exhibition had drawn crowds in Paris and London before reaching New York, but the $1million price tag on the pearls had deterred even the most enthusiastic European ladies.

Masie asked her husband to buy it for her.  He declined.  So she went to Cartier with a unique proposition.  She would exchange her town house on the corner of 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue for the Pearl Necklace.  Those familiar with modern New York geography will know the jewellers accepted the swap.  Cartier still occupies the premises, now worth more than any pearl necklace ever assembled, anywhere, any time, and Masie wore her precious necklace to every major gathering in the metropolis for a time.  It is still debatable who felt they had the best of the bargain back then.

Only Natural Pearls were available then.  It took a decade or so for a natural pearl to grow to about 6mm, and a lot longer to grow to 7-8mm.  Not all oysters grew pearls naturally and many could not manage a good round shape to the pearl.  If you add to that the dangers encountered in diving on the deep natural oyster beds, the astonishing value placed on great examples becomes clear.  The diving trade itself diminished as other highly paid work opened up in the oil industries that developed in the same regions.  Pollution from the same oil fields also damaged many of the oyster beds.

The great $1million swap occurred in 1916. In 1920 Kokichi Mikimoto perfected and patented a technique for producing Cultured Pearls far quicker than nature could manage. It was not long before such specimens were available world wide; even in Maisie Plant’s New York.

By 1950 the Cultured Pearl had completely overtaken the Natural Pearl in feminine appeal.. The discerning woman could now choose for shape, colour and size with more uniformity.  Greater availability meant almost everyone could afford a Pearl of some shape, style or value.  Now everyone could afford and enjoy the lushness and the decoration that caused Maisie Plant to give away he Manhattan mansion.

Saltwater and Freshwater Pearls grow in molluscs, but not all molluscs produce pearls. The pearls form around an irritant or an intruder inside the shell of those molluscs, where the Mother of Pearl lining of the outer shell can provide the constituents of the Nacre layers to build up the solid pearl. In Natural Pearls this process is one of happenstance and not every suitable shell grows a pearl of any sort. In Cultured Pearls the intruder is introduced into the mollusc to start the process off and simply left to grow to the required size.  The process has been developed and improved over the years to the point where the cultured version so outstrips the natural that practically all pearls on the world market are now produced in this way.

The shade and colouration of a pearl is conditioned by the water in which the mollusc exists, but the actual colours these days can also be tweaked towards fashionable demands by dyeing and laser treatment.  Anything from the purest white, through champagne, pink, red, green, peacock, silver and gold to the darkest blue or black can now be produced on demand.

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Internet Only Offer  From Pearls Plus

Click  below to go to a special Pearls Plus Sales Offer for two styles of pearl floater wires both with a coordinating pair of earrings.

NEW a wonderful bargain pearl offer - Special Pearl Necklace Set Offers 1  & 2    Classic Regular Pearl Wire and Swarovski Crystal Style - Offer 1 and Plain Pearl Wire Style - Offer 2.

Click to see General Pearl Pictures 1 of the variety of pearls, sizes and colours Marilyn uses.

Click here to go a page of Pearl Pictures 2 showing some pearl wire and some crystal and pearl wire designs by Marilyn Jones.

Pearl Pictures 3 shows more mixtures of pearls with velvet or chiffon ribbons.  These are ideal for bridal parties as well as dress up occasions and ribbons can be selected to coordinate with dress materials being used.

Pearls Pictures 4 page shows pearl earrings, bracelets and some jade heart drops.

See Bridal Jewellery here.

You are going to be spoilt for choice.  Just make sure that once you have bought your pearls you know how to care for pearls and read more about pearl history here.

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