Blog

The Only Jewel Created by a Living Creature

The formation of pearls in oyster is actually the result of some kind of self-protection mechanism of the oyster. A grain of sand or any particle entering it through its shells is perceived by the oyster as a foreign substance. To protect itself, the oyster begins to wrap this foreign material with the mother of pearl mineral called “mother of pearl”, which is hard, solid, strong and shiny.

As time passes, this foreign material, which is covered with more mother-of-pearl, eventually turns into a bright and hard stone. This stone is called pearl.

History of Pearl

Ancient Egyptians valued pearls enough to bury them with themselves. It is rumored that Cleopatra dissolved and drank a single pearl in a glass of wine in order to win a bet from Mark Antonius and swallow the existence of an entire country in one meal.

Pearls were considered the supreme symbol of wealth and social status in Ancient Rome. The Greeks highly valued the pearl for its unrivaled beauty, love and marriage relationship.

The Renaissance witnessed European royal palaces floating in pearls. Because pearls are highly valued, many European countries have enacted laws prohibiting non-noble people from wearing pearls. During the spread of Europe to the New World, the discovery of pearls in the waters of Central America added wealth to Europe’s wealth. Unfortunately, greed and weakness for marine gemstones led to the extinction of the entire American pearl oyster population in the 17th century.

In 1916, the famous French jeweler Jacques Cartier bought his store on New York’s famous Fifth Avenue in exchange for two precious pearl necklaces.

Today, with the advancement of pearl cultivation, pearls can be bought and found by everyone. Cultured pearls share the same properties as natural pearls and are grown by live oysters. The only difference is the small amount of human incentives.

Pearl grains are generally used in the production of necklaces and bracelets as a row of pearls (string pearls) in the jewelry industry, and in the production of earrings, rings and brooches. You can reach our pearl products by clicking this link.