We love this famous quotation by Anon: "The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens". We think it is very true, since it’s one of our signature jewellery materials. So today, we thought why not tell you a bit more about this queen of gems.
Pearls are the oldest known gem; and across time and culture have had different mythological stories associated with them. Old Arabian, Greek, and Roman legends tell us that the pearl is formed when dewdrops filled with Moonlight fall to the ocean and are swallowed by oysters.
The pearl is almost always associated with the moon, and is usually considered to be feminine in nature. One of the earliest pearl myths is from the Hindu book of the Rigveda, in which Krishna descends into the ocean, discovers the first pearl, and gifts it to his daughter on her wedding day. This association between femininity, pearls and brides (make this a link to our bridal category) continues to this day.
What’s more, the beauty of the pearl is that it reveals its inner glow without any human action – unlike diamonds or other stones it doesn’t need to be cut or polished. As George F. Kunz, the famous early 20th century mineral collector said: "The pearl owes nothing to man. It is absolutely a gift of nature on which man cannot improve."
Pearl colour has also a very symbolic value, while white pearls are emblematic of innocence and faith, gold and black pearls represent prosperity, and pink pearls symbolize love and generosity. Which reminds us, look out for our pink pearls in-store soon!
A few pearl pieces from our collection we thought you might like....
