The History of Pearls: The Oldest Gemstone in the World
The beauty and purity of pearls have captivated people for thousands of years. Since the discovery of pearls-likely from an oyster washed ashore by the tides-nearly all of the world's great civilizations have been drawn to them. In fact, pearls are believed to be the first gemstone worn as jewelry.
According to history, the ancient Greeks believed pearls to be tears of a goddess. The New Testament, various Hebrew writings, and Hindu scripture all praise the qualities of the precious gemstone as well, while Gnostics, religious mystics, have written hymns about pearls through the centuries. Indeed, pearls have captivated the minds of artists and authors throughout the years: a 16th century Russian painting depicts the Madonna and her child lavished in pearls, and in The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan (Gatsby's nemesis) is rumored to have given Daisy a strand of dazzling pearls valued at $350,000. This shockingly high price perhaps explains why pearls were often worn only by royalty-from the era of Julius Caesar to the latter stages of the British empire. In fact, Jacques Cartier, the founder of Cartier Jewelers, bought his first retail establishment in Manhattan for a strand of pearls worth more than $1 million.
All of this explains why, even before the age of diving gear, divers in China and the South Pacific would swim to depths of over 100 feet on a single breath to retrieve oysters, only to return to the surface gasping for air. This was quite a risk, in light of the fact that naturally occurring pearls are extremely hard to come by, and very few oysters actually yield pearls. In the late 1800s, Mikimoto Kokichi (of Mikimoto pearls fame) found a solution to the tedious diving process by starting a pearl farm to cultivate the gems. This innovation revolutionized the world of pearls, and, with the popularization of pearls by Coco Chanel in the 1930s, pearls have become a staple accessory of women's fashion.
The process used by freshwater pearl cultivators today eliminates the need for hazardous diving, and the unaffordable prices that went along with it. Today, the cultivators place a small grain of sand inside the shell of a mollusk—a shelled animal much like an oyster—or make a small incision, in the interior of a mollusk. The mollusk responds with its natural defense mechanism—producing nacre to protect its tissue. The process is known as “tissue-nucleation”. The “nacre” produced by the mollusk is actually what forms the lustrous sheen of real pearls, both cultured and naturally occurring. As it protects itself, the mollusk can deposit its sparkling nacre into a number of shapes (See our About Pearls page to learn more about these different shapes).
While the process by which pearls are cultivated today has become less precarious, still only around 20% of cultivated pearls are of high enough quality to meet our standards in crafting our jewelry. When coupled with the fact that freshwater pearls take anywhere from 2 to 6 years to fully form—layering ribbons upon ribbons of nacre in the process—it is no wonder that the highest quality pearls are both rare and quite expensive
At Tiana Pearl Co., though, we can offer the highest-quality AA pearls and other fashionable, beautiful jewelry at exceptional prices because we eliminate middlemen and maintain low overhead. With a number of designs—showcasing the beauty of both pearls and other materials—along with our distinctive French rose clasp, you are certain to find the piece that is perfect for you. Browse our Necklaces, Earrings, and Bracelets, or browse by our collections, Sundial and Solstice.
