The History of Pearl Jewellery

The origins of pearl jewellery stretch back to before the birth of Christ, when ancient cultures discovered the natural pearl in massive oyster beds. At this point in history, pearl jewellery began to be seen as a symbol of wealth in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures and this continued for many centuries.

The reign of the pearl as a status symbol for the wealthy and powerful continued until 1890, when the demand for pearl jewellery had grown too much for nature to keep up with. Natural pearl resources had all but disappeared. Three Japanese men stepped in with a solution that transformed pearls forever.

These three men developed a way to harvest pearls in a much speedier way than the natural process. The final product is a beautiful pearl virtually identical to a natural pearl. These are known as cultured pearls, and, as well as freshwater pearls, they are what modern pearl jewellery is made from. Freshwater pearls are derived from freshwater mussels usually produced in China, Japan and the United States. Generally, freshwater pearls cover the widest range of colours and shapes, making them perfect for pearl jewellery.

Pearls still captivate us now as they did all those thousands of years ago, but they are no longer the doyenne of the powerful and the rich. Thanks to cultured and freshwater pearls, any one of us desiring pearls can now afford to own them.