Rich history of the glamorous pearl

Treasures of the sea, lustrous pearls have been revered for centuries for their exquisite beauty and ancient symbolism. When Greek goddess of love Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam on the island of Cyprus, she was believed to have shed tears of pearls.

In ancient Rome, pearls were so considered to be the ultimate status symbol with laws even dictating that pearl jewellery was only to be worn by noble society. Appearing in ancient Chinese folklore and art, dragons and pearls are often depicted together symbolising wisdom, luck, and prosperity.  

How pearls are formed

Fascinatingly, pearls are the only gemstones in the world to be formed from a living creature. When an irritant, such as a piece of shell, finds its way inside of an oyster’s soft inner body, the oyster will secrete a crystalline substance called nacre to protect itself from the irritant. Layers upon layers of nacre are built up around the irritant to what we recognise as a pearl.

Due to the historic overharvesting of oysters, natural pearls formed in the ocean are now considered extremely rare and highly valuable. Most pearls in the present day are grown in freshwater and saltwater oyster farms. Known as ‘cultured pearls’, a bead is inserted into the oyster to form a beautiful, timeless gem.

The colours of the pearl

As one of three June birthstones, pearls can be found in a range of hues but most famously in white, cream, black, silver and grey. The colour of the pearl is determined by the lip of the mollusc it is formed within. For example, Tahitian black pearls are grown inside the black lip oyster. The largest and rarest pearls, the golden South Sea pearls, are formed inside the gold-lipped variety of the South Sea pearl oyster.

Delicate gemstones

With a hardness rating of 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, is it recommended that pearl jewellery is the last piece to be put on, and the first to be removed. The delicate gemstones are also quite porous and susceptible to absorbing chemicals from products such as perfumes and lotion which can dull their shine. Formed in water, it is best for pearls to stay hydrated, so it is best to keep them where the air is moist, such as the bathroom.