Pearl History

Since ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection. The Romans and Egyptians prized pearls and used them as decorative items as far back as the 5th century BC. Chinese records mention them even earlier. It is the oldest known gem, and for centuries it was considered the most valuable. A fragment of the oldest known pearl jewelry, found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC, is displayed in the Louvre. To the ancients Romans, pearls were thought to be the frozen tears of oysters or the gods; therefore, only persons above a certain rank were allowed to wear pearl jewelry. Greeks believe the pearls were formed when lightning struck at sea. During the Dark Ages, nobility cherished pearl necklaces whereas knights often wore pearls into battle because they believed the magic of pearls would protect them from harm. Most European countries in the 13th and 14th centuries had laws regarding who could and could not wear pearls. Teachers and lawyers, for example, could not wear fringes or chains with pearls. Until the early 1900's, natural pearls were accessible only to the rich or famous due to their rarity. In fact, jeweler Jacques Cartier bought his landmark store on New York's Fifth Avenue in 1917 by trading a magnificent double strand pearl necklace for the mansion.

The culturing of pearls in China is documented from the 5th century, where the Chinese attached objects to the inside surface of a pearl-producing mollusk thus creating blister pearls. However, the culturing of unattached pearls was not considered commercially successful until Kokichi Mikimoto created a market for Akoya cultured pearls in the 1920's. Previously, cultured pearls had been created but not sold to or accepted by the general public. Initially, the market was not accepting of cultured pearls because there was no method to differentiate between inexpensive cultured pearls and the expensive natural pearls. To protect the high price of natural pearls, the European pearl syndicate sued Mikimoto, filing that his pearls were “fakes". Based on the testimony of several prominent scientists, Mikimoto's pearls were deemed genuine. Mikimoto continued to promote his cultured pearls to gain acceptance and became well-known for his excellent quality pearls.

Today, cultured pearls are fully accepted, and few consumers know that natural pearls exist. The culturing process has effectively modified the concept of the perfect pearl. The ideal cultured pearl is round, a shape that rarely occurs in nature. Even the most spherical natural pearls may be off-round, historically described as hazelnuts or filberts. The irony is that the standard for cultured pearls is now perfectly round.

Before diamonds were given as engagement rings, pearls were the most popular wedding presents in the 19th century and an essential part of wedding apparel. The diamond's modern reign began around 1870, when DeBeers Consolidated Mines, Inc. gained control of the majority of the world's diamonds mines and regulated diamond supply to bolster demand.  Harry Oppenheimer, son of the DeBeers founder, teamed up with advertising mogul Gerold Lauck in 1939 to start a new advertising campaign.  This campaign established the engagement ring's importance and the diamond as the standard for engagement rings. Pearls continue to be considered ideal wedding gifts or adornment for the bride because they symbolize purity and modesty.

Famous Pearls

Arco Valley Pearl

The Arco Valley pearl is baroque shapes pearl, 575 carats, that is white with pink and brown hues. The pearl was offered to Khubilai Khan, emperor of China, by Marco Polo.

Big Pink Pearl

The Big Pink pearl is the largest known natural abalone pearl, weighing 470 carats and baroque in shape. The pearl is owned by Wesley Rankin, a diver in Petaluma, California and valued in 1991 at $4,700,000.

Jomon Pearl

The Jomon pearl of Japan is the oldest known existing pearl, dating back 5,500 years.

La Pellegrina Pearl

The silver La Pellegrina pearl (meaning "The Incomparable") is 111.5 grains in weight, perfectly spherical and from South America. The pearl was brought to Russia from India in the 18th century. Once part of the Spanish Crown Jewels, this pearl is now lost. It was sold by the Christie's in Geneva in 1987 for $463,800.

	La Peregrina Pearl The La Peregrina pearl (meaning “The Pilgrim? is a large pear-shaped white pearl of 203.84 grains discovered in Panama in mid-16th century and brought to King Phillip II of Spain who presented it as a wedding gift to his wife, Queen Mary. It also belonged to Queen Margaret of Spain as well as Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain. Later, it was acquired by the British Marquis of Abercorn from the son of French emperor Napoleon III. The impressive pearl was purchased in 1969 for $37,000 by actor Richard Burton for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, who still owns it. A few years ago, the actress lost the pearl. After a frantic search, the precious gem was finally found in the mouth of her pet dog. (Left picture) The pear-shaped drop La Peregrina mounted in a necklace with pearls, rubies and diamonds by Cartier.
		Queen Mary Tudor wearing the La Peregrina pearl

Pearl of Lao-tze

The Pearl of Lao-tze is the largest pearl on record, and was recovered from a 160-lb Giant Clam. This pearl is 23.8 cm long, and weighs 6.4 kg (about 14 lbs). It was reportedly found by a free-diving pearl diver on May 7, 1934, at Palawan Island, Philippines. In 1936 Wilbur Dowell Cobb was given the pearl as a gift by a chieftain of Palawan for having saved the life of his son. In 1980, Cobb's heirs sold it to a jeweler in Beverly Hills, California, for $200,000. The San Francisco Gem Laboratory has valued this pearl at $40 million.

Queen Pearl

The Queen pearl was one of the first pearls found in the United States, initiating a pearl rush in the eastern U.S. The Queen pearl is pink, weighs 93 grains (23.25 carats) and was found in Notch Brook, New Jersey, in 1857. The Queen pearl was sold to Tiffany's and was probably sold to Cartier in Europe. It ultimately ended up in the collection of Empress Eugénie of France around 1857.

Sara Pearl

The Sara pearl is a drop-shaped gray pearl weighing 220 grains found near Isla Margarita off Venezuela. It is most likely “Pearl Number 3?illustrated by Jean Baptiste Tavernier in Travels in India in the 17th century.

Star of Asia Pearl

The Star of Asia pearl is the world's largest Pinctada pearl, weighing at 5½ ounces (or 2400 grains). This pearl is eggplant-shaped.