LETS TALK ABOUT PEARLS
Throughout world history, different cultures have assigned various other meanings to pearls.
Pearls were used in jewelry at least as far back as ancient Greece, which associated them with love and marriage. The legend of Venus/Aphrodite (Goddess of love, beauty, and pleasure), who came out of the sea with water droplets turning into pearls, implies that pearls hold all the "charms" of the love goddess. The rules of the Byzantine Empire dictated that only the emperor was allowed to wear pearls, and other societies had rules about who could and could not wear these little treasures. The ancient Egyptians prized pearls so much they were buried with them.
The Ancient Hebrews believed that pearls had been used by God to decorate the Garden of Eden. In China, pearls are a symbol of the incomparable beauty of the legendary pearl maiden, XiShi (or Shecy), they were used for over five thousand years to decorate the crowns of emperors, the robes of noblewomen, and the sacred statues of the Buddha.
In ancient Rome and medieval France, only the aristocracy was allowed to wear pearls. Roman ladies believed that pearls brought luck and attracted wealth. The sixteenth century in England was known as the Pearl Age, reflecting the prestige carried by pearls at that time. In England, only royalty could wear them. Pearls became associated with status wealth, and power, and ordinary people began to desire them as symbols of these things.
Pearls became more accessible to people in the early 1900s when in Asia, they discovered how to create cultured pearls. By carefully placing a small nucleus into a living oyster, a pearl forms around the nucleus, allowing pearls to be created in oyster farms.
PEARLS AS A SYMBOL
In many ancient societies, pearls symbolized the moon, and people used to think they carried magical properties. Ancient Chinese civilizations believed that wearing pearls protected a person from fire and dragons, and other cultures associated them with chastity and modesty. In Victorian England, small seed pearls were used to symbolize tears.
Pearls are unlike other gemstones because they do not have to be cut and polished to enhance their natural beauty, they grow into it on their own. No wonder pearls have been prized ever since for their beauty, perfection, and rarity, therefore they will always be cherished today, especially in jewelry.
Throughout time, pearls
were far too valuable and rare for any but the royalty and aristocracy to afford. Lucky for us, due to advances in pearl cultivation and technology, pearls are now affordable to everyone. Today, you can wear the same string of pearls that only a queen could wear two hundred years ago. Nowadays, they are used to make tasteful jewelry, and they continue to be passed down as treasured heirlooms for generations as they are known as timeless gems.
Pearls are a gift as they are timeless and elegant. Check out this our pearls bracelets handmade with freshwater pearls.
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