The History of Pearls

Most likely discovered while prying open mollusk shells for food, pearls have been an object of value for most ancient cultures.

Pearls in Ancient Egypt

There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians valued mother of pearl as far back as 4000 BC. In fact, pieces of mother of pearl have been found in Egyptian necklaces bearing cartouches that date back to 3200 BC. However, it appears that pearls themselves may not have been considered important until much later, possible as recent as 600 BC. Also, some papyrus that have been discovered that date back as much as the first century AD that detail the whitening of off-color pearls and the making of artificial pearls.

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Three ribbons of diamond studded
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Pearls in Ancient Rome

Pearls have been discovered at many archeological sites dating back as far as 100 BC across what was the Roman Empire. It is rumored that one of the reason that Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC was to get access to its freshwater pearls. The ancient Roman women elite often wore ornate necklaces, pins, earrings, bracelets and rings featuring pearls. They were such symbols of status, that, at one point, wealthy Romans attempted to have the wearing of pearls banned among the lower classes.

There also is a story about Cleopatra and a pearl in Pliny the Elders "Natural History." The story tells about a wager between the queen and Marc Antony. The bet was whether or not she could provide the most expensive meal in the world. She won by dissolving a pearl in a cup a vinegar and drinking it.

Pearls in Ancient Greece

The Ancient Greeks most likely imported pearls from Persia. It is thought that pearls played an important roll in love and marriage. Droplets of water from the goddess Aphrodite were said to have turned into pearls as she emerged from the sea. Also, Homer describes the goddess Juno as wearing pearls in the Iliad.

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black pearls
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Pearls in Ancient China

Freshwater pearls were mention as being found in the river Hwai in ancient Chinese texts from around 2000 BC. Also, there is evidence in Chinese logs from around 600 AD of people from the Philippines selling pearls found around the island of Palowan, which is still a rich source of pearls.

Pearls in Ancient India

As far back as 1000 BC, pearls are mention in the Rigveda, and ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns. There is also a record of a king in Ceylon sending pearls to his father-in-law in India around 550 BC. Another of the Vedas, the Athraveda, tells of a pearl necklace made of rather large (~1cm) pearls being used as a Talisman. Krishna has sometimes been associated with pearls.

Pearls in Ancient Persia

Ancient Persia was thought to be a major source of Pearls for the ancient near and middle east. The oldest know necklace was found in a Queen's tomb here that dated back 2400 years. This necklace, known as the Susa necklace, three rows of seventy two pearls, each held with space bars. It can be found in the Louvre today.

Pearls During the Renaissance

Beginning in the 1500 new trade routes going through Asia as well as exploration of the Americas spurred a much greater intensity of pearl commerce in Renaissance Europe. Lisbon and Seville became the primary centers for pearl trade. During this time, there was a special interest in irregularly shaped pearls. These were called baroque pearls.

For roughly a century, pearls were a symbol of wealth and status. Elaborate jewelry was made using pearls. Pearls were generally reserved only for the wealthy. In fact, for a time, only royalty could wear pearls in Elizabethan England. However, interest in pearls waned somewhat by 1600 due to the changing political climate where religious humility made extravagant displays of wealth less popular.

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Imperial China

In China, Pearls became most valued during the Qing dynasty, which ruled from 1644 to 1911. The imperial family as well as other wealthy elites used significant numbers of pearls to decorate clothing as well as furniture. The emperor was supposed to use pearls only from freshwater mussels in Manchuria, the dynasty's home province, but art of the period shows so many big round pearls that many pearls were most likely imported from Vietnam and perhaps the Philippines. In addition, the Chinese developed imitation pearls that were used to decorate objects.

The Age of Discovery

In the New World, the Spanish found a new source of Pearls in the seas around Baja California. Soon after, freshwater pearls were discovered in the rivers of North America.

Enlightenment and Victorian Eras

During this time period, the use of pearls became prevalent amount the European upper classes. Pearls were made into jewelry of all sorts and sewn into clothes. Pearls were even featured in royal crowns. Painted portraits featured subjects awash in pearls, and later, photographs as well showed the wealthy wearing all of the pearls in their possession, some acquired over generations.

The middle class became involved in the pearl craze as well. They bought seed pearls that had been imported from India and China. The small and delicate pearls were usually strung on silk or horse hair into jewelry that often resembled lace.

During this time the harvesting of natural pearls reached its zenith.