Fashion & Lifestyle

Pearls have been collected and used in jewellery for more than 4000 years, and mother-of-pearl has been used for decorative purposes for over 6000 years. This makes pearls the oldest gem in the world, with a history that is intertwined with a number of influential human civilizations. Pearls have been used by a number of cultures during this time, including the ancient Indians, the ancient Egyptians, the ancient Greeks, and the ancient Romans. Today in the 21st century, pearls are in use all across the world, and incorporated into a number of different jewellery designs.

In India, references to pearls have been found in a number of ancient Hindu texts, where the god Krishna is said to have discovered the first ever pearl. In ancient Egypt the first references to pearls go back to at least 4000 BC, where mother-of-pearl was used for decorative purposes. In ancient Roman civilization pearls were a prized jewel among the wealthy classes, and a symbol of prestige and beauty. It is in ancient Roman society where the use of pearls for jewellery became more widespread, as a way to display wealth and status. The ancient Greeks also valued pearls in jewellery and for decoration, where they were linked with love and used during wedding ceremonies.

Along with their extensive use in ancient societies, modern history also makes a number of references to the use of pearls in jewellery and decoration. The native Americans valued freshwater pearls, as did colonizers from Spain, England, and France. They were also prized in the east, where members of the Chinese and Japanese upper classes also used them for decorative purposes. In fact a Japanese man called Kokichi Mikimoto is known to have almost single handedly created the modern pearl industry, through a mixture of pearl culturing and modern marketing practices.

The modern pearl industry is larger than ever before, and has helped to make pearls accessible to millions of people all over the planet. What was once a symbol of prestige and high wealth can now be farmed, cultivated, and sold to the masses, which is great news for pearl jewellery (Perlenschmuck) makers everywhere. We are now in a position where pearl lovers all over the world can enjoy the beauty of these magnificent gems, with amazing new jewellery being manufactured and sold all the time.