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Pearls hold a multifaceted place in history, spanning jewelry, art, literature, and myth. Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (1665) epitomizes their allure, while George Bizet's opera "The Pearl Fishers" (1863), set in the Indian Ocean's Gulf of Mannar - a pearl source cited by Pliny the Elder - adds a historical dimension.
Arabian myths liken pearls to dewdrops swallowed by oysters during full moon nights, while other legends describe them as the tears of rebel angels, fueling superstitions.
Pearls are often seen as harbingers of tears and unhappiness; one belief warns against gifting pearls to brides, fearing they may bring sorrow to their marriage - a tale possibly rooted in the Far East, where pearl divers' tragic fates left loved ones grieving. Similarly, buying pearls for oneself is thought to invite misfortune (hence you should be receiving them as a gift).
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a precious pearl, a metaphor for spiritual sacrifice and value. Yet, in John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" (1947; inspired by a Mexican folktale from the pearl-rich region of Baja California Sur), a great pearl brings ruin to a family. In Dino Buzzati's "Il Colombre", instead, a mythical creature guards a pearl destined for the protagonist, blending fantasy and moral allegory.
Even in science fiction and adventure, pearls captivate: Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" provides a vivid, almost journalistic account of pearl fishing, emphasizing the physical work beyond this industry. Across disciplines and centuries, pearls remain enduring symbols of beauty, mystery, and complexity.
If pearls fascinate you, don’t miss the exhibition "Paris, City of Pearls" at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts (running until June 1, 2025; fashion and jewelry design students take note: admission is free, so this may be an ideal exhibit to visit, but reservations are required).
While the exhibition focuses on Paris and pearls, it weaves together history, art, fashion, design, and science. The exhibition's stars are the jewelry pieces, complemented by archival documents, paintings, photography, poster designs, drawings and illustrations (Barbier's are particularly beautiful). In total, around a hundred pieces are showcased from prestigious lenders, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Petit Palais, and heritage collections from Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and the exceptional Albion Art private collection.
The introductory display examines the definition of a "pearl," emphasizing that the term historically referred only to natural pearls, a distinction made necessary in France after the rise of cultured pearls in the 1920s. This part also looks at the biology of pearl formation, explaining that molluscan shellfish produce pearls from calcium carbonate, with quality influenced by species, temperature, salinity, and nutrition. Contrary to popular belief, grains of sand do not initiate pearl formation. While science has yet to pinpoint what triggers the formation of a pearl, we do know that pearls result from the displacement of epithelial cells into the mollusk's mantle.
Another section highlights pearls' historical ties to the East. In the late 19th century, they became emblematic of Orientalism in art and theater (think also about the costumes of the Ballets Russes' performances and in particular the print by George Barbier of Vaslav Nijinsky as the Favourite Slave and Ida Rubinstein as Zobeide in Mikhail Fokine's ballet "Schéhérazade", included in this exhibition).
The Arabo-Persian Gulf, a prime pearl source since antiquity, was celebrated for its abundant oyster beds, noted on Renaissance maps. Even as new pearl sources emerged in Central and South America, Gulf pearls remained highly prized in Western markets, cementing their cultural and artistic significance.
From the third section onward, the exhibition becomes particularly engaging for fashion and jewelry designers, focusing on the artistry and craftsmanship of pearl jewelry designs.
Around 1900, Paris was a hub for natural pearl trade, with 300 dealers operating between numbers 1 and 100 Rue Lafayette. Jewelers on Rue de la Paix and Place Vendôme sought the finest pearls, frequently pairing them with platinum and diamonds.
During the Belle Époque, jewelry was defined by its whiteness, luster, lightness, geometric precision, and aristocratic sophistication, adorning figures such as queens, first ladies, and courtesans.
The exhibition features stunning examples from this period, including Carlo and Arturo Giuliano's 1890 necklace of natural pearls, enamel, and gold, and an extraordinary set by Frédéric Boucheron (1896 - 1902) created for Edith Amelia Glyn, Lady Wolverton, incorporating natural pearls, diamonds, gold, and silver.
A standout piece is a Belle Époque five-strand natural pearl necklace from circa 1910, showcasing a grand yet streamlined aesthetic.
Coveted Gulf pearls, noted for their creamy tones with a pinkish hue, were central to the creations of Art Nouveau luminaries such as Paul and Henri Vever, René Lalique, and Georges Fouquet. These designers often drew inspiration from nature and Far Eastern motifs, favoring baroque pearls and unconventional varieties like Mississippi mussel pearls.
Highlights include René Lalique's 1910 ring, featuring a natural pearl, diamonds, enamel, and yellow gold, and Henri Vever's 1905 floral corsage brooch, incorporating Mississippi pearls, diamonds, enamel, gold, and silver. These pieces reflect the era's embrace of both classic elegance and innovative designs.
An illustration in the March 1914 issue of Gazette du Bon Ton by George Barbier depicts a young woman in a Paquin evening gown adorned with cascades of pearls, a fitting introduction to the next section of the exhibition, which looks at the decorative artistry of the era.
The 1910s, marked by a flourishing Parisian pearl market, have often been overshadowed by the dominance of the Art Nouveau movement and the subsequent rise of Art Déco.
However, this period is worth revisiting, particularly for the "Knights of the Bracelet", a group of Parisian dandies and artists who were deeply passionate about pearls. The Rosenthal brothers, key players in the Gulf pearl trade, were at the forefront, while jeweler Jacques Cartier's 1912 visit to Bahrain elevated him to near-dignitary status.
While pearl values reached their peak in France, it was in the U.S. that demand for pearls soared. One iconic story from 1917 involves Maisie Plant, the wife of a wealthy American businessman, whose love for jewelry led her to Pierre Cartier's boutique on New York's Fifth Avenue. There, she fell for a breathtaking double-strand pearl necklace with 65 and 73 pearls. The price? The value of the Plant mansion on Fifth Avenue. She struck the deal, underscoring just how precious and rare pearls were at the time.
To understand the rarity of such a piece, consider the odds: only one in 100 oysters contains a natural pearl, and just one in 100 of those is jewelry-grade, with only a few meeting top jewelers' standards. It would therefore take thousands of oysters to create a necklace like the one Maisie Plant admired.
The mid-'20s marked pearl mania in Paris, with pearls adorning everything from jewelry to clothing and appearing in films and advertising, as shown in the exhibition's many examples including pieces like a 1920 barrette-shaped brooch made of natural pearls, diamonds, lapis lazuli, and platinum, or iconic accessories, such as a Van Cleef & Arpels evening bag (1924) made of platinum, pearls, onyx, and diamonds, and a vanity case (c. 1925) crafted from yellow gold, pearls, enamel, and diamonds. These designs captured the spirit of the flapper era.
Pearls were also among the protagonists of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Yet the pearl market had already been thriving post-World War I, led by merchants like Léonard Rosenthal, Jacques Bienenfeld, and Mohamedali Zainal Alireza.
However, the arrival of Japanese cultured pearls began to challenge the market. While the demand for natural pearls grew, supply decreased due to overfishing in the Gulf of Mannar and the Gulf region, along with public outcry over the harsh conditions faced by pearl fishers.
The dominance of Parisian pearls began to decline with the 1929 economic crisis, and was further eroded by World War II and the deportation of Jewish merchants from Rue La Fayette. Many of these merchants fled to the U.S. or Polynesia, where they established pearl farms.
World War II also disrupted trade between France and the Gulf, leading many French merchants, including the Rosenthals, to shift focus to cultured pearls, notably in Tahiti.
To protect the region's black pearls, which were endangered by overfishing in the 1950s, French and Japanese efforts led to the establishment of pearl farms. While cultured pearls became more popular, especially among younger generations, the natural pearl trade moved away from Paris.
Iconic pieces, like René Boivin's half-set bracelet and clip (1935 - 1937), inspired by the "Barbare" series and made of granulated gold and natural pearls, or Van Cleef & Arpels Gladiator brooch (1956), crafted from yellow gold, emeralds, rubies, turquoise, pearls, baroque pearls, and diamonds, mark the continued evolution of pearl jewelry in this new era.
One of the most unusual items on display remains instead not a piece of jewlery, but a rare object from the 1920s inspired by pearls - a velvet box containing what appears to be a necklace of graduated pearls. However, this is no ordinary necklace as each "pearl" is actually a tiny hand-blown nacreous glass bottle, a miniature vial designed to hold perfume (the smallest ones were fakes glued to the box for effect). Created by Paul Heymann for Delettrez (founded in 1835 and famously known as "The Perfumers of High Society"), this whimsical design perfectly captured the pearl craze of the 1920s.
Today, while natural pearls are still sought after, many are sourced from family collections and antique jewelry, with a small but ongoing production in certain countries. In the 21st century, contemporary art initiatives between France and the Gulf continue to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of pearls and preserve their historical significance.
Pearls remain a source of fascination for jewelry designers, with recent high jewelry creations from designers like JAR, such as his Sheep's Head brooch (2006), featuring natural pearls, star sapphires, and a mix of metals.
You can expand your knowledge about this topic through the exhibition catalogue, or, if you visit in person, consider staying for an afternoon course that combines gemology with the history of jewelry. For those on the go, there's also the exhibition podcast.
However you choose to enjoy this event dedicated to all pearl enthusiasts take note - it's the perfect opportunity to overcome any lingering superstitions about pearls, especially for those still wary of their bad luck associations.
Image credits for this post
1. William McGregor Paxton, The String of Pearls, 1908
2. Jean-Gabriel Domergue, advertisement for Van Cleef & Arpels from 1923. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
3. Carlo and Arturo Giuliano, necklace, c. 1890, natural pearls, enamel, gold. Private Collection, courtesy of Albion Art Institute. Albion Art Jewellery Institute / Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
4. Print by George Barbier of Vaslav Nijinsky as the Favourite Slave and Ida Rubinstein as Zobeide in Mikhail Fokine's ballet Schéhérazade, 1913. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
5. Frédéric Boucheron, necklace and earrings of Edith Amelia Glyn, Lady Wolverton, 1896- 1902, natural pearls, diamonds, gold, silver. Albion Art Jewellery Institute / Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
6. Belle Epoque natural pearl necklace with five strands, circa 1910, natural pearls, platinum. Private Collection, courtesy of the Albion Art Institute. Albion Art Jewellery Institute / Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
7. An Henri Vever corsage brooch from 1905, featuring Mississipi pearls, diamonds, enamel, gold and silver. Faerber / Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
8. 1922 Van Cleef & Arpels Catalogue. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
9. Van Cleef & Arpels, evening bag, 1924, platinum, pearls, onyx, diamonds. Collection Van Cleef & Arpels. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
10. Rooryck, Taillefer & Co., Maison des Perles, Jewelry and Goldsmithing. Silver bromide gelatin photograph, Paris, 1909 © Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
11. George Barbier, "The Fountain of Shells. Paquin Evening Gown," Gazette du bon ton, no. 3, plate 27, 1914. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
12. Pearl-shaped perfume vials by Delettrez. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
13. Juclier, 11 faubourg Saint-Honoré. Chromolithograph, 1913 by Georges Goursat (Sem) (French, 1863–1934) © Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris. Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
14. Brooch, c. 1925, natural pearls, diamonds, platinum. Private collection. Benjamin Chelly / Courtesy of L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
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