The History of Pearls

A diamond is forever, but pearls have been recognized as prized jewels in the history of Pearls for centuries longer than any cut stone.

Old information on pearls says that the Arabian Gulf contained the world’s oldest, largest and rarest pearl beds ever known.

This region, and in particular the Gulf of Mannar, between India and Sri Lanka, was the international center of the natural pearl industry for over 4,000 years, together with the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. It was based on the species of pearl oyster known as Pinctada radiata.

The unique mix of fresh and saltwater that surrounds Bahrain, is one of the secrets to the exceptional quality of Persian Gulf Pearls

Ounce for ounce, Natural pearls are one of the most valuable natural objects on earth, so sought after and expensive that Julius Caesar barred women below a certain rank from even wearing them.

Unlike diamond grading however, there is no universal grading system, so it stands to reason, that it will reward you well to know the eight key elements used for grading pearls here.

Men at their best and men at their worst stalk the pages of pearl history. Kings, India's princes - The Maharajahs have courted them tirelessly.

Pearl History Secrets

Understandably, a trade that's kept its' secrets for thousands of years does not yield up its wisdom just for the taking.

These cool flames have come to us with a hot price. Diving for Natural pearls in the early pearling days was filled with danger. In the history of pearls and the quest to find the perfect natural pearl many pearl divers have lost their lives.

Torres Straits "skin" divers, for instance, were considered to be the best divers in the world, being able to "stay down" for two or three minutes.

The history of the trade has been no rose garden.

It's a fabulous history though, about a fabulous business, founded on bloodstained drama, incident after incident, rouges and even murderers. (in fact, lots of them!)

Today people prefer to use scientific rather than romantic terms to describe them. They talk about their "symmetry" rather than shape, their "surface" rather than their complexion.

In the history of pearls, the romantic terms to describe pearls are actually more accurate because they are evocative and more precisely describe what you see and feel when looking at Pearls.

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