All About Pearls
A piece of vintage or estate pearl jewelry makes a timeless gift. Beladora II offers estate and vintage pearl jewelry, including pearl earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, pendants and rings. Pearl jewelry is considered a classic look that transcends time and occasion and is always wearable.
Pearls have been esteemed throughout human civilization for their simple beauty. For most of history, pearls were incredibly rare and valued on a scale that seems almost inconceivable by today’s standards. It is written that in ancient Rome, a Roman general financed his entire political campaign for the price of a single pearl earring. In a bold testament to the wealth and power of her great empire, Queen Cleopatra famously drank a glass of wine in which she had dissolved a single pearl to the astonishment of her dinner guest, Marc Anthony.
The oldest pearl jewelry was discovered in the Middle East, dating back nearly 2000 years. Pearls have long been worn as a mark of prestige and wealth, also believed to bring good fortune to their wearers. While their value has fluctuated dramatically, pearls have remained popular in jewelry design throughout the ages. More recently, a supply shortage during the early 20th century resulted in an extremely high value. To illustrate, in 1917 the Cartier building on the legendary Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in exchange for a two-strand pearl necklace. Several decades later came the invention of cultured pearls, and the value of natural pearls suffered a simultaneous sharp decline. The same Cartier necklace sold in the 1950s for a mere $157,000, a remarkable drop in value from the seven-figure price it demanded just three decades prior.
Today, pearls remain a classic and sophisticated choice, a favorite of style icons such as Coco Chanel and Grace Kelly. Beladora II carries a fantastic selection of vintage and estate pearl jewelry, including pearl necklaces, pearl brooches, pearl bracelets, pearl earrings, pearl rings, and pearl pendants. Estate and vintage pearl jewelry is an impeccable choice perfect for any dress code or occasion and vintage and estate pearl jewelry always makes a fantastic gift.
Several varieties of pearls exist, each with a trademark size, shape and color. They can either be naturally occurring or cultured and are found both in freshwater and saltwater. While several different shellfish create pearls, the most popular pearls are those formed in bivalve oysters.
Akoya pearls are one of the more popular varieties of pearl. They are mostly cultured, with a spherical shape and color ranging from white to pale pink to yellow, mostly originating from Japan and China. The best Akoya pearls are used in designer pearl jewelry such as pieces by the famous Mikimoto. Also popular is the dramatic black pearl. Tahitian Blacks are synonymous with black South Sea Pearls, highly valuable due to the relative difficulty in culturing this type of pearl. South Sea Pearls come from the Pinctada maxima oyster, and come in a variety of colors including gold, silver and pink. For pearls in mounted settings, mabe pearls are used. Mabe pearls are a type of blister pearl, or pearl that is formed against the shell of the oyster, resulting in a look of a half pearl. Pearls that are irregularly shaped are often referred to as baroque pearls, and are often chosen for a unique and dramatic flair.
Shop Beladora II for gorgeous estate and vintage pearl jewelry, including pearl earrings, pearl necklaces, pearl pendant necklaces, pearl brooches, pearl bracelets and pearl rings. If you would like any assistances in selecting a piece of estate or vintage pearl jewelry from Beladora II, please don’t hesitate in contacting one of our knowledgeable associates at 1 (800) 680-9569 or sales@beladora.com.
Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chanel, Bvlgari, Asprey, Garrard, Chopard, Mauboussin, Buccellati, David Webb, Oscar Heyman, Elizabeth Gage, David Yurman, John Hardy, Stephen Webster and more.
