Pearls | Forever in Style
“Pearls are always appropriate.” – Jackie Kennedy Onassis
At TIVOL, we tend to agree with the former first lady. Pearls have long been a traditional staple in a woman's wardrobe. For some, they see pearls as old fashioned, but we are here to tell you that today's pearls are anything but that. Some of the newest pearl designs at TIVOL are far from traditional. But of course, we always love a classic strand!
A symbol of wealth, status and a form of currency, pearls have never gone out of fashion with the world's elite. As the world’s oldest gemstone, the first known pearl is a fragment that was found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess. It is reported that pearls were often presented as gifts to Chinese royalty in 2300 BCE. Julius Caesar even passed a law in the first century BCE that pearls were to be exclusively worn by the ruling class. This magical, natural gemstone has fascinated us for centuries.
People have been harvesting pearls for centuries to try and capture the beauty of nature for ourselves. Most believe the collecting of pearls began in ancient India among fishing families who kept hold of these sea jewels for trading. Pearl fishing continued in India, Persia, Japan, China, the South Seas and South America. Despite their long aquatic history, the pearls we are used to seeing nowadays are rarely plucked directly from the ocean. Modern farming started in the early 1900s. A Japanese entrepreneur by the name of Kochiki Mikimoto is widely credited with inventing this trade. The process has been refined greatly since the early 1900s. One of TIVOL's favorite pearl designers, Jewelmer, has perfected the art of sustainably harvesting pearls in Southeast Asia.
Jewelmer's goal is to leave its environment in a better state than when it arrived. With their main enterprise being critically dependent on the health and quality of the environment in which pearls are cultured, pearl farmers inevitably make it part of their mission to make their home turf a cleaner, greener place.
The Save the Palawan Seas Foundation (SPSF) was established in 2005 by Jewelmer and underscored the link between conservation and livelihood. The organization provides sustainable livelihood practices such as organic farming.
The foundation also aims to educate about conservation in order to ignite passionate action and inspire true change. For more information on Jewelmer’s environmental efforts, visit www.savepalawanseasfoundation.org.
Jewelmer is a pioneer pearl producer that has successfully cultivated pearls with a rich, natural golden color. Through decades of research and biotechnology, Jewelmer has perfected the breeding process that produces gold-lipped Pinctada maxima pearl oysters capable of growing large, lustrous, golden pearls. This deep gold color is characteristic of the South Sea pearls produced in the Philippines.
These days, we are used to seeing pearls everywhere. However, there was a time when this queen of gems was reserved to a select elite. Even in early modern history, pearls continued to be viewed as a status symbol. Coco Chanel was known for her love of pearls and has many portraits featuring the gem. Her love of pearls exuded what she and her brand would come to represent: luxury. Audrey Hepburn also famously wore pearls when she played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. The little black dress worn with pearls quickly became an iconic fashion statement. Pearl jewelry was exceedingly popular in the 1960s as it represented the classic beauty of so many Hollywood stars.
When most of us think about pearl jewelry, what comes to mind is a pearl necklace or pearl earrings. Pearl jewelry has come to be associated with elegant simplicity. Increasingly, however, celebrities and style icons are trending toward more unconventional pearl jewelry. The large natural baroque pearl necklace comes from designer Assael. No two baroque pearls are the same.
Baroque pearls or ‘wild pearls’ are cultivated pearls with a nacre core. That core is not round but can have all kinds of shapes and sizes. The nacre grows around the core and follows the shape of the core. The full-grown pearl has irregular shapes, making each of them unique.
Assael creates beautiful one-of-a-kind creations mixing pearls with other elements such as precious gems and stones. We love these green jadeite and pearl earrings. They would certainly make a statement no matter your style! We also adore the more subtle style of these pearl and aquamarine earrings featuring a classic white South Sea pearl and two marquise cut aquamarines. Assael always has their eyes on the future, keeping designs fresh and relevant, while always seeking out new materials.
So how does one begin building their collection of pearl jewelry? Pearl studs are a great place to start! TIVOL offers a variety of sizes and colors of pearl earrings to suit any style and are a staple to any wardrobe! Choose from simple round studs or a round pearl with a delicate diamond detail. Pearls and diamonds are a winning duo.
You don't have to stick with traditional style choices for pearls these days! Pearls can easily be mixed in with your favorite gold chains and layers of necklaces. Pearls go perfectly with any metal color, and because pearls some in a wide variety of colors, it is easy to find a shade that suits you best!
Feel free to visit TIVOL at The Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza to browse our enormous selection of Akoya Pearls, South Sea Pearls and Tahitian Pearls. You're sure to find something to love.
