An Extraordinary History

Today's love affair with the pearl began over 6,000 years ago. Some of the earliest artifacts in the history of gems show mother-of-pearl adornments but pearls were probably worn long before. After all, they've been around for millions of years, 225 million or more, in fact.

From earliest times, they have been prized for their unique beauty. All other gems must be man-made - mined, polished, shaped or faceted, but the pearl is Nature's work of art. From antiquity to the modern era, it was considered the most precious gem in the world. Pearls inspired passion, financed wars, launched daring voyages of discovery. In fact, they were at the top of Christopher Columbus' New World shopping list. In Julius Caesar's time and even a thousand years later, laws were passed restricting their possession to the nobility. They were the undisputed favorite of the privileged few, who wore them in profusion.

Pearls became so popular during the Renaissance (1400-1650), it is sometimes called "The Great Age of Pearls". Explorers searched the world for new and exotic varieties. But natural pearls produced in the wild grew increasingly rare. Demand increased, supply decreased. By the late 1800s fine natural pearls had become almost unattainable. Experiments intensified to cultivate pearls by "helping Nature along". Finally, there were major breakthroughs in Australia and Japan. In 1916, using the Akoya pearl oyster, Kokichi Mikimoto patented a culturing technique that launched an industry. The Cultured Pearl Phenomenon had begun.

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