Pearl jewelry: from legendary writings to democratization
At the Louvre museum in Paris is the oldest pearl jewelry - a necklace made of no less than 216 natural pearls, discovered inside the sarcophagus of a Persian princess, which apparently dates from the 4th century BC. Also, in the British Museum collection, there is a 14 mm pearl, also from the ancient period, and which is believed to have belonged to a noble family. In fact, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar himself issued a law that clearly stipulated that only the noble class had the right to wear pearls, some historians considering that pearls would have been the real reason that would have led him to invade Great Britain.
From gems associated with aristocracy and luxury, pearls gradually became accessible to everyone. Alexandra, the wife of Edward, Prince of Wales, was the first to wear them in long strings, tight around the neck, thus generating a fashion in society. However, Coco Chanel took things even further, legitimizing necklaces with fake pearls and turning them into extremely chic pieces, but especially desirable, including by aristocrats who could always afford to purchase authentic, very expensive pearls. But the idea was completely different: the pearls had to be seen and worn. More, more often, with more nonchalance and pleasure.
With the patenting of the process of obtaining cultured pearls by three Japanese, in 1916, pearl accessories would gain popularity among all segments of the public.
Baroque pearls, used in MOOGU jewelry, are among the most special types of natural pearls, having irregular sizes and shapes, an aspect that makes them unique. Baroque pearls are formed inside the shell, as it rejects the grains of sand. The forms that such a jewel can take are among the most spectacular and are the object of jewels that are truly undeniably beautiful.