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Pearls are among the most popular gemstones and are loved by women of all ages. Whether it's a classic necklace with a single pearl string, pearl earrings, or pearl jewellery in contemporary designs and colors, all women have a place for pearls in their hearts and jewelry boxes.
Pearls are produced from specific types of shells, called nacreous shells. These shells produce calcium carbonate in microcrystalline form, called nacre, as a means of self-protection. When a foreign body enters the shell, because it is unable to expel the "invader", it secretes nacre to trap the invader and protect the shell. Nacre is secreted as long as the foreign body remains inside the shell and the result is the creation of a pearl.
This is a random and time-consuming process and one of the main reasons why natural pearls fall under the category of precious stones. The price of pearls is determined by their size, shape, color, surface quality, and luster.
The most sought-after and expensive pearls are spherical, symmetrical pearls with the largest possible size and uniform iridescent luster, while there are also pearls, which are not spherical in shape, but maybe teardrop or irregular in shape. Teardrop or pear-shaped pearls are mainly used in earrings and necklaces, while irregularly shaped pearls, also known as baroque pearls, have a particular glamour, as they often have unusual and interesting shapes that contemporary jewellery designers use to create magnificent jewellery.
Natural pearls are now produced in specific geographical areas, mainly in the Sea of Bahrain, Australia, and the Indian Ocean. In several countries, such as Great Britain, pearl hunting has been banned, while in other areas it is covered by strict laws.
The Imperial Crown of Iran
The crown, with which Empress Farah of Iran was crowned, was made by Van Cleef & Arpels. In 1967, when the crown was created, it was the first time in 2,500 years that the emperor's wife would be crowned an empress, and the need to create a new crown arose. The precious gemstones used, were already part of the Persian crown jewels.
The crown of the Empress of Iran is made of white gold and is decorated with 105 pearls, 36 emeralds, 34 rubies, 2 spinels, and 1469 diamonds. After the Iranian revolution, the crown remained the property of the Iranian state and is still on display in Tehran at the Central Bank of Iran.
Crown of Eugenie of France
Πηγή: The practical gemologist
The tiara of Empress Eugenie of France consists of 212 teardrop or spherical pearls and 1998 diamonds. It was commissioned in 1853 by Emperor Napoleon III for his wife Eugenie and was part of a jewellery set that also included a bracelet, a breastplate, and a necklace with six rows of pearls. The pearls and diamonds with which the tiara was created belonged to the French treasury, so after the defeat of Napoleon III and the exile of the imperial couple, the tiara remained in the possession of the French state until 1890, when it was acquired in an auction by the German Prince Albert I of Tourne and Taxis as a wedding gift for his wife.
The crown remained in his family's possession for about 100 years, until 1992, when it was purchased by the Association of Friends of the Louvre for 935,000 Deutschmarks and given to the Louvre museum, where it remains on display to this day.
Peregrina pearl
Peregrina is one of the most famous pearls with a history of more than 500 years. It is pear-shaped and weighs approximately 55 carats. To this day it is one of the largest pearls with a perfectly symmetrical pear shape.
It was found in Panama in 1513 and taken to Spain, where King Philip II of Spain acquired it and then offered it to his wife Queen Mary of England as a wedding gift. After Mary's death, the pearl was returned to Spain and Philip declared it a Spanish crown jewel. For nearly three centuries the Peregrina pearl has been part of the Spanish Crown Jewels and one of the favorite gems of many Spanish queens.
In 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, Joseph, became King of Spain. Five years later, when the French forces were defeated at the Battle of Victoria, Joseph Bonaparte was forced to abdicate and was exiled. When he left, he took with him the pearl "La Peregrina" and other crown jewels, which after his death he bequeathed to his nephew, Napoleon III of France, who later sold them to English nobles. In 1969, the Peregrina pearl was auctioned by Sotheby's, and actor Richard Burdon bought it for $37,000 as a gift to his wife Elizabeth Taylor.
At the behest of the actress, the Peregrina pearl was strung into a necklace along with pearls, diamonds, and rubies from the House of Cartier. Elizabeth Taylor's necklace was sold in December 2011 at a Christie's auction for a record price of $11 million.
