Pearls by Angela Carol

Pearls the jewel of love and beauty.

Pearls are an absolutely beautiful jewel.  They are desired by most people and have been so desired for centuries.  The history of the pearl goes back many centuries and there is at least one story or legend in almost every single culture in history.

On of the most popular legends involves the goddess Aphrodite.  She is typically pictured coming out of the ocean waters incased in an oyster shell.  The pearl has traits of love and beauty that are associated with it as does the goddess Aphrodite herself.  Pearls represent many aspects of beauty to many people.

There are legends and stories of pearls that are in the Hindu belief system and there are stories of how the pearl was handed down from gods.  There is mention of the pearl in ancient cultures like Egypt and Rome and also China.  Ancient Egyptians used to use ground up pearls for an anti aging potion as did the Chinese.  In the orient the emperors had an abundance of pearls in their stores and they were very wealthy indeed.  The Roman aristocrats and other wealthy people would use pearls as small buttons on their gowns.  They would adorn themselves with many pearls to show their status.

As time went on and history progressed the pearl was still a symbol of beauty and power.  Only the very rich would be able to obtain pearls and pearl jewelry.  There are many amazing pieces of pearl jewelry and of crowns that are adorned in pearls that are from royal families.  These works of art that are made with pearls are only to be found in certain museums and of course royal house hold treasures.

It was centuries after the pearl was first found that the pearl was actually able to make it into the hands of every day people.  That is people who are not of royal blood.  These every day normal people are now able to get pearls and also many types of pearl jewelry.  The exotic pearl has now been made readily accessible for all people to have and not just the filthy rich.  That is due to the fact that the pearl is now cultivated and farmed to keep up with the high demand from the world.  Years ago the only pearls were natural pearls and they were much harder to come across then now.  This of course made them rare and they were much more valued than in today’s society.

Pearls have found their way across time and history and are still used in jewelry and other fashion items.  Pearls have been a much desired jewel since ancient times and they are still desired to this day. Many young girls desire a strand of pearls and will get a strand of pearls to mark their leap into woman hood.  There are plenty of people who give pearl jewelry every year on holidays and birthdays.  The pearl is still a much desired jewel and is still very valued.

Even though the value of the pearl has lessened over the centuries it is still highly valuable and there are many pieces of jewelry that are still made today with pearls.  Pearls are still used a lot in weddings and are many times sewn into the wedding gown.  Brides still wear a strand of pearls on their wedding day.  Perhaps this all goes back to the goddess Aphrodite and her love and beauty.  If pearls were good enough for the goddess of love and beauty then they should also be good enough for a bride that is in love on her most treasured day.  Pearls will hopefully continue to represent love and beauty for centuries to come.