Pearl necklaces and kokoshniks with pearls

Pearl jewelry has a very rich history, but today we will consider only pearl necklaces and a little kokoshniks decorated with pearls.

Pearl necklaces are jewelry with one of the longest histories, due to the fact that pearls are much easier to process than precious stones such as diamond and ruby. Therefore, until the 15th century, when the method of cutting diamonds into diamonds was invented, pearls were considered the most precious jewelry.

For centuries, not only pearls were surrounded by legends, but also their extraction, associated with incredible difficulties and dangers.

Natural, natural pearls are extremely rare and very expensive. Such natural pearls were mined in Ceylon and South India, Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Persian Gulf. Pearls are also found in Tahiti, Japan, Mexico, Panama and the USA on the California coast.

In the 16-17 centuries, the conquistadors brought about two thousand kilograms of pearls from America to Europe, thanks to which the market grows at an extraordinary speed, and the age of pearls begins. It became available not only to the highest nobility, but also to broader social strata.

Many portraits of that time show luxurious jewelry made of imported pearls and freshwater. Some necklaces were complemented by a larger pearl or gemstone pendant.

By the 19th century, pearls are out of fashion, for two main reasons - natural resources are being depleted, and the second - active development of kimberlite pipes begins, which supply more and more diamonds to the jewelry market. Cutters turn diamonds into sparkling diamonds, which the aristocracy of that period began to give their preference to, choosing the diamond as a symbol of power and success.

But not everyone renounces pearls; among the merchants and the bourgeoisie, pearls do not lose their popularity. In the second half of the 19th century, long necklaces of several strands and pearl tiaras came into fashion.

The 19th century marks the last stage in the era of natural deep-sea pearls.

By the early 20th century, natural pearl resources around the world were depleted.

For one large pearl of impeccable shape, up to 10,000 oysters had to be fished, as a result of which their number decreased, and the need for pearl jewelry increased.

Pearl prices are skyrocketing, for example, the famous jeweler Cartier bought a small shop on the legendary 5th Avenue in New York for just two sea pearl necklaces!

Russia - kokoshniks with pearls
In Russia, the first mention of pearls can be found in the Collection of Svyatoslav, 1161 - where the author calls pearls a talisman of a long and happy life.

Pearls from the rivers in the north-west of the country were especially appreciated in Russia. In the Middle Ages, pearls were a favorite adornment of the nobility; they were used to decorate clothes, women's headdresses - kokoshniks, garments of church ministers and church utensils.

At the beginning of the 17th century, there was a special pearl market in Moscow - the pearl row. The business in this market was run by the pearl merchants.

Pearl mining in Russia
For some time, the church had special rights to produce pearls in Russia, this was reflected in the number of pearls in the vestments of clergymen. The higher the rank, the more beautiful the vestments were. By the way, even today, in the modern church, pearls are used as jewelry, because the church honors traditions.

When Peter I came to power, a lot changed, including he took away from the church the rights to produce pearls. The tsar issued a decree according to which all pearls found must be surrendered to the state treasury. Later, the decree is edited, and only large pearls are considered the property of the Emperor.

Cultured pearls
The idea of ​​growing pearls has never left humanity. The first attempts at pearl cultivation were undertaken by the Chinese 3000 years ago.

In the shells of freshwater bivalve mollusks, using a forked bamboo stick, they placed balls of silt mixed with the juice of the seeds of a camphor tree, sometimes polished pieces of nacre from pearl shells.

The seeds were fixed on the inner wall of the shell and, over time, were covered with nacreous layers.

The modern technology of pearl cultivation was invented by the Japanese Mikimoto at the turn of the 20th century. Through his pioneering efforts, Japanese pearls have once again become a desirable piece of jewelry for women around the world.

During these years, long strings of pearls were in vogue, sometimes falling in several rows on the chest and on the low-cut back.

“Pearls are always right,” said Coco Chanel, who has made pearls the most democratic piece of jewelry that will adorn any woman and go with any outfit.

Pearl thread has adorned Jacqueline Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Merlin Monroe and many other celebrities of the 20th century.

In the XXI century pearls are still popular, it is worn by both princesses and ordinary women.