The Story of the Pearl

For its luminescent beauty and timeless elegance, the pearl has been prized
for centuries, from ancient civilizations and royalty to society girls and
Hollywood celebrities. Not only a symbol of wealth, status and power, this
rare gem is a moon-like talisman associated with healing, protection and
purity.

Weaving myth and history, art and literature, the sacred and the secular, this
book unfolds the fascinating 4,000-year-old story of the pearl, including
tales of pearl-divers in the Pacific, the jewellery of ancient Rome and
legendary pearls such as the 500-year-old La Peregrina and the 14-pound Pearl
of Allah. Here you will learn of the various types of pearls, both cultured
and costume styles, how to wear and care for them, as well as pearls in
popular culture and in fashions through the ages.