The gem among gems: the Pearl

“The gem among gems” is how Pliny the Elder celebrated the pearl in his Naturalis Historia in the first century AD. He described its origin in poetic language: oysters, “open as if yawning, fill themselves with dew that fertilizes them and give birth to pearls.” This mythical image reflects the amazement of the ancients at a phenomenon that was then inexplicable. From a gemmological point of view, we now know that pearls are the result of a process of biomineralization: when a foreign body penetrates the mollusk, it reacts by covering it with concentric layers of aragonite and conchiolin, the minerals that make up mother-of-pearl. It is this coating, accumulated over time, that gives the pearl its unmistakable luster, known as orient. 

Since ancient times, pearls have embodied the very idea of natural perfection, not only because of their appearance, but also because of their uniqueness as the only precious gem not extracted from rocks or mines, but generated by a living organism.  It is not surprising that Pliny also recalled memorable episodes, such as Cleopatra dissolving one of the two largest pearls of her time in vinegar to impress Mark Antony: a gesture that reveals how much these gems were considered the height of luxury.

In ancient times, pearls came from the Persian Gulf, India, and the Red Sea, and were extremely rare. Their scarcity made them symbols of power and divinity, often consecrated to Venus, the goddess born from sea foam.

A radical change came at the beginning of the 20th century, when Kokichi Mikimoto perfected cultivation techniques. By inserting a small nucleus into the mollusk, the same natural reaction that leads to the formation of mother-of-pearl is stimulated. This led to the creation of cultured pearls, which made jewellery that was once reserved for the very few accessible to everyone, while maintaining the charm of the extremely rare natural pearls, which are now collector's items and investments. 

The pearl continues to hold strong symbolic value. In the East, it is associated with wisdom and spirituality, while in the West it symbolizes purity and eternal love. Gemmologically, it is unique: an organic gemstone with timeless charm that does not need to be cut or polished to express its natural beauty. 

It is this balance between science and myth, delicacy and natural perfection that makes the pearl truly “the gem among gems.”