Tiffany Pearl Jewelry
The pearl is a naturally perfect jewel that requires no cutting or polishing. As early as 3500 B.C., Middle Eastern and Asian societies treasured pearls as symbols of purity and feminine charm. In 19th century Europe, pearls were the favorite of royalty who valued them above all other gems. American women, too, were adored of the pearl’s opalescent splendor.
Pearl was then representing perfection, bringing an air of elegance and sophistication to the women who wear them.and Tiffany & Co., and in Tiffany Pearls, founded in 1837, has been internationally renowned as a purveyor of the finest pearls, the venerable institution’s longtime design director traces the dazzling history of pearl jewelry at Tiffany, from the mid-19th century to the present, including fascinating accounts of many of the world’s most famous pearls since the Renaissance.
Tiffany Pearls is lavishly illustrated with archival photographs, portraits of illustrious pearl lovers through the centuries (including Queen Elizabeth I; Catherine de Medici; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Mary Todd Lincoln), sketches and drawings of Tiffany’s signature designs, and photographs of their spectacular antique and contemporary pearl pieces. In addition, celebrities from Audrey Hepburn to Elizabeth Taylor, Christy Turlington, Naomi Watts, and Sarah Jessica Parker are pictured decked out in lavish Tiffany pearls.
Today Tiffany incorporates several kinds of pearls in its jewelry designs, including Akoya pearls from Japan, irregular-shaped keshi pearls, freshwater pearls, mabé pearls, and pearls from the South Seas. Farmed off the coastal shores of Australia, Tahiti and the Philippines, these luminous pearls are the largest and rarest of all pearls and can occur as white, black or golden. The warm water and large size of the mother oyster increases the nacre growth producing larger pearls, which can grow to 20 millimeters or the approximate size of a cherry. A Tiffany strand of luminous pearls from the South Seas, uniformly matched for size and color, is one of fashion’s signature statements of luxury and taste.