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.