Antique pearl chokers are a beautiful addition to your jewelry collection. Pearls and pearl chokers have a rich history that can be traced back through the centuries. Pearls are considered the first prized gem ever collected by man. It has been hypothesized that an early fish eating tribe was the first to praise and worship pearls for their form and luster. References to pearls can be found in the Koran, the Bible, and many mythological stories from different cultures.
Throughout history pearls have held an esteemed place in society. The ancient Egyptians were buried with pearls and ancient mythology places the pearl in the middle of a friendly wager between Cleopatra and Mark Antony. At many times throughout history different cultures have held pearls as the ultimate sign of wealth and social status.
The ancient Romans considered pearls to show social status and Roman women sewed them into furniture and clothing. During the Dark Ages pearls were thought to have protective powers, and knights carried them into battle. Amid Renaissance times pearls were found on everything from jewelry and hair combs to clothing and canes.
During the 19th century, Queen Alexandra was known for the quantity of pearls she draped about her neck at formal events. She was well know for wearing a pearl choker, named a ‘Collier de Chien’ or Dog Collar, that hid a small scar on her neck along with layers of longer pearl necklaces. Imagine what an antique pearl choker from her collection would look like! There are several different types of pearls.
Natural pearls are made without any human interference. These pearls are the most sought after and are prized for their size and natural symmetry. Cultured pearls are made when a foreign substance is inserted into a living oyster. Mikimoto is the most famous name associated with cultured pearls.
Other types of pearls are Seed Pearls, Black Pearls, Freshwater Pearls, Baroque Pearls, Mabe Pearls, Blister Pearls, and Biwa Pearls from Lake Biwa in Japan. Regardless of the type of pearl in an antique pearl necklace, pearls are an organic material that must be taken care of in the proper manner. They are relatively soft and are very sensitive to heat, acidity, and humidity so care must be taken in the wearing and storing of them. Pearls form from the oyster inadvertently protecting is self against a foreign material being present inside of its shell.
Think of it as a piece of sand under your tongue. You would surely feel the irritation of the sand being under your tongue. The source of this foreign material is the difference in the classification of natural and cultured. The natural classification deems that the source of the foreign material arrived with in the oyster naturally and was a product of nature. On the other hand, cultured means the direct opposite. Cultured is where humans in to the oysters’ shell introduce the foreign material. The oysters are generally kept in a type of water farm where all of the oysters are kept in a centralized location. This allows the cultivators to keep a close watch on their prize possessions while enabling them to take care of the precious oysters.
