Pearls of wisdom

It has been said that pearls are the symbol of a woman’s emotions. A pearl symbolizes a woman’s fragility, vulnerability and poetic sadness. The pearl itself is delicate and easily wont to dullness without proper care. The smooth and eternal luster of a pearl can be representative of the tears a woman sheds in times of joy and sorrow. It reveals many layers of her personality and sentiments, like the pearl itself which is made slowly through layers and layers of nacre produced specifically to protect the oyster that houses the pearl. Even in its creation, there is a symbolic story behind the pearl.

It has been fashionable for years to wear fake pearls. Coco Chanel and her chic French fashion army celebrated bijoux jewelry as an expression of democratic elegance and the death of elitist garb.

However noble the statement is, the story of the pearl makes the Real McCoy still an object to lust for.

Unlike precious gems, which are found deep in the soil of the earth, pearls are born out of live organisms. The oysters usually grow pearls as a result of a foreign substance entering the shell, and the nacre, the smooth layer that creates the pearls, grows over the substance to protect the oyster. It is the only living organic gem.

The warm waters of the tropics provide a perfect environment for the seas to create smooth, symmetrical and beautifully tinted pearls. Our Philippine waters are unique in their creation of golden pearls. The slightly burnt tan tint softened by a gold sheen is now one of the most coveted stones in the world. It has been used by fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Cartier, Di Grisogono and Van Cleef and Arpels, to name a few.

For the past 30 years, Jewelmer International Corporation has grown from a company that farms South Sea pearls to one that also designs and manufactures fine pearl jewelry. It is also home of the golden pearl.

To pay homage to the golden pearl, Jewelmer created a feast for the senses, honoring the rare beauty of one of the Philippine’s finest creations.

Jewelmer hosted an exhibit entitled “Le Miracle de la Perle d’Or” (The Miracle of the Golden Pearl). The display was originally exhibited at the Luxe Floor of the Printemps department store in Paris, France last February. It features selected images from the Miracle of the Golden Pearl Gala Night that was held in Paris last November. The star of the exhibit was literally the explosive “La Fontana” (The Fountain) necklace. A three-dimensional sunburst-designed necklace that looks like fireworks edged with delicate pearls, this piece was part of the six-month “Perles” exposition at the National Museum of Natural History (Paris, France) and followed by a shorter exhibit at one of Paris’ top department stores, Printemps la Mode. Composed of over a hundred golden Philippine South Sea pearls, this kinetic piece never fails to amaze jewelry lovers.

The pearls were also immortalized by photographer Scott “Gutsy” Tuason and writer Alya Honasan for the book The Ultimate Orient. The book was awarded the Asian Book Award in 2003.

So next time you find a pearl in your hands, remember the story it tells and the promises it holds for the future.