Pearls can be a mark of wisdom, a symbol of bride’s tears (good or bad!) and were a fashion craze in Ancient Egypt. In fact, Cleopatra is even rumoured to have sipped at a crushed pearl cocktail… we’ll stick to the Martinis thanks! Historically, the fascination with these round, iridescent orbs was not confined to North Africa; they have captured the imaginations of the Romans, Persians and the Japanese - who believed that pearls were the tears of all sorts of phantasmagorical creatures including mermaids and nymphs.
Thousands of years later, pearls have stood the test of time. They are still fashionable, despite their sweet-sixteen/ socialite connotations, and yet there is a dark side to the industry’s squeaky clean appearance.