Sterling Silver Jewelry: The Modern Etymology Of Sapphire

The earliest written records that show conclusive proof of both the words Sapphire, and lapis lazuli being used to describe the gems as we know them today, comes from the 12th Century A.D. ‘Silk Road’ travelogue: The Travels of Marco Polo. Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254 A.D., and was only six years old when he set out on his first trip to China. At the age of seventeen Marco, accompanied by his uncle and brother, set out for China again. They passed from southern Europe through Armenia, Georgia, Persia, Afghanistan and into what was Turkestan.

It was during his travels through the latter area, now known as Badakhshan in Afghanistan, that Marco Polo fell ill, and was forced to stay for one year to regain his strength. During this time he made many excursions into the surrounding areas, and in doing so came across the now famous Badakhshan lapis lazuli mines, which were a recorded source of the blue gemstone for ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as far back as 3500 B.C.

“We went three days journey from thence, without meeting any inhabitants, to the province of Balaxiam, Balascia or Balasagan, which is inhabited by Mahometans, who have a peculiar language…In this country the famous Ballas rubies are found, and other precious stones of great value, particularly in Sicinam…In other mountains of the same province, the best lapis lazuli in the world is found, from which azure or ultramarine is made.” In this passage Polo refers to lapis lazuli, the same gemstone that the ancients previously referred to as ‘Sapphirus’. Literally translated lapis lazuli means stone of ‘Azure’, the word we now use to refer to a shade of blue. The modern English ‘Azure’ is derived from the French ‘Lazur’, in turn originating from the Arabic ‘Al-lazaward’ and the Persian ‘Lajward’, named after the city of Lajward in Turkestan where lapis lazuli was mined. The Lajward lapis lazuli deposits were sourced from the 12th to 14th Centuries.

In this period, the Persians had a particular type of pottery called ‘Lajvardina’, which were ceramic vases with a dark blue glaze that was made from a dye derived from lapis lazuli. Another word Polo uses to describe the ‘Azure’ dye in his writings was Ultramarine; this described the same blue pigment made from lapis lazuli. Literally translated Ultramarine meant ‘Ultra’-‘Beyond’ and ‘Marinus’-‘Of the sea’, because lapis lazuli was imported to Europe from distant Asia by sea.

After his convalescence, Marco Polo resumed his travels visiting China where he served as translator at the court of Kublai Khan. He became one of the emperor’s favorites, being appointed high posts in his administration and was sent on a number of special missions in China, Burma and India. It was during his travels from Burma to India that he visited the island of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka.

“Sailing from Angaman 1000 miles west, and a little to the south, we come to the island of Zelan or Ceylon…This is the finest island in the world, and its king is called Sendernaz…They grow no corn except rice; and they have plenty of oil of sesame, milk, flesh, palm wine, Brazil wood, the best rubies in the world, sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems.” These two passages from Polo’s travels act as comparative proof: one showing lapis lazuli originating from the Badakhshan mines in Afghanistan, the other showing Sapphires originating from Ceylon. Marco Polo’s texts give conclusive evidence that a clear distinction had been made between the two gem types, and that their use was current in Europe by at least the end of 12th Century.

After serving 17 years in Kublai Khan’s court, and accumulating great wealth in jewels and gems, Marco made the perilous 2-year journey back to Venice. Three years after Marco returned to Venice, he fought in a war against the rival city of Genoa and was captured. Marco Polo spent a year in a Genoese prison where a fellow inmate, a writer of romances named Rustichello, noted Marco’s travel stories.

After being published Marco's book became the most influential travelogue on the Silk Road ever written in a European language, paving the way for thousands of Westerners into the east for centuries to come. However, his travels into the mystic east weren’t rivaled for another 600 years, remaining the most comprehensive written documentation of Asia for that period of time.

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Sterling Silver Jewelry: The Ancient Etymology Of Sapphire

The ancestry of the word Sapphire is obscured by thousands of years of etymological growth, and its roots entangled with names used to describe other gemstones both ancient and modern. Although it surfaces in many of mankind’s earliest texts, it is probable that what many of the ancients in Europe and the Near East recorded as being Sapphire is now what we call lapis lazuli. To make matters even more complicated, the gem that ancients referred to as Oriental Amethyst was probably the gem that we know as Sapphire...

The modern English word Sapphire originates from the Latin ‘Sapphirus’, which in turn is derived from the Greek ‘Sappheiros.’ The Greek word ‘Sappheiros’ originated from ancient Hebrew texts and their word ‘Sappir’ meaning precious stone. It is quite possible that this Hebrew term was introduced into the Greek language as a direct result of the translation of the Bible’s Old Testament, which was translated from Judaic and Aramaic into Greek in Ptolemaic Alexandria circa 300 B.C. Written and compiled from 1500 B.C. to 90 A.D., the Bible’s old and new testaments provide us with what is perhaps the earliest written record of the Hebrew word ‘Sappir’. It appears in the Bible’s oldest book, the Book of Job, chapter 28 verse 6 which dates from approximately 1400 B.C: “The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.”


From beginning to end, the two books of the Bible include passages that draw parallels between the glinting stars in the blue firmament of the heavens and the Sapphire. However, as most gemologists and etymologists agree the description of ‘Job’s’ gem containing “…dust of gold”, does not describe the physical properties of what we call Sapphire.

This corundum conundrum is further compounded in the works of the Greek philosopher Theophrastus, successor to Alexander the Greats' tutor Aristotle, and the world’s first mineralogist, who in 314 BC wrote: "…the sapphirus, is speckled as if with gold". A similar observation was made some three hundred years later in 77 A.D. by ‘Pliny the Elder’, who wrote the world’s first encyclopedia entitled ‘Natural History’. In chapter 37 of the ninth book Pliny states: "…for the Saphirrus also glittereth with markes and prickes of gold." Both of these descriptions provide almost irrefutable evidence that the ‘Sapphirus’ of the ancients with its golden properties was not our Sapphire, but what we now call lapis lazuli.

Lapis Lazuli, translated from Latin as ‘Stone of Azure’, was a prolific gemstone found in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian burial sites dating as far back as 3000 B.C. Lapis Lazuli fits the ancient gemstone descriptions of Sapphire because in its normal state it contains particles of a mineral called Iron Pyrites. This mineral is also known as ‘Fools Gold’, because of its close resemblance and subsequent confusion with gold.

Ironically, the answer to our quest for Sapphire’s earliest roots may lie in the same book by Pliny. However, it lies in an earlier chapter that describes one of the four varieties of a gem variety that was known to the ancients as Indian or Oriental Amethyst. Pliny states: “… A third stone (Variety of Oriental Amethyst) of this class is of a more diluted color, and is known as ‘Sapenos’…” Although, there is a lack of conclusive proof, Pliny’s description of ‘Sapenos’ as a type of bluish-violet Amethyst appears to be far closer both in etymological name, color and geographical location to what we now know as Sapphire. It is quite probable that Pliny's description of ‘Sapenos', as a type of Oriental Amethyst, was the birth of the term we now use for the modern Sapphire.

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Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of gemstone silver jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Sterling Silver Jewelry: Pearl Jewelry Buyers Guide

Pearls embody both classic elegance and fun; here are some pointers and tips you should consider before buying Pearl jewelry. Fair skins, blonde and redheads, are well matched to silvery-white and rosy hued Pearls. Tanned and dark skin tones are suited to creamy and golden colored Pearls.

Personal Appearance: Customize your Pearl Necklace to your proportions. If you have a long neck accentuate your feline grace with a single or multi-strand pearl choker or pearl collier, this is also the classic length of a bride’s Pearl wedding strand. If your neck is shorter, dare to shine and think about a longer strand such as a matinee or opera for a twist of 1950s Hollywood glamour. For a true statement of flapper-girl power, stand out and impress admirers with a touch of drama by steeping yourself in an elaborate Pearl rope necklace.

Clothes: The Pearl Choker and Pearl Collier are perfect for the off-the-shoulder grace of wedding gowns. They are also complemented by the plunging décolletages of evening gowns and "V" neck sweaters. Pearl Colliers and matinees are the essential elements to both the younger and older woman’s wardrobe. They are suited to everyday sports and business wear providing a classic, timeless elegance to every kind of outfit and every style of neckline. The longer lengths of the Pearl Opera and Rope Strands are the perfect accompaniment to low or high necks, and look great with suits and blouses with "Constructed" necks.

Start you Pearl wardrobe with a basic set, ‘Parure’, of matching necklace, ring, earrings or bracelet. Your local jeweler can update and lengthen your Pearl Necklace later so choose the length that most suites all occasions first.

The Collier or Collar Pearl Strand
Length: 12 to13 inches.
The Pearl Collier is made up of more than one strand of uniform Pearls that fit cozily around the base of the neck. This is the long-established ‘Coming-of-Age’ gift from the mother-in-law to the daughter. One of the oldest lengths of Pearl Necklace it suites every age, adding class and finesse to everything from sweaters to suits.

The Choker Pearl Strand
Length: 14 to16 inches.
The Pearl Choker is made up of one strand with large uniform sized Pearls that sit cozily around the neck sitting on the collarbone. The choker is an essential element in the wardrobe of the elegant woman with class and style, it is also a length suitable for children as its not too tight allowing for room to grow. The Pearl choker is particularly fashionable at the moment, uniting Victorian retro with today’s catwalk chic.

The Princess Pearl Strand
Length: 17 to19 inches.
The Pearl Princess Necklace is a perfect length if you ever consider attaching a pendant to your Pearl necklace. One of the most popular lengths the princess is well suited to crew and high necklines, but can equally add a frame to a plunging neckline.


The Matinee Pearl Strand
Length: 20 to 24 inches.
The Pearl Matinee Necklace, an unrestricting length that rests well on any neckline, is a little longer than a collier and slightly shorter than the Opera. Offering both elegant sophistication and casual styling the matinee looks great with sports or office clothes, with a sweater or the classic white blouse.

The Opera Pearl Strand
Length: 28 to 36 inches.
The Pearl Opera Strand falls to the breastbone and possesses a grace encapsulated in a single strand of Pearls, usually no less than 7 mm in diameter. A perfect accoutrement to low or high neck-lined blouses or adding a stunning offset to a suit, this jewelry is economy in business class transforming from a free-hanging single pearl strand to a multi pearl strand choker.

The Sautoir or Rope Pearl Strand
Length: 40 inches and over.
The Lariat Pearl Strand
Length: At least 48 inches.
The Pearl Rope, queen of versatility, was the preferred length of Pearl Necklace by the French haute-couture designer Coco Chanel. It is the essence of the emancipated women capturing the freedom of the 20s flapper girl and the 60s flower child. It is the complete jewel, an authentic ‘must have’, comprising of several twisted parallel or graduated strands generally embellished with clasps placed along the length, which transform it into bracelets and necklace of various combinations.

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Origins Mother Of Pearl Sterling Silver Jewelry

Reflecting the rainbows of the ocean beds, iridescent Mother of Pearl is the Opal of the sea. Like amber, Mother of Pearl is organic, but unlike any other gemstone it forms locked away within its creator: the mollusk.

Mother of Pearl or Nacre forms in the shells of bi-valve mollusks found in salt and fresh water. These mollusks are found around the world from the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia to the Gulfs of Mexico, Panama and Venezuela.

Abalone Oysters (Haliotis)

Used in trade for thousands of years Abalone oysters are found in abundance around the world. As well as being produced for their meat, they are an excellent source of highly iridescent Mother of Pearl and Pearl, ranging in beautiful colors from turquoise, green, cream and rose.

Green Abalone (Haliotis Fulgens)

Green Abalone thrives in the cold and rocky waters in the Gulf of California. They are often encrusted with small clams that adhere to their surface whose presence gives rise to the creation of blister pearls within the Abalone. Blister pearls are formed when the clams bore into the shell from the outside, the Abalone responds in defense to the intrusion by secreting layers of nacre, which coat the foreign body on the inside of the shell eventually solidifying forming natural blister pearls.

Black-Lipped Oyster (Pinctada Margaritifera)

Harvested since millennia, the black-lipped oyster, covering the widest geographical area of any known species, was the preferred color of Mother of Pearl of Indian and Persian monarchs. However, despite this oysters name the nacre is rarely pure black, instead the colors range from gray to green with blue or rose overtones. Mother of Pearl produced by Pacific black-lipped oysters is the most sought after on the world’s market today.

Silver-Lipped Oyster (Pinctada Maxima)

Sometimes referred to as the gold-lipped oyster, these giants have been harvested for their Mother of Pearl for more than a hundred years in the South Pacific. They were first cultured for its pearls in the late 1800s but only became widely distributed in the late 19th Century. Today the silver or white Mother of Pearl or Nacre produced by this oyster is the mainstay of the Australian, Japanese and Philippine cultured pearl industries.

Ayoka Oyster (Pinctada Fucata)

Japan is famous for its Ayoka pearl producing oysters, but this has only been the case since the 1920s. Before this time Japanese divers placed little value on Ayoka pearls, discarding them and keeping the Mother of Pearl, which was used as decorative inlay in jewelry and household ornamentation. By the 1950s, with new culturing techniques, Akoya Mother of Pearl and pearl had won widespread popularity and is now exported worldwide.

Ceylon Oyster (Pinctada Radiata)

From the time of antiquity up to the 1920s the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf supplied the world's demand for Mother of Pearl and pearl. The source of the majority of Mother of Pearl came from the Ceylon oyster, known as bil-bil by the fishermen of the Red Sea. The large demand almost drove this particular species to extinction but remarkably this oyster has endured the ravages of time and new techniques in cultivation have seen numbers increase.

Atlantic Oyster (Pinctada Imbricata)

Before leaving, the Queen of Spain told Christopher Columbus that Mother of Pearl and Pearl along with gold and silver were the treasures that the Spanish monarchy desired the most. When Columbus landed on the Venezuelan coast in 1498, the royal request was answered on the islands of Margarita and Cubagua. For one hundred years, the fruits of millions of Atlantic oysters from the region were shipped to Europe to satisfy the European monarchy’s desire. The fragile Atlantic oyster came close to extinction; however, commercial farming ventures in the last century have seen an increase in numbers.

La Paz Oyster (Pinctada Mazatlanica)

Before the discovery of the Pacific’s black-lipped oyster the only other Mother of Pearl that came close to the beautiful colors of the oysters of Polynesia came from the La Paz oysters in the waters of Panama and California. At one time La Paz oysters, preferring open oceanic conditions, were near extinction but recent culturing ventures in the Gulf of California are replenishing numbers and seeing a return of black pearls and Mother of Pearl to the world market.

Mabé Oyster (Pteria Penguin and Pteria Sterna)

These two species of thin-shelled oysters are the most common sources of Mabé blister pearls. Mabé pearls are artificially induced or cultured, they form when a mold made of plastic is inserted between the oyster's shell, this causes the oyster to produce layers of nacre or Mother of Pearl which eventually covers the mold, the mould is then cut from the shell. These oysters occur naturally in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the tropical western Pacific.

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Facts Of Mother Of Pearl Silver Jewelry

Mother of Pearl is made of crystal calcium carbonate and conchiolin, secreted by the living organism within a mollusk, which slowly builds up and solidifies coating the inner surface of the shell. Mother of Pearl is also known as Nacre, from the Arabic word Naqqarah meaning shell.

All waterborne organisms living within shells, called mollusks, have the ability to produce Mother of Pearl. However, very few mollusks with single shells, called gastropods, do so. High quality Mother of Pearl is produced by the mollusk family called bivalves, which have two-part shells.

The popular belief that Mother of Pearl and Pearl are formed as a result of a grain of sand entering a mollusks shell is false. Both Mother of Pearl (Nacre) and Pearl form when an organic irritant such as a parasite or food-particle become trapped within the mollusk, or if the mollusk is injured in some way.

Sensing the object the living organism within the mollusk secretes calcium carbonate, a derivative mineral of aragonite, and the binding protein conchiolin. These are the same substances that the animal uses to build its shell. The layers of calcium carbonate settle on the intruder, and are interspersed by the conchiolin, which acts as a kind of organic glue binding the crystals together. The regularity of the crystals, and the number of layers result in giving the Mother of Pearl (Nacre) or Pearl what is called luster.

Mother of Pearl Luster

Luster is a phenomenon used to describe the diffraction of light from the Mother of Pearl’s surface brilliance, together with its inner, deeper radiance. The radiance is the light that is reflected, not just off the surface, but also off the internal layers. A better luster is achieved if the Mother of Pearl crystals are uniform and the layers thin and numerous, letting the light diffract uninterrupted. Mother of Pearl that has a bright mirror like finish commands higher prices, whereas cheaper quality has a low luster appearing dull with a flat finish. The quality of the Mother of Pearl luster is also dependant on external factors.

Mother of Pearl is the creation of a living organism and environmental factors play a crucial role in its formation. Mother of Pearl producing mollusks cannot regulate their body temperature, and so are susceptible to changes in external conditions.

If the waters reach a high temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, as in the Pacific, the mollusks metabolism is increased and they grow faster secreting more Mother of Pearl than a mollusk who lives in colder waters. However, the layers of Mother of Pearl are thick, not as translucent and the crystal structure imperfect resulting in a duller, less lustrous Mother of Pearl. Therefore, Mother of Pearl is rarely harvested in the hotter summer months.

But when temperatures go down to 16 degrees Celsius, the mollusks metabolism is low, and produces nacre at a slower rate. These nacre layers are thinner, and the crystal structure more even, resulting in an increased translucency and better luster.

The term iridescence is often appropriated to Mother of Pearls as well as to opal. Iridescence is a general expression used when describing the presence of a rainbow effect across the surface; this is produced by the interference or diffraction of light through the gems crystal structure.

Mother of Pearl Color

Mother of Pearl, or Nacre appears in a variety of colors from white to black, and nearly every other color in between. It derives its color from three sources: genetic make-up, food and other trace metals in the water and finally to a lesser extent the depth and salt content of the water.

The mollusks genes are in part responsible for the color of the Mother of Pearl. A rainbow lipped, or black lipped oyster instinctively creates darker colors, whereas a white lipped oyster makes lighter colors.

Mollusks are filter feeders, sucking water in with their valves, extracting minute food particles from the water then ejecting the water out. Their diet consists of Phytoplankton, microscopic algae; these algae differ according to season. In the Gulf of California the blue green algae called Cyanophites are abundant in winter, but in summer a golden algae called Diatoms are more common. These different Phytoplankton provide the mollusk with materials that change the color of their Mother of Pearl.

Some trace elements are acquired from the water, such as metallic ions, that help the Mother of Pearl gain its unique coloration. Iron can give a pink color, copper a green to blue hue, magnesium a yellow coloration etc.

Mother of Pearl Care

Mother of Pearl is a hydrated gemstone, so it is essential to keep it away from direct sunlight, strong sources of heat or very dry atmospheres. If Mother of Pearl is left to dry out, its surfaces crack, and it becomes less resistant to ware and tear. Never use strong abrasives or alcohol to polish your Mother of Pearl, as this will destroy its play of color.

Store your Mother of Pearl in a dark cool place, and keep it looking its best by wiping it occasionally with a damp cloth. Wear it often; Mother of Pearl loves the bodies natural oils. The Nizams of India, famous for their pearl treasures, used to adorn their court eunuchs with pearls as their body oils kept the pearls in perfect condition…now there’s an idea!


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History Of Mother Of Pearl Silver Jewelry

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Europeans gave Mother of Pearl its name. However the beauty of Mother of Pearl, associated birthstone of June, has been used in the decoration of precious jewels and ornaments as far back as 3000 years before the birth of Christ.

In the 1920s, a series of tombs were excavated to the east of the site of Babylon in the Middle East. The tombs were of Sumerian royalty from ancient Mesopotamia and yielded a treasure trove of amulets, rings and necklaces made of gold, silver, ivory, amethyst, carnelian, lapis and other semi-precious gemstones. However, it was the unearthing of several beautiful wooden ornaments and musical instruments inlaid with Mother of Pearl, that illustrated just how sophisticated this ancient culture actually was.

The Silver lyre of Ur, found in one of the graves in the Royal Cemetery, dates back to between 2600 and 2400 B.C. The Silver lyre, ancestor to the modern harp, was found in the Great Death Pit accompanied by 70 men and women who had been buried with their Queen. Miraculously well persevered, the lyre was entirely covered in sheet silver and inlaid with Mother of Pearl. The silver cows head decorating the front has inlaid eyes of shell and lapis lazuli, and the edges, borders and plaques of the sound box are inlaid with Mother of Pearl. Such instruments were important parts of rituals in the royal courts and temples. There are more representations of lyre players inlaid in Mother of Pearl on the infamous Standard of Ur, a wooden box believed to recount the story of Ur.

The method the Sumerian artisans used to decorate wooden objects was to cut a design from the shell, cut the same form out of the wooden setting, and to fill the spaces and setting of the engraving with bitumen, which after acting as glue hardened forming the background. Animal scenes, inlayed with Mother of Pearl shell and colored gemstones such as lapis or carnelian, were particularly popular motifs used in such decoration. This method of inlay was popular throughout Asia and Asia Minor up to the time of the Ottoman Empire, and although refined the same method is still practiced by the artisans of Turkey and Egypt today.

Mother Of Pearl In Asia

In Asia, centuries before the birth of Christ, the Chinese learned that beads or tiny figures of deities slipped between the soft mantle and the shell of a living mollusk soon became coated with Mother of Pearl. These beads and carvings were then taken to the temples and offered to the gods in the hope that they would bestow good luck upon the donor. Mother of Pearl, like jade, soon held a position of high status in Chinese society and became interlinked with stories of gods and mythical creatures.

One such story is the tale told in the Tao classic The History of The Great Light, written by Huai Nan Tzu during the Han dynasty at the beginning of the first millennia A.D. In the book there are eight stories of eight mortals who, through their good deeds, were rewarded with everlasting life. The eighth of these stories tells the tale of Ho Hsien Ku, who was instructed in a vision that if she ate Mother of Pearl she would gradually become immortal. She did as the vision instructed, living in the mountains and eventually dispensing with mortal food. Ho Hsien Ku started to float from peak to peak becoming more and more ethereal, finally attaining her quest she was renamed The Immortal Maiden symbolized in the Tao philosophy by the lotus flower.

During the Confuciusan Tang dynasty, as Buddhism spread to Korea and Japan, China absorbed and unified a vast territory that had formerly been divided into North and South China. The Tang Dynasty, lasting from 600 A.D. to 900 A.D., was a period of widespread prosperity and trade that stretched from inner Asia to the archipelagos of South East Asia. With the promise of great wealth, many mariners and merchants from all over the Pacific were attracted to China, bringing with them precious cargos of Pearls, Mother of Pearl and many other precious and semi-precious gemstones.

In ancient China Mother of Pearl, apart from finding its way into rings and necklaces, was used in profusion as a decorative inlay in ornaments such as vanity mirrors and brushes, and in later centuries would feature heavily as an inlay in Chinese and Korean furniture. Interestingly, the Chinese also used Mother of Pearl in medicine, prescribing it for over a thousand years as an aid to reduce heart palpitations, dizziness, and high blood pressure.

Mother Of Pearl In Mesoamerica

In 800 A.D. Mesoamerica there existed an ancient civilization called the Toltecs. Ancestors to the Aztecs, they were feared and revered respectively for their military prowess and artistic culture. The Toltec had widespread influences from the Mayan populations in Guatemala to the Anasazi Indians in Arizona. Archeological excavations as far inland as Chaco Canyon, land marked by the towering Fajada Butte and its mysterious Sun Dagger rock carvings, have revealed Toltec treasures of ornamental jewelry and sculptures inlaid with Mother of Pearl from as far away as the Pacific Rim.

Still to this day the descendants of the Toltecs, the Yaqui Indians of Mexico immortalized in the shamanic tales of Carlos Castaneda, wear a necklace called the Hopoorosim. The necklace is made of Mother of Pearl and is believed to provide the wearer with protection from evil.

In Americas southwest of today, Navajo, Pueblo, and Hopi native American silversmiths, trained in age old lapidary techniques fuse the ancient into contemporary designs using sterling silver, gold, lapis lazuli, pearl, fire opal, coral and of course Mother of Pearl.

Mother Of Pearl In The Pacific

By the 1500s Europes growing demand for Mother of Pearl used in gold and silver rings, necklaces, brooches and buttons had all but depleted the supplies of Mother of Pearl in the Persian Gulf. However the nobility of Europe were already taken with a new species of pearl producing oyster heralding from the Pacific: Pinctada Margaritifera, renowned for its spectacular grey to black color and large size it surpassed the beauty of any of its counterparts found in the Persian Gulf. And with the opening of new trade routes throughout the world, particularly to Asia, the Pacific witnessed a rush of European traders and explorers eager to profit from its wealth of Mother of Pearl.

In 1568 the Solomon Islands, known as The Pearl of the Pacific, were discovered by the Spanish explorer, Alvaro de Mendana. On discovering the Islands rich bounty of gold and Mother of Pearl he gave the archipelago its current name, believing that he had found the mythical source of King Solomons mines. However, it was in fact the Austronesians, a Neolithic people from South East Asia, who had first settled the Solomon Islands more than 4000 years prior to Mendanas arrival. Evidence of their great wealth of Mother of Pearl can be seen in the inlay appearing in many of their tribal shields and statues of gods and spirits.

From Tahiti to Bora Bora the Polynesian archipelago stretches out to the size of Western Europe. The Islands were supposedly discovered by the European Magellan, and again in 1595 by Mendana. However, long before their arrival Mother of Pearl and pearl had already attained a god-like status.

In Polynesian lore, the iridescence of Mother of Pearl is attributed to the spirits of coral and sand, Okana and Uaro, who as legend has it adorned the Tahitian oysters in glistening cloaks covered in all the colors of the fish of the ocean. It is also said that Oro, the Polynesian god of peace and fertility, came down to earth and offered a special pearl called Te Ufi, the black pearl, to the beautiful princess of Bora Bora as a sign of his love. But by the middle of the 1800s with Europes lust for Mother of Pearl the Pacific Islands had been practically stripped bear of its oysters, and with its disappearance the stories passed into legend.

However, in 1880 France gained control of Tahiti, now called French Polynesia, and actions were taken to restrict the plundering of the seabed. Other countries followed suite and by the 1900s, with the spread of western civilization, restrictions were imposed on the fishing industry throughout the Pacific, and the world had to look elsewhere in their search for Mother of Pearl.

European exploration of the Pacific Islands in search of Mother of Pearl continued, and in the 1920s it was discovered for the last time on a remote Island of the New Hebrides. But when explorers Sperry and Evans stumbled upon the use of Mother of Pearl, it was far from what they expected. “In the opposite corner of the central hut a line of mummies were placed like a barricade…” “…Bushy mops of hair still clung to the heads, and their faces wore masks of clay, with huge eyes of Mother of Pearl that shone through the gloom staring at us with an uncanny effect.” In fact the mummies weren’t ancestral members of the tribe, but were the bodies of a rival tribe of cannibals!

In Americas 1900s, where Mother of Pearl had been previously used as an inlay in furniture, it now found a new use in fashion as buttons. Iowa became the center of the trade, shipping billions of iridescent fasteners until World War II, when newly invented plastics undercut the prices of Mother of Pearl buttons, all but driving them out of the market. The majority of Americas Mother of Pearl was sourced from the Gulf of Californias Abalone oysters. But these sources, like others throughout the world, were almost depleted and it wasn’t until the discovery of new-cultured farming techniques in Japan that the world’s Mother of Pearl producing oysters saw a return in numbers.

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This article was written for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. See 1000’s of mother of pearl silver jewelry items at prices 80% below normal retail prices. Make one purchase per month and receive silver jewelry worth up to $60...Absolutely free, everytime!