Sterling Silver Jewelry History: Jason The Argonauts And The Lydians

During the 6th and 5th Centuries before Christ, the Lydian empire with its impregnable capital of Sardis perched high on Mount Tmolos changed world history. Contrary to the neighboring Phrygians, who had been in Anatolia since just 1200 B.C., the Lydians were an ancient race whose origins were planted in earlier Hittite cultures. Lydia, lying at the Mediterranean end of an ancient trade route that led all the way to the Arabian coast of Mesopotamia, had always been prosperous, but under the reign of King Alyattes II and later his son and heir Croesus, it became one of the richest empires in Asia.

After beating back the attacking Cimmerians, who had previously overrun King Midas’ neighboring state of Phrygia, Lydia absorbed Phrygia, its wealth and all its lands including the source of King Midas’ wealth: the electrum-rich Paktolos River. To extract precious metals from the river, the Lydians dredged the river’s sediments, filtering out the electrum, gold, and silver particles using sheepskins. The lanolin, a waxy material found in wool, captured the precious metals but allowed sand to wash over it. The fleece, now laden with glistening precious metals was then hung, dried and then burnt at a high temperature. After the fire burnt out the gold and silver metals were easily extracted from the ashes, it is widely believed that this method of extraction gave rise to the legend Jason and the Argonauts and the ‘The Golden Fleece’. However, contrary to the myth, concrete proof of Lydia’s metallurgical prowess and its use of the river’s precious gold and silver ores were later found at archeological excavations near Lydia’s capital city, Sardis.

Archeologists, on discovering an ancient industrial quarter near the Paktolos River just outside Sardis, exposed a variety of objects including a blow-pipe nozzle, bellows, ovens, crucibles, cupules, and waste-materials, which corroborate that the local smiths had the ability to separate gold and silver from placer electrum by cementation and cupellation processes. Further discoveries of stone moulds also testify to the Sardians' utilization of their local supplies of gold and silver for the making of fine jewelry.

However, the gold and silversmiths of Lydia didn’t make history with their ability to produce fine jewelry, but with the world’s first monetary system. While the much earlier established civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt were still bartering in the form of silver ingots, silver rings, and other items of precious metals, Lydians were using coins with a mark of authority at a fixed exchange value.

In the 6th Century B.C. under King Alyattes II coins, as defined in Webster’s dictionary as “Gold, silver and copper metal certified by marks upon it to be of a definite exchange value and issued by government to be used as money.” were produced in great numbers.

The ‘Trite’, the most common Lydian denomination of its time, was made from electrum alloys and usually consisted of 53% gold, 45% percent silver and 2% percent copper. It was supposed that the coins were minted for trading, in respect to the fact that Sardis was located at the western end of a major trade route that extended east all the way to the Babylonian gulf in Southern Mesopotamia. However, this has been largely dispelled due to the fact that these gold and silver electrum coins being of far too large a value: about a month's subsistence in total.

Also, despite the large quantities of production, no gold and silver electrum coins were found in or around archeological digs associated with market trade in the Lydian empire, or elsewhere along the extensive connecting trade routes used at the time. It is instead believed that these gold and silver electrum coins were intended as trade for tax payments, religious offerings, wedding presents, hospitality offerings, or salaries to mercenaries.

Whatever the case, Lydia was the first example of the transition from an agricultural barter economy to a commercial monetary urban economy. Today, scholars believe that the Lydians invented the world's first free market, and created gold, silver and electrum coins because they were the first to recognize their profit-making potential. This was proved in Lydia’s economic growth, which in less than a hundred years under King Alyattes II and his son and heir Croesus saw it go from a kingdom to an empire. Indeed, it is from this period that the expression ‘As Rich As Croesus’ is derived.

This monetary phenomenon quickly spread through the rest of Asia, Asia Minor and Europe. It was during the reign of Croesus, who had begun to build diplomatic ties with mainland Greece, that the Athenian statesman Solon visited Lydia. During his stay Solon, who later formed the weight standards for the silver Athenian drachmas, became influenced by Lydia’s ingenious gold and silver monetary reforms and carried the idea back to Greece.

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Sterling Silver Jewelry History: King Midas And The Paktolos River

After King Priam’s defeat at the hands of Agamemnon’s Greek army led by Achilles, Troy was eventually absorbed into the Hittite empire. More than a hundred years later, in 1200 B.C., the great walls of the northern-most outpost of Asia-Minor fell again, this time to the Phrygians.

By 1190 B.C. the Phrygians, a race of people originating from southern Europe definitively ended the Hittite reign of Anatolia with the sacking of their capital Hattusas, and eventually penetrated as far south as the Assyrian border to the east of Anatolia. By the 8th Century B.C. they had created the political state of Phrygia in western Anatolia. The states capital Gordian, originally named after a poor peasant farmer called Gordias, was located slightly southwest of what is today modern Ankara.

According to Phrygian legend, the farmer Gordias was appointed King by the gods. In tribute to them he tied up his ox-cart outside the temple as a reminder to all not to forget the nobility of humble origins. As time passed into centuries another legend grew around the bound cart.

According to the oracle of Gordian, only the rightful ‘King of Asia’ could unravel the ‘Gordian Knot’ that tied the cart up. In the winter of 333 B.C., an army of mercenaries led by a young man called Alexander came to Gordian. As had many before him, Alexander rose to the undefeated 400-year challenge, but instead of trying to untie it with his hands Alexander took his sword and slashed the knot in two…that Alexander became ‘Alexander The Great’.

Today, the saying cutting the "Gordian Knot" is an expression meaning to solve a difficult problem with a bold solution. However, this is not the most famous of Phrygian legends. King Gordias, having had no heir to succeed him had adopted a son who came to the throne in 725 B.C., his tale is one of the first and most famous legends on the perils of wealth:

According to classical mythology Dionysus, or Bacchus as the Romans knew him, was the Olympian god of wine. Unsurprisingly popular, he was especially venerated in the Asian Minor city-state of Phrygia where he held a cult status. Dionysus, son of Zeus, was followed by a group of satyrs, half-human half-goat figures. One day Silenus, the eldest of the satyrs and also Dionysus' tutor, drunk himself paralytic and passed out in the King of Phrygia’s rose garden. The Phrygian ruler who took great pride in his roses was no less than King Midas. After Midas had found the aging satyr, he treated his alcohol poisoning and guided him back to good health.

Dionysus, in gratitude for saving Silenius’ life, asked what King Midas wanted in return. After some consideration Midas asked that everything he touched should turn to gold. Granted with his wish Midas amused himself by touching everything around him, watching it turn to gold. However, his gift soon manifested itself as a burden when he found that even the food he touched turned to gold. Dying of hunger he asked his daughter to feed him, but in the process she too turned to gold. Consumed with grief Midas pleaded that the gift, turned curse, be lifted. Dionysus instructed Midas that if he washed in the Paktolos River that flowed through the kingdom, he would be cured. Midas did as he was told and after bathing the spell lifted. But in cleansing the King of his curse the river became laden with the precious metal.

One of the first parables created on the evils of excessive wealth, the ‘Midas Touch’ is the stuff of legend. However, neither King Midas nor his bounty of precious metals is myth. King Midas ruled over Phrygia during the 7th Century B.C. until he committed suicide when Gordian fell to the Cimmerian invasions. Up until then, under Midas, the Phrygian city-state witnessed a golden age.

This wealth was due to the Paktolos River, which also ran through the neighboring city-state of Lydia. The Paktolos, still flowing in Anatolia today, was laden with a naturally occurring precious metal called electrum: an alloy of gold and silver. Enriching the economies of both Phrygia and Lydia, the Paktolos River’s bounty of precious metals ensured that the two regions became the most coveted areas of Anatolia and the known civilized world.

“…Paktolos glad to gratify Dionysus murmured as he poured the gold sowing water upon the purple sand, and the gilded fish went swimming in wealthy sounding where the rich ore lay deep.” – From Nonnos Dionysiaca Greek Epic 500 A.D.

In 696 B.C. Cimmerian attacks ended Midas’ rule of Phrygia and the sacking and burning of Gordian. Having occupied Phrygia and assumed its wealth the barbaric Cimmerians, from whose name Crimea is derived, continued to invade Anatolia pushing into the neighboring city-state of Lydia until the 620 B.C. when the Lydian armies finally defeated them. Phrygia’s wealth of gold, silver and electrum was then absorbed into the Lydian empire where it would be forged into a radical concept that would change the world forever…

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History Of Sterling Silver Jewelry: The Indus Valley

In the majority of Neolithic India, as in most parts of the world at that time, people fashioned jewelry out of seeds, feathers, berries, flowers, bones and shells. But in the northern Indus valley cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappan, men and women were already wearing jewelry made of gold, silver, copper and set with precious and semi-precious gemstones.

The Indus valley civilization, preceding the Vedic, existed from 3000 B.C. to 1500 B.C., and was built in and amongst the fertile lands of what is known today as Pakistan. The Neolithic Indus valley people like others, domesticated animals and harvested crops of cotton, sesame and barley. However, contrary to the belief that these regions only possessed an agricultural economy in this period, archeological evidence of jewelry and other fine items found at the Indus cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappan, show the people as having been sophisticated urbanites whose cities were bastions to art and culture.

The brick cities, acting as focal points for a kind of centralized state, towered high above the Indus plains and were established along important trade routes that connected the ‘Far East’ with the ‘Near East’. They were visible for large distances, a landmark to the prosperity of their rulers, inhabited by generations of merchant classes, skilled artisans, farmers and sea-faring adventurers engaged in extensive trading.

Proof of the Indus people’s impact on Neolithic trade was found when archaeologists excavating Mohenjo-daro and Harappan found engraved seals written in cuneiform, the world’s first written language whose origins lay in Mesopotamia in the Near East. The seals, describing the contents of sacks, were used to close bundles of merchandise, as cord marks on the reverse side testify. Similar seals were also found in ports on the far-away Persian Gulf near modern Bahrain, and amongst Mesopotamian sites at the city of Ur.

The seals originating from the Indus sites described cargos of textiles, and luxury goods such as semi precious gemstones, ivory, carnelian beads, pearls, mother of pearl and jade sent to Persia and Mesopotamia in exchange for gold, silver, tin, copper, lapis lazuli and turquoise. Bitumen from Mesopotamia, where it occurred naturally, was also imported and used as the binding glue in mother of pearl inlay in precious items of jewelry and ornamentation. These products and their seals found in various Indus archeological sites bare testament to the presence of foreign traders living amongst the Indus people.

The Indus civilizations were ethnically diverse incorporating many cultures and creeds. Many terracotta, bronze and stone figurines found at the Indus sites display a variety of different styles of clothing, headdresses and ornamentation indicating a multi-ethnic civilization. Some of the figurines were adorned with multiple chokers and necklaces, which appear to represent beaded ornaments of gold, silver, and semi-precious gems. The complex casting techniques used in the production of the metallic figures, made by the French ‘Cire-Perdue’ meaning ‘Lost-wax’, also points towards a culture of knowledgeable and sophisticated metallurgists far in advance of their epoch.

Further excavations of Mohenjo-daro’s lower levels, revealed the living quarters of metal workers specializing in the production of copper and bronze implements, and also weapons. Flat axes, spears, knives, arrowheads, chisels, saws and razors were caste in smelting furnaces then hammered into shape. Silver, reserved for smaller precious objects, was smelted and molded into vases, vessels, seals, pendants, and brooches. Other crafts in the city included the manufacturing of beads made in a variety of different shells, ivory and semi precious gem types such as alabaster, lapis lazuli and turquoise from Persia, amethyst from Maharashtra, and jade from Central Asia. However, by the third century B.C., after the reign of Buddhist emperor Ashoka, India was mining its own extensive gemstone resources, and had become the world’s leading exporter of precious and semi-precious gemstones.

By 2000 B.C. the Indus valley civilizations were disappearing due to internal decline. The eventual demise of the Indus Valley Civilization came about in 1500 B.C with Aryan invaders from the north firstly destroying the outlying villages and then overrunning the cities of Harappan and Mohenjo-daro. The Indus civilization with their highly advanced knowledge of process metallurgy, gem cutting and jewelry production were eventually pushed further south into India where they created a legacy of fine arts for which India is known the world over.

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Caring For Your Sterling Silver And Rhodium Plated Jewelry

Silver in all its luminous apparitions, has co-reigned alongside gold for more than 6000 years as the ‘Queen of Precious Metals’. However, of all silver’s heirs it is sterling silver with its intrinsic beauty, value and durability, that has ensured itself a place in the history books as one of the most popular mediums of personal adornment.

Owning a prestigious item such as sterling silver jewelry should be undertaken with an eye on the future. Like all precious metals, sterling silver’s value increases with time, and one day your jewelry could well become a priceless family heirloom, so looking after it now can only pay dividends in the future. However, to understand the proper care and maintenance of your sterling silver jewelry it is first necessary to look into sterling silver’s background.

Both silver and sterling silver are precious metals, and both closely related, but they are not the same. Pure silver is quite soft and because of this won't hold its shape; sterling silver was invented as a more durable form of this highly malleable and lustrous metal, lending its hardwearing properties to the creation of frequently worn jewelry.

Sterling silver is 92.5 percent true silver; the remaining 7.5 percent is comprised of an alloy, usually copper or zinc. Sterling silver tarnishes, this is caused by a reaction between the silver and the sulfur containing oxygen particles of the air. The following guide gives you some useful advice on preserving your sterling silver gemstone jewelry in the state you want for future generations.

Storage

Store your sterling silver jewelry in a dark, cool place away from direct sunlight or other sources of extreme heat such as radiators. A perfect place is in a jewelry box in amongst your clothes.

Sterling silver jewelry, as is the case with all fine jewelry, should be stored alone in a separate compartment in a jewelry box or in its own soft pouch. Not doing this will eventually result in scratches, or even breaks if there are gemstones in the jewelry.

Never store your sterling silver jewelry in paper, cardboard, or cotton filled boxes, as these contain trace elements of sulfur. For best results, place the items in a sealed, airtight plastic bag or jeweler's sulfur-free tissue prior to boxing and wrapping.

Cleaning & Polishing

Over time, sterling silver will develop a mellow patina caused by ‘Oxidization’, which results in an ‘Antique’ look where tarnish builds up in the fine details giving your sterling silver jewelry a beautifully unique air. You may or may not appreciate this aspect; you should consider this before making any attempts at cleaning your jewelry.

The best way to preserve and encourage the tarnished ‘Antique’ look to sterling silver jewelry can be done by not cleaning the jewelry with water, and not wearing the jewelry in the shower or bath.

The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear your sterling silver jewelry as often as possible.

If your sterling silver does become tarnished, it is easily restored to its former glory by using warm water with a mild soap, rinsing it and then making sure to thoroughly dry it with a fine soft cloth. Soaking is discouraged.

Use a soft cloth, similar to the cloth provided with spectacles, in light even strokes for cleaning the wider surface area, and cotton buds or Q-tips in the same manner for getting in to more difficult corners.

Never use tissues or hard brushes, including toothbrushes, when cleaning or polishing your sterling silver, as they will leave scratch marks. This is especially important if there are gemstones such as pearls mounted into your jewelry.

Polishing should be done quickly, and all traces of polish should be removed afterwards. Leaving traces of polish behind can dull the design by clogging engraved areas.

Silver pastes, treated polishing cloths or other sterling silver cleaning materials should be used under the guidance of your local jeweler, this is especially true if there are gemstones as these chemicals can destroy them.

The Dos’ & Don’ts

Always take your sterling silver jewelry off before applying suntan lotion, skin creams, and swimming in chlorinated or salt water.

Never wear your jewelry when working with detergents, bleaches, ammonia or alcohols; these chemicals will cause discoloration, damage and loosen any gemstones.

Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia or any chemical solution to clean opaque gemstones, such as turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opals. They are a porous stone and may absorb chemicals, which build up inside the stone and cause discoloration. Simply wipe them gently with a moist soft cloth until clean.

Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Care

Some sterling silver jewelry is plated with rhodium; this is designed to make your jewelry tarnish resistant. Caring for rhodium-plated sterling silver jewelry requires a different approach than non-plated sterling silver jewelry.

Clean it with a soft polishing rag or fine cleaner, but never use chemical based silver cleaners because this will damage the rhodium finish and also the inlaid gemstones.

If you own antique sterling silver jewelry or rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry we recommend that you seek expert advice from your local jeweler who will be able to instruct you on the best brands of jewelry cleaning products in your area.


This article was written by David-John Turner for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get gemstone silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!


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An Introduction To The Definition And Etymology Of Sterling

Sterling, Ster-ling (noun): British money; the ‘Pound Sterling' basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom.

Sterling, Ster-ling (adjective): a superlative meaning the ‘Highest in quality”.

Sterling Silver, Ster-ling Sil-ver (noun): A Silver alloy of .925 parts purity to the 1000, with no more than 7.5% copper or nickel used to make objects of art such as sterling silver jewelry.

Although in today's world the Pound ‘Sterling', and ‘Sterling' Silver have two separate meanings they share the same roots, coming from convergent sources related to ancient British currency.

One speculated origin of the word ‘Sterling’ dates from the Middle-English language, circa 1100 to 1500 A.D., and its word for ‘Little star’: ‘Sterrling’. Stars were a regular feature on English silver pennies minted after the Norman conquests of England. The reason behind this was due to the event that the Norman king, William the Conqueror witnessed when crossing the English Channel, on his way to fight Harold the king of England at the battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Looking to the heavens William saw a shooting star, Haley’s Comet, flash across the sky. This was taken as an omen, and after he won the battle gaining the throne of England the stars became a regular feature on Norman England’s Silver currency.

Another proposed origin for the word ‘Sterling’ comes from ‘Easterling Silver’, which was used to refer to a type of Silver coin used as currency in an area of eastern Germany known as the ‘Easterling’. The area was founded around the consolidation of five towns that engaged in substantial trade with England in the 12th Century, they paid for goods imported from England with a currency made of 925 parts Silver.

The English soon noticed the unwavering durability and value of the German coins renaming them ‘Coins of the Easterlings’. Soon enough by decree of the first ‘Plantagenet’ king, Henry II, the alloy was set as the standard for English currency. The metal refiners of Easterling were expedited to England to start refining the Silver for coin production, where the term ‘Easterling Silver’ was later abbreviated to ‘Sterling Silver’. These first editions of ‘Sterling’ currency are known as the ‘Tealby Pennies’, and were introduced as the English currency by King Henry II in 1158. From this period till the mid 20th Century, although the content and purity wavered, Sterling pennies made from Sterling Silver remained a constant feature in British currency.

As units of currency, the British ‘Pound Sterling’ originated from the weight values of a Troy pound of Silver. The Troy weight system came from what was called the ‘Troy System of Mass’, which dates back to 9th Century France and the city of Troyes under King Charlemagne. Troyes was a major European trading city for precious metal and gemstone dealers in the early Middle Ages.

A Sterling Troy pound, consisting of 12 ounces, equaled 240 sterling pennyweights: a pennyweight was literally the weight of a penny. A pennyweight weighed 24 grains; a grain was the weight of a grain seed from the middle of an ear of barley. Originally the British ‘Pound’, before decimalization, reflecting the Troy weight system, consisted of two hundred and forty ‘Sterling’ silver pennies.

In 1971, the UK currency was converted into the metric system in line with rest of Europe. And although the term ‘Pound Sterling’ is still used to refer to British currency made of gold or paper, it is used in a solely figurative sense.

Today, the Troy ‘Ounce’ enjoys exclusive use as a measurement of weight for precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, and gems such as opals. And Sterling Silver, while no longer used in circulating currency anywhere in the world, is a respected grade of silver of high purity and hardness used for durable jewelry in daily use.

This article was written by David-John Turner for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get gemstone silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

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An Introduction To The Definition And Etymology Of Silver

Ancient Incas believed the Moon to shed tears of it, the Shetland Celts thought the northern lights contained threads of it and the early Pacific islanders of the Southern hemisphere alleged that all the stars in the heavens were composed of it.

Silver, second only to gold as a popular symbol of status and wealth, is one of the most romantic and sought after of all the precious metals captivating mankind with its lustrous beauty from the beginning of time.

Silver has called to man, compelling him to search out its superior properties, to the most distant and treacherous corners of the globe. In return for silver’s riches man elevated the precious metal amongst the heavens, appropriating its qualities to the Gods, Planets, even naming a country after it: Argentina.

Silver, offering the best value of all precious metals, has seen ages come and go. But unlike gold, Silver has gained popularity not just as a item of adornment, but also as man’s best friend, lending its superior strength, malleability and ductility to a thousand and one purposes: Photography, Money, Health, Transport, Communication, Utility…

Silver (Sil-ver) n: A precious metal with the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of all metals used in a variety of purities in the production of jewelry, tableware, photography and coins.

In its purest form this lustrous metal, like gold, is very soft. For this reason Silver is usually alloyed with other metals such as copper, as is the case in sterling silver jewelry, to make it more robust.

• Fine Silver: 99.9% Silver.



• Thai Karen Hill-Tribe Silver: 99.5% Silver.



• Britannia Silver: 95.84% Silver with up to 4.16% copper.



• Mexican Silver: Usually 95% Silver and 5% Copper.



• Sterling Silver Jewelry: 92.5% Silver, with copper making up the remaining 7.5%.

Silver is a chemical element denoted on the periodic table by the symbol ‘Ag’. In etymological terms this symbol is derived from the early Proto-Indo-European language root word ‘Arg'- meaning ‘White’, or ‘To shine’. This root word is found in ancient:

· Greek – Argos.
· Latin – Argentums.
· Celtic – Argent.
· Sanskrit – Arjuna.

The only languages that lacked this root are the Germano-Balto-Slavic languages that used another stem for Silver thought to be based on a river in Lycia, modern day Turkey:

· Slavic – Sirebro.
· Baltic – Silabr.
· Germanic – Silbr.

The Germanic, or Teutonic, word is the root of the Anglo-Saxon branch word of ‘Silver’ used today.

Read The Etymology Of Sterling

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Filigree Sterling Silver Jewelry History – 1000 A.D. To 1900 A.D.

n. Filigree /filligree/:From the Latin ‘Filum’, meaning ‘Thread’, and ‘Granum’ meaning ‘Seed’. Filigree is the art of curling, twisting and plaiting fine pliable threads of precious metals, and uniting them at their points of contact by means of gold or Silver solder.

Introduction

Perfected over millennia, incorporating the ancient techniques and styles of vanished civilizations, Filigree is without a doubt one of the oldest and most beautiful art forms known to man.

Unlike the mass of jewelry produced today Filigree jewelry is totally handcrafted, calling for hours of concentration on the part of its maker. The knowledge behind Filigree’s meticulous creation, passed down from generation to generation, remains a closely guarded secret kept in the hands of lapidary masters stretching from the islands of the Mediterranean sea to the shores of East India.

The Celts And Filigree

After a long absence, Filigree reestablished itself in northern Europe with the Saxons, Britons and Celts who were from an early period extremely skilful in several kinds of jewelry metalwork. In fact, the Celtic jewelry perfected between the 10th and 11th Centuries in Ireland displays more thought in its design and intricate patterns than any other period in Filigree’s history. Two examples are the infamous Tara brooch, a ring fastener with a pin for piercing and holding clothing in place, and the stunning two-handled chalice called the Ardagh cup. Irish Filigree is designed in such a way that one thread can be traced through the entirety of a network of complex coils and knots, the intricate threads appear and disappear without breaking continuity or balance, finishing by being incorporated into the head or tail of a serpent or monster.

The Renaissance & Filigree

The 15th and 16th Centuries marked the dispersion of the somber Middle Ages, and the rise of the Italian ‘Renaissance’, meaning ‘Rebirth’, expressing for the first time the values of the modern world. Artists and artisans of this period found their inspiration in the revival of ancient Greece and Rome, and jewelry became once again an integral part of dress. Solemn religious subjects were gradually replaced by classical and naturalistic themes and Filigree and enameled jewelry combined with faceted gemstones were for the first time united in sculptured pendants, brooches, necklaces and chains.

The 17th To 18th Centuries And Filigree

However, in the 17th Century due to refined methods of faceting gems the emphasis moved once more from precious metals to gemstones, and the diamond became the preferred item for jewelry. The 18th Century brought with it industrial development and mass production. Cheaper materials were utilized, in addition to gold and semi-precious gemstones, including base-metal alloys, paste to make imitation gemstones, steel and cast iron. With these cheaper methods of production jewelry techniques changed their emphasis from the artisans to less skilled mechanical processes of stamping and cutting out patterns and settings. It was during the end of the 19th Century that Peter Carl Faberge, jeweler to the Russian Tsars, reintroduced an exacting craftsmanship into jewelry design. Similar to the artisan jewelers of the Renaissance, Faberge specialized in the contrast of colors and materials, and his most original designs are those that combine gold Filigree, and colored gems such as alexandrite named after the Tsar Alexander on his birthday in 1830.

The 19th Century And Filigree

By the late 19th Century, a counter-culture movement in the decorative arts challenged the austerity of Victorian society. Art Nouveau burst upon Europe and America with a romantic glory of swirling dainty lines. Figures of girls with dreamy expressions and swirling hair, dragonflies and peacocks with iridescent colors and stylized floral themes dominated jewelry. Filigree, enameling and Pliqué A Jour, the pulling of enamel through wire to give it a stained glass look, were used and established jewelers like Louis Comfort Tiffany although continuing to use diamonds and pearls reintroduced classical gemstones like opals and moonstones.

The Edwardian Epoch & Filigree

After the death of Queen Victoria her son, Edward VII, became king of England. In comparison to the austerity of Victorian England Edward’s reign marked a joyous return to elegance in styling, clothing and jewelry. Edwardian jewelry coincided with the Art Nouveau movement, and the delicate Filigree work that could now be fashioned echoed the laces and feathers worn by Edwardian ladies of the period. Diamonds and pearls were worn in profusion, either alone or with colored gemstones. Because of the metal strength of platinum, yellow gold was replaced as the metal of choice for jewelry. Silver and white gold, were used for the first time in Filigree and it was everywhere from brooches, bracelets, earrings, tiaras and beautiful delicate and lacy diamond rings, and with king Edwards love of elegance men's jewelry came into its own.

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Filigree Sterling Silver Jewelry History 3000 B.C. To 400 A.D.

n. Filigree /filligree/: From the Latin ‘Filum’, meaning ‘Thread’, and ‘Granum’ meaning ‘Seed’. Filigree is the art of curling, twisting and plaiting fine pliable threads of precious metals, and uniting them at their points of contact by means of gold or Silver solder.

Introduction

Perfected over millennia, incorporating the ancient techniques and styles of vanished civilizations, Filigree is without a doubt one of the oldest and most beautiful art forms known to man.

Unlike the mass of jewelry produced today Filigree jewelry is totally handcrafted, calling for hours of concentration on the part of its maker. The knowledge behind Filigree’s meticulous creation, passed down from generation to generation, remains a closely guarded secret kept in the hands of lapidary masters stretching from the islands of the Mediterranean sea to the shores of East India.

The Egyptians And Filigree

Filigree’s intricate lace-like trellises are entwined in mystery. For eons it was believed that Filigree had its roots planted in the classical Greek period 400 years before the birth of Christ. However, in the 1920s archeologists lifted the lid on two of the most significant finds this century, revealing that Filigree was in fact more than 5000 years old.

The first discovery was of a Filigree knife sheath dating from 2600 B.C., found in the royal tomb of the Mesopotamian Queen Pu-Abi. The second was the discovery of several gold and Silver rings with exquisitely formed Filigree shanks dating from 1350 B.C., found in the legendary tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tut-ankh-amun.

The Phoenicians And Filigree

Later discoveries, similar to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Filigree but dating from 1000 B.C. were found in Phoenicia, present day Lebanon. Archeologists concluded that the seafaring Phoenicians had been influenced by the two cultures through widespread trade in gold and Silver.

The Phoenicians spread their skills throughout the Mediterranean; many settling in southern Italy integrating with the Etruscans, a civilization of the 7th century B.C. dedicated to the arts. The Etruscan artists fused traditional geometric designs with the Phoenician’s oriental influences of floral and figurative designs, refining Filigree to such an extraordinary degree that to this day their designs remain unsurpassed even by modern jewelers.

The Greeks And Filigree

In the eastern Mediterranean the Greeks had been using Filigree techniques since the time of the Trojan wars and were quick to integrate the refined Etruscan style into their jewelry. Necklaces were decorated with Filigree flowers and tassels, hoop earrings with Filigree disks and rosettes. With the conquests of Alexander the Great Greece attained a wealth of gold and Silver booty plundered from the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians and Indians. And from 323 B.C., during the Hellenistic period, Greek Filigree became prolific from southern Europe to India influencing craftsmen throughout the massive empire.

The Romans And Filigree

By 133 B.C. Rome had absorbed the entirety of the Greek Empire and its economic wealth. And with the rise of the Roman Empire a new phase of jewelry design was ushered in with the use of colored gemstones. Roman craftsmen applied gold and Silver as settings for emeralds, sapphires, rubies, peridots, garnets and pearls. However, Roman jewelers, in order to emphasize the gems rather than their settings preferred plainer geometric shapes to the detailed styles of classical Greek jewelry, and techniques like Filigree and granulation fell out of fashion.

The Byzantines And Filigree

By the 4th Century A.D. the Roman Empire in Europe had fallen into the hands of the barbarian tribes of the Goths and Vandals, the ‘Dark Ages’ ensued and Rome’s art forms were lost. However, the East of the Roman Empire known as the Byzantine Empire became a repository of classical learning, preserving the artistic heritage of the Greek and Roman artisans. The Byzantine Empire was Christian, and rich, this is reflected in the opulent gold and Silver icons, book covers of gospels and panels of reliquaries crafted in the monasteries. The large surfaces of these objects were encrusted with precious stones cut into cabochons and decorated with fine Filigree, granulation, engravings, and enameling techniques known as cloisonné.


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Hallmarking Sterling Silver Jewelry

To receive a hallmark items of precious metal must undergo tests carried out by the assay office. This is done to ascertain if the object’s content of precious metal meets the standard requirements of purity.

Forms of marking precious metal objects were around from the Byzantine period in the early part of the first millennium A.D. However, it was under the rule of king Edward I of England, known as Longshanks due to his size, that hallmarking was first established.

The term hallmark comes from mark of the hall of goldsmiths in London, who in 1327 were the first official assay hallmarking office decreed by parliament to control the standard of precious metals circulating in the British Isles. To this day they still operate one of four authorized assay offices in Britain.

Before items made of precious metals such as silver, gold or platinum are stamped with an assay’s hallmark they undergo rigorous testing to prove whether or not the metal purity measures up to the established standards. In fact, the word assay is derived from the French word meaning to test, trail or examine.

The basic method of assaying, also known as the cupellation process, was first introduced by the ancient Egyptians. The process starts when a small sample of gold or silver is removed from the object of gold jewelry or silver jewelry to be tested, which is then carefully weighed and measured. The sample is then placed in a cupel, a small receptacle made of bone ash, along with a small quantity of lead. This is then placed in a furnace and heated to a high temperature with a draught of air flowing over it. The lead and any other base metals contained in the gold or silver sample are either oxidized or absorbed into the cupel, leaving only the pure gold or silver behind.

The remains are then weighed and measured and compared to the initial weight of the sample. The cupellation process is the most accurate method for determining metal purity and is the standard technique practiced today. Upon meeting the required standards of sterling silver the item of sterling silver is stamped with the appropriate hallmark.

Until quite recently, most hallmarks were struck using steel punches. The punches are produced in various proportions, appropriate for petite pieces of sterling silver jewelry to hefty items of silver ware. Punches are made in straight shanks for normal punching with a hammer, or ring shanks used with a press to mark rings.

The trouble with traditional punching is that the procedure can misshape the form of the jewelry, resulting in the article having to be reworked after hallmarking is completed. For this reason, unfinished items of jewelry are often sent to the assay office where cuts-offs are taken and tested from the articles before hallmarking is executed.

Today, a new method of marking is being employed using laser technology, which burns the hallmark on to the jewelry, something which is especially valuable for delicate items which would otherwise be damaged by the traditional technique of punching. This procedure of hallmarking uses high power lasers to dissolve material from the metal surface. There are two methods of laser marking, 2D and 3D. Two-dimensional marking burns the outline of the hallmarks into the object, while three-dimensional marking simulates the traditional punching.

Often the hallmark is made up of several elements including: the type of metal, the maker and the year of the marking. In 1999 a new format of English hallmarking on objects of sterling silver was initiated consisting of a maker’s mark, the assay office insignia and a 925 symbol. Optional extra marks are the Lion Passant, the UK sign of sterling silver, and the date letter stamp.

The standardizing of the date letter sequence, shared by all four remaining assay offices in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield, were introduced to bring the UK system closer in line with other European Union standards. However, the problem remains that many countries throughout the world have different standards and specifications that vary considerably, making it difficult for one country to accept another's hallmarking as equivalent to its own.

With the advent of globalization, free trade and the Internet, finding the problematic solution to the standardization of world hallmarking has become increasingly important. In 1972, the EFTA (European Fair Trade Association) consisting of Austria, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom held the Vienna Convention, where the first European hallmarking laws for precious metals were put into force.

The convention enables specially designated assay offices throughout member countries of the EFTA to apply, after testing, a common control mark to articles of precious metals including sterling silver in accordance with the Convention. The articles bearing the Convention marks, called CCM: Common Control Marks, are accepted without further testing or marking by the assay office of any destination country that is an EFTA member.

Although this system is not worldwide as yet, Denmark, Ireland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have since joined the Convention. And Bahrain, France, Israel, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and several Eastern European countries have shown an interest in the Convention and are preparing for application.

This article was written by David-John Turner for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get gemstone silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!


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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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This article was written for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. See 100’s of mother of pearl silver rings items at prices 80% below normal retail prices. Make one purchase per month and receive silver jewelry worth up to $60...Absolutely free, everytime!

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!