The Power of Pearls

Pearls have been a source of fascination for centuries and have a warmth and glow not found in other gems, due to their unique beginnings.

Pearls are found in pearl oysters but exactly how they are created had mystified humans for centuries. Many theories were put forward and the ancients even thought they were formed by the tears of angels landing in the heart of an oyster. It wasn’t really until the end of the nineteenth century that the true origin of pearls was discovered.

Pearls are the only gemstones grown inside of a living organism. They are formed within oysters or molluscs when a foreign substance invades the shell of the mollusc and enters the soft tissue. In response to the irritation, the mantle’s cells form a sac which secretes a crystalline substance called nacre which builds up in layers around the irritant, forming a pearl.

Pearls are unusual and unique – only 20 of approximately 8.000 different species of bi-valve molluscs are capable of consistently producing pearls. Highly prized, pearls have been collected for more than 4000 years – making them the world’s oldest gem.

Today pearls are still as desirable as ever. With more choice than ever before, pearls are desired by women of all ages. Choosing cultured pearls used to be easy, they were small and white and the only consideration was how much you wanted to spend. Modern techniques, the variety of molluscs used, and the number of farms in different parts of the globe, mean that there are many different types of pearls available to create your look. But with all this choice, what should you keep in mind when you select your pearls?

Be Adventurous

Half the fun of buying is trying! Trying many different looks and colours is the only way of making the right choice. We have a great range of pearls and pearl jewellery at Wilkins to suit every ideal.

Trust Your Eyes

A pearl dealer was heard to tell a customer to ‘choose the pearls that smile at you’ and we couldn’t put it any better ourselves. The right pearls for you will definitely give you a wink and let you know.

Trust Us

We have years of experience selecting and selling fine jewellery and have a long partnership with experts who only choose pearls that they are happy to put their name to. This should give customers confidence that every pearl they are shown is a good pearl and we are happy to tell you why.