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pearl types, pearls, Pearls - exhibition at V & A, Qatar Museums Authority, Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
in collaboration with The Qatar Museums Authority
will open its new exhibition
Pearls
21 September 2013 –
19 January 2014
(image from thejewelleryeditor.com):
The Rosebery Tiara
gold, silver, diamond with natural pearls
by R. S. Garrard, London 1878, from the Qatar Museums Authority
…
This intriguing and informative presentation will
explore the allure of pearls as expressed in diverse cultures,
dating back thousands of years.
…
(image from dailymail.co.uk):
Hair adornment
gold, pearl
Roman, 3 AD
…
(image from the jewelleryeditor.com):
Cross pendant
gold, rubies, natural pearls
Germany, 1500 – 1525
…
On display are over 200 pieces of pearl jewellery
from ancient Rome to present day.
Included in the exhibition are:
the pearl drop ear-ring of King Charles I,
(image from dailymail.co.uk):
(portrait of Charles I wearing the famed pearl-drop ear ring)
…
which he wore on the day of his execution, January 1649;
the pearl buttons of King George III;
and a cultured pearl necklace gifted to Marilyn Monroe
by her husband and baseball legend, Joe DiMaggio.
…
Pearl necklace
by Sam Tho Duong, 2011
…
Tiaras, necklaces, brooches, rings …
spanning the centuries, countries, wearers
are featured in this comprehensive exhibition.
Portraits of royals and aristocrats adorned in pearl finery
are also included – to offer visuals
of pearls in jewellery and intricately sewn into garments.
(image from dailymail.co.uk):
Queen Ann Boleyn
second wife of Henry VII, executed in 1536
famed (among other things) for her pearl choker with ‘B’ pendant
…
The exhibition also informs on
the processes of pearl farming and harvesting.
…
a pearl created
A pearl is formed when a mollusc detects
a foreign substance inside its shell
(from natural parasite or human introduction).
The animal then forms layers of nacre around the irritant.
Nacre is solid, luminous, iridescent
and is noted in an array of colours –
hence the variety of hues, which can be produced.
…
(image from pearldistributors.com):
pearl types
-produced without any human intervention
-very rare
-of great value
…
cultured pearls
-produced/cultivated at pearl farms
-mother of pearl nucleus implanted
-mollucs tended until pearl is formed
-two types: saltwater pearls, freshwater pearls
…
saltwater pearls
(image from majestic pearl.com):
-depending on origin, these can be white, cream, gold,
blue, grey, purple, green in colour
-round in shape
-of varied sizes
-higher lustre than freshwater
…
freshwater pearls
(image from pricepearl.com):
-farmed in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers
-harvested mostly from China
-of varied shapes (many oblong in shape)
– of varied colours
-less expensive than saltwater pearls
…
No need to travel the world to see
exquisite examples of pearls –
in a natural state or crafted in stunning jewellery.
A visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
is all that is required.
…
Pearls … prized throughout the centuries
