Living The Promise Vintage Jewelry

Here are Todays Amazing Pearls Sterling Deals

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions GB Auctions

Mixed Lot Stickpins Stickpin Brooch Simmons Karatclad Sterling Avon Cameo $16.95 Time Remaining: 29d 14h 44m Buy It Now for only: $16.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage Crystal Venetian Glass Beads and Hand Tied Pearl Necklace Lot of 5 $12.99 Time Remaining: 52m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage silver Opalescent heart Austrian opal crystal japan pearl necklace $29.26 Time Remaining: 1h 44m Bid now | Add to watch list

Sterling Enameled in Green Fans with Fresh Water Pearls Pierced Art Deco $15.00 Time Remaining: 29d 13h 20m Buy It Now for only: $15.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE AVON STERLING CULTURED PEARL RING $9.99 Time Remaining: 1h 49m Bid now | Add to watch list

Pools Of Light Antique Clear Glass Teardrop Sterling Silver Necklace $42.50 Time Remaining: 29d 20h 6m Buy It Now for only: $42.50 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage Mexico sterling bracelet marked mop designer mother of pearl $19.49 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 16m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Gold Plated Deco Design Red Enamel Sea Gems Dangle Drop Earrings Unusual $5.91 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 28m Bid now | Add to watch list

925 Sterling Silver Patterned MOP w Pink Polished Gemstones Size 8 $24.95 Time Remaining: 29d 18h 48m Buy It Now for only: $24.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage Solid Silver Test Filigree Hindu Dirk Kukri 2pce Daggr Brooch Safe Chain $11.73 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h 19m Bid now | Add to watch list

MATILDE POULAT MATL SIGNED STERLING AMETHYST CABOCHON TURQUOISE EARRINGS $375.00 Time Remaining: 8d 11h 28m Buy It Now for only: $375.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

GREEN FIRE OPAL SEED PEARL ANTIQUE VICTORIAN STYLE 925 SILVER RING SIZE 6 222 $18.02 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 3h 28m Bid now | Add to watch list

Cranbury Glass Eyes Wood Leather Mouse brooch pin Very Rare $3.27 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h 30m Bid now | Add to watch list

Sterling Silver Mother Of Pearl Oval Pendant $10.19 Time Remaining: 2d 16h 10m Buy It Now for only: $10.19 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

PINK SAPPHIRE ANTIQUE VICTORIAN STYLE 925 STERLING SILVER RING SIZE 8 261 $19.46 Time Remaining: 3h 42m Bid now | Add to watch list

Antique Vintage Gen Purple Amethyst Stones w Inlaid Pearls 2 pcs set F46 $9.99 Time Remaining: 24d 4h 47m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Art Nouveau Gold Plated Stylised Heart Triangle Glass Cut Pendant Very Rare $10.15 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 4h 22m Bid now | Add to watch list

Peyote Bird Designs 925 Sterling Fresh Water Iridescent Gray Pearl Earrings 1 $1.99 Time Remaining: 4h 22m Bid now | Add to watch list

Estate Grey Fresh Water Pearl Silver link Bracelet BY Sheri Liebert 442 grams $195.00 Time Remaining: 28d 11h 14m Buy It Now for only: $195.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE HANDMADE STERLING SILVER GRAPE LEAVES GENUINE PEARLS PIN BROOCH $39.99 Time Remaining: 4h 23m Bid now | Add to watch list

Huge lot Genuine pearl 10k AmberFaux Ivory and bonelapissterling LOOKIE $149.99 Time Remaining: 2d 12h 46m Buy It Now for only: $149.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

65 Ct ALEXANDRITE ANTIQUE VICORIAN STYLE 925 STERLING SILVER RING Sz 7 139 $18.80 Time Remaining: 4h 27m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE TAXCO MEXICO MEXICAN STERLING SILVER PIN BROOCH SEAHORSE ABALONE INLAY $24.99 Time Remaining: 4h 29m Buy It Now for only: $35.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

Molded in the Original Victorian Molds Peridot Gems Seed Pearls SS New 6 $45.99 Time Remaining: 28d 14h 25m Buy It Now for only: $45.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

NOS STERLING SILVER AMETHYST PENDANT 18 STERLING SILVER NECKLACE $26.99 Time Remaining: 4h 31m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE STERLING BRACELET CHARM HAWAIIAN 3D BRIGHT MOTHER OF PEARL PLUMERIA 16 $16.00 Time Remaining: 6d 15h 58m Buy It Now for only: $16.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE STERLING SILVER MOTHER OF PEARL PENDANT 18 NECKLACE $19.99 Time Remaining: 4h 36m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage sterling silver abalone ring size 725 $22.50 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 4h 41m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Sterling Silver Elegant Art Nouveau Pearl Pendant XD204 $9.49 Time Remaining: 26d 9h 32m Buy It Now for only: $9.49 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

NOS STERLING SILVER DINOSAUR BONE PEARL QUARTZ BRACELET $41.99 Time Remaining: 4h 58m Bid now | Add to watch list

sterling silver antique style bracelet chains oxidized with mother of pearl $48.00 Time Remaining: 28d 11h 17m Buy It Now for only: $48.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE STERLING SILVER BLISTER PEARL COLLAR PIN $16.99 Time Remaining: 5h 3m Bid now | Add to watch list

NOS STERLING SILVER UNAKITE PEARL PENDANT 18 NECKLACE $26.99 Time Remaining: 5h 4m Bid now | Add to watch list

Cute Vintage Sterling Silver Mother Of Pearl Dangle Earrings 1348m $14.99 Time Remaining: 29d 12h 40m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage Napier sterling silver vermeil floral link bold bracelet pearl earrings $39.99 Time Remaining: 5h 6m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE 10MM COIN PEARLS STERLING LEVERBACK EARRINGS $35.00 Time Remaining: 28d 13h 57m Buy It Now for only: $35.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

NOS STERLING SILVER GREEN TURQUOISE PERIDOT PEARL PENDANT 20 NECKLACE $31.99 Time Remaining: 5h 7m Bid now | Add to watch list

EnamelArt Nouveau Silver Gold Pl Bird Flower on Black Heart Pendant Necklace GC $29.85 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 8m Bid now | Add to watch list

Antique Vintage Round Reverse Painted Crystal Intaglio Essex Pekinese Dog F2 $24.99 Time Remaining: 24d 4h 49m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

NOS STERLING SILVER AMETHYST w PEARL ACCENT PENDANT 20 NECKLACE $26.99 Time Remaining: 5h 11m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE STERLING + PEARL BEAD 7 BRACELET HUGE LOBSTER CLASP 93 GRAMS $15.00 Time Remaining: 27d 9h 25m Buy It Now for only: $15.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

NATURAL SKY BLUE TOPAZ ANTIQUE VICTORIAN STYLE 925 SILVER RING SIZE 6 66 $16.56 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 5h 12m Bid now | Add to watch list

NOS STERLING SILVER AMETHYST GENUINE PEARL HOOK EARRINGS $16.99 Time Remaining: 5h 14m Bid now | Add to watch list

RUSSIAN Hand Painted Mother of Pearl Cathedral BROOCH $25.95 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 5m Buy It Now for only: $25.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VERY RARE ANTIQUE BLUE ENAMEL ROYAL SOUVENIR MEMENTO BOOK PENDANT PHOTOS ROYALTY $17.20 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 20m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE STERLING SILVER GENUINE MULTI PEARL LEAF PIN $42.00 Time Remaining: 25d 16h 26m Buy It Now for only: $42.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Antiqu HMK 1900 Art Nouv Map Silver Inches Feet Map Survey Rota Meter Fob Pendan $25.02 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 38m Bid now | Add to watch list

Antique 9ct Rosy Gold Knot Paperclip Chain Old Neat Fastener Necklace 19 Long $89.12 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 48m Bid now | Add to watch list

ANTIQUE ISRAEL STERLING SILVER GOLDPLATED AMETHYST GLASS HANDMADE BROOCH PENDANT $77.00 Time Remaining: 29d 14h 25m Buy It Now for only: $77.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Antique 9ct Rosy Gold Large Dollar Sign Unusual Cross Pendant RARE 42mm $1.56 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 5h 56m Bid now | Add to watch list

SINGLE Earrings Signed Unsigned Rhinestone Bead Pearl GT ST OVER 4 $17.99 Time Remaining: 9d 15h 18m Buy It Now for only: $17.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

FABULOUS HUGE VINTAGE STERLING CITRINE MOTHER OF PEARL CUFF BRACELET 2 GRAMS $20.49 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 5m Bid now | Add to watch list

9ct Gold back front Antique Victorian Blue Enamel Locket Original Glass Inserts $59.41 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 9m Bid now | Add to watch list

ART DECO INSPIRED EGYPTIAN REVIVAL STERLING SILVER MOP DANGLE EARRINGS BXD $23.44 Time Remaining: 29d 9h 42m Buy It Now for only: $23.44 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

AWESOME LOT OF ALL ESTATE VINTAGE STERLING JEWELRYPERIDOTONYX+ $69.00 Time Remaining: 6h 11m Buy It Now for only: $179.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

Gorgeous Zuni Mother of Pearl Inlay Double Flower Ring Sterling Silver $59.99 Time Remaining: 29d 9h 25m Buy It Now for only: $59.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Estate Sterling Massive Kasumi Natural fireball Pearl Baroque freeform pendant $31.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 21m Bid now | Add to watch list

AQUAMARINE SEED PEARL ANTIQUE VICTORIAN STYLE 925 SILVER RING SIZE 6 153 $14.06 Time Remaining: 6h 28m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Estate Fine Sterling Silver Quartz Pearl Gemstones Necklace Jewelry $129.99 Time Remaining: 2d 21h 29m Buy It Now for only: $129.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

BEAUTIFUL STERLING AMETHYST PERIDOT SMOKEY TOPAZ LONG DROP PENDANT SIGNED NB $19.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6h 29m Bid now | Add to watch list

Sweet Vintage Mother of Pearl Disc Choker Necklace Lilac Purple $18.95 Time Remaining: 29d 6h 18m Buy It Now for only: $18.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

ESTATE JEWELRY VINTAGE 1 1 4 GOLDTONE FAUX PEARL BROOCH PRETTY $0.99 Time Remaining: 6h 32m Bid now | Add to watch list

ESTATE JEWELRY 45 VINTAGE 2 1 2 GOLDTONE FAUX PEARL BROOCH WORN AGED $0.99 Time Remaining: 6h 40m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE CLASSIC PEARL NECKLACE 3 PC LOT 16 18 FANCY CLASPS WHITE CREAM PEACH $15.00 Time Remaining: 27d 10h 54m Buy It Now for only: $15.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

EBABES vintage 11oz STERLING RING s75 double band BIG WIDE MOTHER OF PEARL $9.99 Time Remaining: 6h 41m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage signed ART detailed golden faux pearl bracelet $9.99 Time Remaining: 27d 15h 26m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

ESTATE JEWELRY 72 SIGNED MONET 32 FAUX PEARL NECKLACE NICE $1.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6h 43m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE Sterling Silver PEARL SAPPHIRE Ladies Ring Size 6 FREE SHIPPING $16.49 (10 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 52m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE Hanging Cultured Fresh Water Pearl Sterling Silver Bracelet Mint $24.99 Time Remaining: 29d 22h 3m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage 1950s Gold Plated Grey and Rainbow Glass Stones Big Spider Brooch Pin GC $1.56 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6h 55m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage designer signed Marvel estate fine jewelry earrings sterling silver $12.99 Time Remaining: 6d 12h 14m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage 1950s Gold Plated Rainbow Crystal Glass Big stone Classic Leaf Bracelet $16.43 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 7h 2m Bid now | Add to watch list

Solid 14kt Gold Vermeil Faux Pearl Lily Pin By Beau $5.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 7h 28m Bid now | Add to watch list

Sterling Silver Blister Pearl 15 Inch Choker Set $16.99 Time Remaining: 14d 13h 31m Buy It Now for only: $16.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Opal Garnet Turquoise Tsavorite and Pearls bracelet $287.00 Time Remaining: 7h 31m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Sterling Charm Bracelet 18 Charms States travel animals and more $95.00 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 3m Buy It Now for only: $95.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE STERLING SILVER GOLD WASH ART NOUVEAU REVIVAL AMETHYST PEARL NECKLACE $33.99 Time Remaining: 7h 32m Bid now | Add to watch list

Beautiful Garnet and Pearls earrings $59.30 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 7h 33m Bid now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE 925 SZ 75 NAVAJO ARTISAN SOUTHWEST INLAY ZUNI STERLING RING RAINBOW MAN $69.99 Time Remaining: 8d 14h 6m Buy It Now for only: $69.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Georgian Garnet and Pearls ring reproduction $41.20 Time Remaining: 7h 34m Bid now | Add to watch list

Beautiful Vintage 1940s Sterling Silver Fancy Clasp Faux Pearl Necklace 1210m $8.99 Time Remaining: 26d 13h 30m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Filligree Georgian ring reproduction set with Pearls $32.10 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 7h 35m Bid now | Add to watch list

Georgian Peridot and Pearls earrings reproduction $66.20 Time Remaining: 7h 37m Bid now | Add to watch list

Classic Sterling Silver Southwestern Zuni Mother of Pearl Inlay Ring Rare Yellow $29.99 Time Remaining: 29d 9h 37m Buy It Now for only: $29.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Georgian Garnet and Pearls earrings reproduction $52.00 Time Remaining: 7h 37m Bid now | Add to watch list

Unique Antique Victorian Edwardian Jewelry Lot STERLING Micro Mosaic Rose Quartz $199.95 Time Remaining: 20h 55m Buy It Now for only: $199.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

PEARLS VICTORIAN HEART PENDANT REPRODUCTION $54.20 Time Remaining: 7h 48m Bid now | Add to watch list

A beautiful reproduction of Georgian earrings set with Peridot Pearls $39.30 Time Remaining: 7h 48m Bid now | Add to watch list

Antique Vintage Gen Purple Amethyst Stones w Inlaid Pearls 2 pcs set F47 $9.99 Time Remaining: 24d 4h 47m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Vintage sterling silver necklace signed HH 6g $4.25 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 7h 56m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Sterling Silver Freshwater Pearl Claw Solitaire Ring 775 XG501 $11.99 Time Remaining: 14h 37m Buy It Now for only: $11.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Stunning VINTAGE MEXICO STERLING SILVER MOTHER OF PEARL BRACELET 19 G $2.25 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 7h 58m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Sterling Navajo Ring with turquoise onyx and mother of pearl Size 7 $14.50 Time Remaining: 8h 13m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Sterling Silver Mother Of Pearl Aquamarine Ring 875 XM089 $39.99 Time Remaining: 27d 23h 32m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

TAXCO MEXICO MEXICAN SEAHORSE PIN BRASS ABALONE CASTILLO WILLIAM SPRATLING ERA $89.99 Time Remaining: 8h 36m Buy It Now for only: $115.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Antique Estate 15cts Green Amethyst Pearl 925 Sterling Silver Earrings $53.99 Time Remaining: 21d 1h 45m Buy It Now for only: $53.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Christian Cross Fish Bible Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet RARE charms $99.00 Time Remaining: 8h 41m Bid now | Add to watch list

Vintage Mother of Pearl SORRENTO Sterling Silver Filigree CAMEO Brooch Pendant $19.99 Time Remaining: 8h 47m Bid now | Add to watch list

Antique Silver Filigree 3 Three Strand Pearl Bead Catch Clasp L56 $9.99 Time Remaining: 24d 4h 34m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE SILVER BLUE PEARL CLIP ON EARRINGS $5.25 Time Remaining: 8h 49m Bid now | Add to watch list

More Great Information on Pearls Sterling:

Mother Of Pearl Sterling Silver Jewelry Part I Historical Value by David-John Turner

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.

Mother Of Pearl In Mesopotamia

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.

Copyright SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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!

Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Mother-Of-Pearl-Sterling-Silver-Jewelry-Part-I-Historical-Value/64190

Threader earrings sold where?!?

Hello All!

Threader earrings are not as popular right now, but you can make your own. Michael's sell sterling silver threader earring base for about $4, all you have to do is add a pair of beads or dangles.