They say that somewhere between myth and reality, in the salty silence of the ocean, a piece of jewelry was born that made people obsessed. Its beauty felt unearthly: it was hunted for, stolen, fought over, yet worn only by those chosen by history - goddesses, queens, monarchs. All of them were mesmerized by that soft, milky glow. Pearls have always carried the aura of something unattainable, something that exists beyond fashion and time. And no matter who you are, this story touches you too.
No one knows the exact moment when a human first discovered a pearl, but that hardly matters. What matters is that it happened long ago, in a depth where legends take shape. Ancient civilizations created their own explanations for this mysterious gem. In China, people believed pearls were guarded by dragons; in Greece, they were said to be Aphrodite’s tears of joy. Some imagined them as fragments of the Moon, frozen dewdrops, even lightning turned to stone. While myths multiplied, nature simply did its work: a tiny grain of sand found its way inside a mollusk, and over years, it became wrapped in layers of nacre. Sometimes it took five years or more for a single pearl to be born. No wonder ancient people treated it as a miracle - and diving for one was almost an act of heroism. Pearl divers risked their lives in dangerous depths for a single chance of discovery. Before pearl farms existed, every find was a treasure. That’s how rarity became value, and value turned into status. Julius Caesar even issued a law: the ruling class must wear pearls. And so the gem became not just an ornament, but a marker of privilege.
From that point on, pearls settled firmly into the language of power. Queens wanted history to speak through them. Isabella of Portugal, Maria de’ Medici, Elizabeth I, Anne of Austria - each had portraits where pearls were the unspoken message.
But among all these portraits, one stands out with magnetic force. Velázquez’s Maria Tudor, wearing not just a jewel but the undisputed queen of the pearl world - the legendary Peregrina, the “Wandering Pearl.” Enormous, drop-shaped, weighing 56 carats and estimated today at over €11 million. Her story reads like a myth of its own. Peregrina was discovered by an African slave on the shores of Santa Margarita Island in Panama - earning him his freedom. The pearl moved to the Spanish colonial administration, then to the royal court. Its first official owner was Queen Mary Tudor of France, who willed it to Spain. Peregrina remained there for more than 250 years. Later, it was worn by Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, who brought it to major state events, including the signing of the Treaty of London in 1604, ending the war between England and Spain. The pearl became more than jewelry - it became a political emblem, a material witness of diplomacy, a symbol of power impossible to measure in words.
Today it’s hard to imagine a fashion lover without at least one string of pearls in their jewelry box. And when we talk about pearls, the first name that appears is Coco Chanel. She wore them as if they were a natural extension of her style: over pajama sets, knits, crisp white blouses - styled in casual, beautifully chaotic layers.
Rumor had it that her pearls were gifts from admirers - from a Romanov grand duke to the Duke of Westminster. Others insisted her pearls were fakes, because if they were real, she could have sold just one or two strands and lived comfortably for life. Whatever the truth, Chanel brought pearls into the heart of fashion. She was the first designer to send them down the runway and, in the 1920s, even created her own jewelry line with jeweler Devetaux - the same man behind the iconic Maltese cross cuffs. For Chanel, jewelry was not about status; it was about beauty. That was her revolution.
No wonder that at the Met Gala dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld - her aesthetic heir - pearls became one of the main codes. Karl mixed them with anything and everything: think of his baroque 80s or Linda Evangelista draped in a cascade of pearl strands.
After Chanel, countless designers integrated pearls into their work. They appeared in Dior’s New Look, Balmain’s delicate silhouettes, Balenciaga’s meticulous constructions. Most often they served as accents rather than structural elements, but they still changed the entire mood of a look. Even fashion rebels needed this once aristocratic gem. Vivienne Westwood turned her pearl choker into a cult punk artifact, while Franco Moschino joked with glamour through his “Peace and Pearls” jacket.
In the 21st century, pearls completely shed the “grandmother’s jewelry box” stereotype. They became a symbol of stylistic freedom, a universal code spanning femininity, romance, avant-garde - and effortlessly entering the men’s wardrobe.
In Moschino’s Spring 2025 collection, pearls play several roles at once: an homage to Franco Moschino’s archives, a commentary on elegance, and a playful twist. They appear on denim total looks, bustiers, dresses and soften the sharpness of tuxedos, giving them a lighter, almost weightless feel.
Pearls are now the central element of ultra-feminine coquette-core. But trends come and go, while pearls remain. In the 21st century, they have transformed into a symbol of flexibility, adaptability and beauty that lives beyond context.
A timeless classic that never asks for age or status - just makes a person shine a little brighter.
