Like all precious gems, the pearl is wrapped in lyrical myths and lore. At one time deemed to be the most precious jewel on the planet,people thought that they were made from the tears of the gods or by lightning striking the sea and only people of rank were permitted to wear them.

Thought to be the oldest known gem, with records of the pearl’s first appearance going back before the 5th century in China, Roman soldiers wore strands of pearls going into battle, believing that they offered protection. Even as late as the 1900s pearls were accessible only to the extremely wealthy.

Pictured here is the famed pear shaped La Peregrina Pearl which once was swallowed by Elizabeth Taylor’s dog. Before that unhappy journey, the La Peregrina Pearl adorned the necks of Queen Mary and Queen Margaret of Spain.

There can be no more appropriate expression of gratitude and love for a mother this coming Mother’s Day. Look through our auction selection of luminous pearls and find your mother the pearls that will tell her that you think she is royalty.