A celebration of love and commitment, marriage is honored all over the world by many different cultures. When it comes to weddings, jewelry plays a very significant role in the traditions and customs surrounding this special ceremony, with a wedding ring acting as a universal symbol of love and unity.
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Posted in History of Pearl
As a company that believes in honoring life's most cherished moments, we think every anniversary is a milestone worth celebrating. But wedding anniversaries are particularly impressive, especially when a couple dedicates themselves to one another - in sickness and in health - for several decades. Reaching the 30th year of marriage, for example, is a significant achievement.
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Posted in History of Pearl
As lovers of jewelry, especially pearl jewelry, we take pride in caring for our favorite pieces, so they can last a lifetime and even be enjoyed by future generations. Having a safe place to store jewelry is essential for maintaining its original condition. For many people, jewelry storage methods are based on personal preference, but jewelry boxes have an undeniable charm, making them one of the most common ways to store treasured items.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Do you love giving gifts as much as you love receiving them? You’re not alone - we also love the pleasant feeling we get from this exchange. Gift giving is a two-way street that creates a bond between the giver and receiver. It produces a euphoric feeling of pleasure and joy, which makes gift giving - and receiving - so addicting! We've seen firsthand how giving an Add-A-Pearl cultured pearl necklace can positively impact someone's life.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Not only is summer a season devoted to leisure and good times spent with family and friends, but it's also an opportunity for sporting fashions that typically can't be worn at other times of the year - like bathing suits, shorts, tank tops, bright colors, sandals, and more.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
The balmy and bright summer month of June is one of only two months (December is the other) with three birthstones: pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone. People with June birthdays can choose from multiple gems to celebrate their special day. At Add-A-Pearl, we're obviously partial to pearls, but we also enjoy learning about other birthstone alternatives and the origins behind their birthstone traditions.
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Posted in Pearl Education
The cinema box office has shown us that the spectacle of elaborate jewelry heists will always draw in excited audiences. Entire film subgenres and lucrative franchises have been dedicated to this type of crime-filled fantasy. Ocean’s Eight is a popular movie that falls under this category, with the thieves targeting a necklace worth more than $150 million. Lupin, a popular Netflix series set in Paris, is another example of a heist-related film that involves a jewelry heist at an auction in the Louvre.
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Posted in History of Pearl
At the top of every aristocrat’s head rests a piece of jewelry that symbolizes royalty, wealth and power. Wearing a crown or tiara is the ultimate sign of supreme excellence. These regal hair ornaments have been worn by noble women and men as far back as 2500 BC. Made with precious metals and clusters of garnets, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, amethyst, aquamarine, rubies, and lustrous pearls, each headpiece proclaims its wearer’s sovereignty.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Celebrating our moms all year long is important, but one special holiday allows us to dedicate all our attention to our favorite mother figure, whether that's a biological mom, grandmother, pet mom, or anyone else who acts in a motherly way. Mother’s Day is celebrated far and wide across the globe, on different days and in different ways.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy the pleasant weather and a refreshing drink, with or without alcohol. Elevate your drink service this season by experimenting with craveworthy new drink recipes and by adding some new pearl-inspired bar tools to your collection. The grass is green, and the flowers are blooming, and we couldn’t be more excited!
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The Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus was born in the sea, emerging from an oyster. She symbolizes concepts like femininity, prosperity, fertility, and victory. The Romans deemed her such an important figure in their culture and history that they even claimed her as their ancestress or the “Mother of Rome”.
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Posted in History of Pearl
When you’re spending more time than usual indoors, you may also want to bring some additional comfort and positive energy into your living space. Whether you realize it or not, your home and workspace affect your mood, day-to-day routine, and overall quality of life.
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Posted in History of Pearl
With Valentine's Day on horizon, we're thinking about our loved ones, of course, but we're also thinking about some of the unique ways that Valentine's Day has been celebrated throughout history. As a child, you may have passed homemade or drugstore-bought Valentines to your classmates and friends. These days, you may share cards and gifts with those closest to your heart. You may even receive gifts like chocolates or heart-shaped candy.
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Posted in History of Pearl
A question we often receive from customers is: "Now that I've purchased an Add-a-Pearl necklace for my daughter or granddaughter, what can I buy the boy in my life who also deserves a special gift that will last a lifetime?" There are actually plenty of examples of heirloom treasures that can be gifted to a son or grandson. Continue reading this blog post for some of our favorite ideas.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
In January, many people feel hopeful about the year ahead, which they see as a blank slate. They imagine positive changes, better habits, new beginnings, and a brighter future. According to a survey from Discover Happy Habits, more than a quarter of respondents plan on setting a resolution for 2021. Some of the most common New Year's resolutions include losing weight, exercising more, eating a healthier diet, saving money, achieving a better work-life balance, getting organized, and quitting smoking. Do you typically set a New Year's resolution?
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Posted in Pearl Trends
Decking a Christmas tree with garland, lights, and ornaments is a beloved holiday past-time for many families all over the world. Ornaments can be treasured heirlooms, and they often symbolize special moments and milestones, just like Add-A-Pearl custom pearl necklaces do. While some people adhere to a specific theme for their tree trimmings, others simply accumulate ornaments over the years. Either way, the decorated tree always looks magical and otherworldly.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
Many people today associate pearl jewelry with power, and that idea all started with Cleopatra. In one legendary tale about the Egyptian queen, she dissolved one large pearl from a pair of her earrings in vinegar and drank the solution as a way of showing Mark Anthony her power and extravagant wealth. Even in modern-day times, pearls are associated with fierce female leadership, both in the courtroom and in politics.
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Posted in History of Pearl and Pearl Trends
With the holidays quickly approaching and many people still spending a lot of time at home, ovens are getting pre-heated! Home bakers all over the world are dreaming about the treats they'll be making for family and friends - and even for themselves.
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Halloween in 2020 may look different than in years past, with some towns throughout the United States strongly discouraging and even banning door-to-door trick-or-treating activities. Halloween parties will likely be virtual, and bobbing for apples is definitely out of the question.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Do you miss traveling? Seven months after the federal government first declared a public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, life in many parts of the country is slowly starting to return to normal. However, many people are still staying home and trying to cope with their wanderlust. Just because you’re on the couch doesn’t mean you can’t scratch your travel itch! Check out the following resources and start exploring America from a unique point of view.
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Posted in History of Pearl
While an heirloom is a treasured item that has belonged to a family for multiple generations, a "future heirloom" is typically a special gift shared with the intention that it will be passed down to children and grandchildren. The best heirloom gifts are personal, meaningful, and timeless, so they're not driven by fads or trends. In addition, they're typically made from high-quality materials that can hold up to a controlled indoor environment and reasonable wear. Ideally, they'll also appreciate value over time.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
Many people associate the summer season with music and for good reason - there's always a "song of the summer". You can probably recall the songs that played in the car while you enjoyed a summer road trip with friends or family, and you may think fondly about the best outdoor concerts you attended during the summer months. In these last few weeks of summer, we have music on our minds, and we're thinking about memorable songs that feature pearls in their lyrics. Can you think of any?
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Posted in History of Pearl
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many couples who had planned to tie the knot in 2020 are now postponing their weddings or scaling back on their original vision for their dream wedding ceremonies and receptions. However, some couples are still planning to get married this fall. According to the results of a recent survey by the wedding planning resource Hitched, 18% of couples will be sticking with their original wedding date if it's due to take place before the end of the year. They simply can't wait any longer to commit to forever!
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Posted in Pearl Trends
If you've got a case of wanderlust, you've likely been pinning new travel destinations to your Pinterest Bucket List Travel board and binge-watching YouTube travel videos. Your adventurous spirit is more than ready to travel again! Unfortunately, now may still not be the best time for travel, and you may have put some of your 2020 travel plans on hold. But that's not going to stop you from dreaming!
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Posted in Pearl Education
Author Charles Bowden once wrote, "Summertime is always the best of what might be." Many people all over the world agree with his sentiment, taking advantage of summer as a time to indulge in warmth, relaxation, and joy. We're fascinated by all the ways that different cultures celebrate the summer season, and we'd like to share some of those festive traditions with you. Continue reading to learn more about summer celebrations from all over the world.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Classic literature and the timeless elegance of a cultured pearl necklace complement each other naturally. Powerful symbols and awe-inspiring objects, pearls have fueled creativity and commanded attention for centuries, so it's no surprise that they've been featured in many stories.
Summer is a great time to indulge in reading and to sink your teeth into a captivating novel, especially if you have the chance to sit on the beach or by a pool. In this blog post, we'll be sharing some classic novels featuring "pearl" in the title, so you can add them to your summer reading list and explore some exciting and new fictional worlds.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Enduring lockdowns, event cancellations, and other restrictions has been difficult for nearly everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few people realize just how profoundly the social upheaval has affected children and teens, who haven't been able to experience some of the traditional activities and moments that bring joy to their lives and shape their budding identities.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
Did you know that the name Pearl first gained traction among expecting parents during the late Victorian Era? Toward the end of the 19th century, many parents started naming their girls after gemstones, including Pearl, Ruby, and Opal. To people who lived during that time period, pearl necklaces and pearl jewelry represented purity and were highly prized. Queen Victoria herself was a collector and lover of pearls. If you're interested in learning more about the fascinating significance of Victorian-Era jewelry, you should definitely check out our blog post about experiential jewelry.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Businesses and offices across the country are slowly reopening now that strict shelter-in-place guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic are being lifted, but many people are still working from home, either by choice or because their employers have not yet resumed normal operations. The work-from-home crowd has quickly adapted to this new lifestyle, setting up makeshift offices and creating boundaries between work life and personal life.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
With nearly every person in the world somehow affected by the pandemic, both directly and indirectly, you have likely been impacted by COVID-19 in some way. You may be worried about your own health or the health of your loved ones. You may be feeling anxious about what the future holds. During this uncertain time, we may find some comfort in protective talismans, which can remind us, at the very least, to take care of ourselves and maintain a positive outlook.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Imagine having the opportunity to sit for a famous painter and get your portrait captured, so your likeness can live on a museum or gallery wall for decades and maybe even centuries to come. What would you wear for such an occasion? Would you select your most meaningful jewelry pieces, like a cultured pearl necklace?
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Posted in Pearl Education
In an effort to keep your style current, you may observe the latest fashion trends and track what today's hottest influencers are wearing. However, no matter how hip you are to the cutting-edge fashion news, you may still struggle with the eternal question: "When it comes to jewelry, how much should I wear at once?"
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Posted in Pearl Trends
For many married women, a wedding dress is one of the most elaborate and intricate pieces of clothing they'll ever wear in their lives. Some unmarried women spend years dreaming about the wedding gown they'll one day wear, making mental notes about what they do and don't like. They make Pinterest boards and save pages out of magazines, imagining how they'll look at the altar on their big day.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Have you ever looked at a sentimental object like a baby blanket, school yearbook, or an old love letter and felt a wave of warmth wash over you? Thanks to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2015, we know that the sentimental value of an object remains the same, even as its usefulness decreases.
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Posted in Pearl Education
In 2014, Marie Kondo published her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in the United States and subsequently started a movement of people who became interested in organizing their surroundings and reducing clutter in their lives. Released in 2019, Kondo's Netflix series "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" drew even more attention to her innovative yet straightforward KonMari method, which involves gathering your belongings, category by category, and then keeping only the items that "spark joy".
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Posted in Pearl Education
Cultured pearl necklaces are available in more varieties and silhouettes than most consumers realize. Not only do the pearls themselves come in different diameters and shapes, but the strands are also available in two major styles: graduated and uniform. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the differences between these two styles, so you can decide which one is right for you and plan your pearl purchase accordingly.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Throughout history, the circle has remained a symbolic shape that transcends geography, language, culture, and time. Many people believe that the circle represents concepts like eternity, femininity, wholeness, and the cycle of life. In addition, the sun and the moon, which have captured the devoted attention of scientists, astronauts, poets, astrologers, and many others, are both circles.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Our customers sometimes ask about the appraised value of their pearls, which we’re happy to provide. However, they don’t often realize that there’s more than one jewelry appraisal standard and that each standard applies to a specific situation.
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Posted in Pearl Education
One of the most unique things about the Add-A-Pearl necklace is that it’s "experiential", which means it celebrates a milestone and marks the beginning of a new tradition. From the moment you give this meaningful jewelry piece to your loved one, the personalized pearl necklace becomes inextricably linked to an important experience.
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Posted in History of Pearl and Pearl Education
Giving pearls as a meaningful jewelry gift will definitely make a lasting impression on the person who receives them. Now imagine taking that gift to the next level by treating your loved one to a pearl-diving travel experience, where she can not only see how pearls are formed but also find and choose a cultured pearl to take home with her and have set in a piece of jewelry like a cultured pearl necklace, which she'll treasure forever.
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Posted in Pearl Education
If you watched the 91st annual Academy Awards in 2019, then you may have noticed that female actresses weren't the only ones flaunting bold jewelry looks on the red carpet. Men were also sporting eye-catching baubles and bling.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
Now that the holidays are in full swing, you may be eyeing the most festive and dressy items of clothing in your closet - luxurious cashmere sweaters, sequined dresses, high-heeled boots, and velvet accents. At this time of year, most people like to seize the opportunity to put a little extra effort into their wardrobe. They also love dressing their young daughters in cute dresses with bows and young sons in adorable holiday sweaters.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Without a doubt, Hollywood and jewelry fit together like movie theaters and popcorn. "Silver screen" and "Golden Globes" are two movie industry terms that seem like they could be associated with jewelry, which also plays a major role in Red Carpet fashion. Watch any Hollywood award show these days, and you'll see the presenters fawning over starlets dripping with diamonds and other precious gems.
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Posted in Pearl Education
White isn't the only pearl color in cultured pearl necklaces and other pearl jewelry. In fact, pearls are available in many captiving colors, including white, black, pink, purple, blue, yellow, and others. Some colors are more common than others, but all of them possess the beautiful lustre that makes pearls so desirable.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Just like natural gas, iron, and coal, oysters are natural resources that are affected by shifts in the environment and climate. In the past, marine biologists feared that the greatest threat to oysters was over-harvesting. However, researchers and oyster farmers alike are realizing that climate change, disease, and pollution are threatening the world's oyster populations, which are used for both pearls and food.
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Posted in Pearl Education
This Thanksgiving, we're taking some time to think about gratitude and all the things that add joy to our lives - like family, friends, and especially pearls.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Natural and cultured pearls are special and precious because they both originate in nature. Pearl divers either find the pearls in the wild (a rare practice in this day and age, due to scarcity), or pearl farmers help the mollusks along with the process, caring for and nourishing them until the precious pearls within them are ready to be harvested.
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Posted in Pearl Education
One of the most exciting things about wearing pearl jewelry is knowing that pearls are sourced from some of the most exotic and remote places in the world. Even if you never get to visit those destinations yourself, you can still feel connected to them, knowing that your jewelry came from a far-off land with unique traditions probably very different from your own
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Posted in Pearl Education
If you've ever purchased a diamond for an engagement ring or other piece of meaningful jewelry, you may have heard of the Gemological Institute of America or GIA. Founded in 1931, the GIA is a nonprofit institute that's dedicated to education and research in gemology and jewelry arts.
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Posted in Pearl Education
Now that Halloween has come and gone, you’re likely either planning for the holidays or remaining in denial about the fact that you’ll soon need to buy gifts for each one of your family members.
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Posted in Pearl Education
If you're a self-proclaimed fashionista, then you likely look forward to checking out the runway shows, following the top fashion influencers, and reading what all the top fashion magazines have to say about up-and-coming trends.
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Posted in Pearl Education
A custom pearl necklace is definitely a unique piece of jewelry, but just because it’s unlike anything else in your jewelry box doesn’t mean you can’t mix and match it with your other jewelry pieces. Do you struggle with mixing different metals and gemstones?
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Posted in Pearl Education
Have you ever received a gift that was so beautifully wrapped you didn’t even want to open it? You likely paused for a moment to admire the stunning packaging before carefully removing it to reveal the gift inside. I
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Posted in Pearl Education
Did you know that pearls were given as gifts as early as 2300 BC? Found in the China’s Huai River, freshwater pearls were a preferred gift for Chinese royalty at that time. When you give the gift of pearl jewelry, whether it’s a single pearl necklace or other sentimental jewelry piece, you’re following in the footsteps of some of the most legendary figures in world history. Many cultures, including the Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, Greeks, and Europeans, have valued pearl jewelry before us.
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Posted in History of Pearl
A custom pearl necklace can be a meaningful jewelry gift for a daughter or other loved one. Her eyes will light up once she opens her thoughtful gift and begins to dream about all the different ways she'll be able to enjoy it throughout her life.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
If you don’t follow current fashion trends, you may not have realized that pearl jewelry is a popular look right now. In fact, many celebrities and models are wearing pearls about town, to awards shows, and to social events. In this blog post, we share some of our favorite celebrity looks, which you can use as inspiration when you’re designing your custom pearl necklace.
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Posted in Pearl Trends
Whether or not you personally believe that gemstones and other natural materials carry meaning, you should consider knowing about the common meanings associated with pearls if you plan to give them as a sentimental jewelry gift. Sharing the meaning of a pearl when you give pearl jewelry to a loved one can add an extra-special touch and help the recipient better connect with the gift.
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Posted in History of Pearl
Can you name some of the most famous gemstones in the world? The Hope Diamond, The Taylor-Burton Diamond, and The Cullinan Diamond probably come to mind. We’re left wondering: why should diamonds get all the attention? The truth is that famous, beloved pearls have also inspired awe throughout history. In this blog post, we discuss five of our favorite well-known pearls, some of which have been set in meaningful jewelry.
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Posted in History of Pearl
