Pearls are considered as the oldest and one of the most popular gems in the world. It is also the only gem in the world that is produced by a living organism which really makes it one of a kind. This special characteristic sets the pearl apart from all the other gems.

According to ancient history records, pearls were first worn by the Middle Eastern and other Asian civilized societies. This was recorded as early as 3500 BC. The popularity of this one of a kind gem reached its peak during the Roman era. It was known that pearl earrings were used to pay for a Roman general's political campaign. It was also known that Cleopatra, one of the most famous historical figures, dissolved a pearl in wine and drank it just to prove her love to Marc Antony.

The popularity of pearls continued to flourish during the beginning of the Christian era. Pearls were even stated in the bible several times and was regarded as a very special gem. But during the early 1700's, the popularity of the pearl significantly declined due to the discovery of another gem, the diamond. Its discovery in Brazil caused the decline of the demand for pearls because everyone's attention seemed to shift to the new gem discovery. Diamonds were very affordable which made it the most in demand gem at that time. Since the demand for pearls plummeted, cheap imitations made its way to the market hoping to increase its market share and bring back it's old glory. Apparently, instead of increasing the demand, imitations made the demand lower.

The pearl industry gained its glory again during the late 1700's. Good quality harvests and the discovery of new types of pearls made this industry a boom again. However, during the early 1900's, pearl supplies came short which again, made a huge shift on the industry. Cultured pearls entered on the market to address this issue but it wasn't until several years later until it was accepted. Ever since then, cultured pearls such as akoya, freshwater, south sea, and tahitian have been the most in demand type of pearls in the market.