About

Pearls have been revered around the world and throughout history as rare, beautiful objects. Part of their allure is the fact that they are created by such an unassuming creature as the mollusk. Clams and mussels are homely individuals, and yet, from within their coarse shells come already-perfect spherical treasures that radiate iridescence. A pearl requires nothing to make it more beautiful—no other precious gemstone in the world has that quality.

An ancient Hindu myth, recorded in the oldest of the Veda texts from 1000 BCE, tells of Krishna being the first to discover a pearl. Krishna is the blue-skinned god considered to be a Supreme Being of Hindi culture. It was the eve of his daughter’s wedding, and wanting only the best gift for Pandaia, he searched the world for something equal to her beauty. He considered giving her a rainbow halo from the Air, or a ruby from the Earth to adorn her forehead. He could have given her a meteor from Fire to light her path, but when Krishna came to the Sea, and reached down into its depths, he came upon the perfect thing. Searching the ocean floor, the god felt something round in shape, with a rough texture and ragged edge – but inside the mussel shell Krishna found the most perfect, most round, most brilliantly lustrous object he had ever seen.

It was a pearl, and it was just about as beautiful as Pandaia. The story of Krishna’s gift to his daughter in the Veda was the first written record of the ancient link between pearls and marriage; many still honor this tradition today.

Artist

Designer Midori Ferris Wayne became fascinated with the decorative arts and jewelry history while working at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and came to see the art of jewelry as a means of sharing values from one generation to the next. This became the guiding principle for her craft.

In keeping with a profound commitment to sustainability and eco-conscious design, Midori does not support the mining of new metals in her jewelry practice. Without exception, all the materials she uses are completely reclaimed, from argentium sterling silver and 18k gold to vintage gemstones and pearls resurrected from antique jewelry. In addition, Midori has embraced a centuries-old Japanese tradition of alloying gold and copper to create the distinctive chocolate-colored shakudo which features in many of her pieces.

Details

• handmade with reclaimed satin-finish sterling silver edged with 18k rose gold
• each pod set with three reclaimed pearl “seeds”
• approx. 2” earrings suspended from 18k rose gold earwires
• TLC for your gold, satin finish sterling silver, and pearl jewelry