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

Jen Burrall creates her beautiful jewelry in a studio in the East End neighborhood of Portland, Maine, a short walk away from breathtaking views of Casco Bay and its collection of islands. Jen comes from a family of artists, and grew up on the coast of Maine where she inherited both an appreciation for art and a strong connection to nature. Jen uses recycled metals and fair-trade gemstones to minimize the ecological impact of her metal-smithing practice.

Details

• handmade with recycled sterling silver and freshwater pearls
• each teardrop-shaped pearl is approx. 1cm
• these earrings hang 1.5" from the top of handmade sterling silver earwires
• TLC for your sterling silver and pearl jewelry