Pastel Pearl Jewelry

Elegant, understated and utterly feminine, this Pastel Pearl Necklace, Bracelet and Pierced Earrings collection is beaded with soft-hued 3 to 8mm freshwater pearls, echoing the lustrous nacre of the shells from which they emerged. Unusual toggle clasps with blossom design secure the Pastel Pearl Necklace and Bracelet. Matching Pastel Pearl Drop Earrings with fishhook ear wires complete the ensemble. Sterling silver spacer beads and findings. Assembled in the USA. Natural variations ensure this Pastel Pearl Jewelry will be one of a kind.

Specify:
Pastel Pearl Necklace Orig. $165.00 NOW $79.99 (Members $71.99)
Pastel Pearl Bracelet Orig. $95.00 NOW $49.99 (Members $44.99)
Pastel Pearl Pierced Earrings No Longer Available

Museum Provenance

This Pastel Pearl Necklace, Bracelet and Earrings ensemble is inspired by the National Gem and Mineral Collection in our National Museum of Natural History. Both freshwater and saltwater oysters and mussels create most of the world’s pearls. A pearl forms within the shell of a mollusk and is composed of conchilin and calcium carbonate which is secreted as nacre in many thin concentric layers to surround a foreign particle, thought to be a grain of sand. A “true pearl” develops when the grain enters the shell naturally; a “cultured pearl” is created by introducing the foreign particle manually. Since demand far exceeds the supply of natural pearls, most are now grown or cultured.

Every Smithsonian purchase will arrive with a museum provenance card explaining how it is adapted from or inspired by an object or objects in our collection.