Pearls are an organically formed material used for jewelry, that exists in different shapes and versions. They are made by clams, when provoked by an unknown substance enters their shell. It’s a defense mechanism that ensures that the pearls are made.

At byBiehl, and generally in the jewelry industry, we use freshwater pearls that have been cultured. These types of pearls are called cultured freshwater pearls - and the fact that they have been cultured is a good thing!

Pearls that are made naturally by clams are in our modern time very rare - and the price follows. On top of that, the working environment is harsh, requiring workers to dive after the pearls in a way that cannot always be done safely. These problems don’t exist when you work with cultured pearls.

Other than safety issues, it is of course also easier to ensure the quality of the pearls is where we’d like it, as well as the overall look of the pearls is what we’re looking for in our designs. This way we can make the most beautiful pieces we could imagine. As a jewelry company, we’re of course happy to have more of a say in our designs! We’d also like to note that it’s illegal to fish after natural pearls.

So we use cultured freshwater pearls, and have them in some different sizes and shapes: if you look at our Coco collection. These pearls are very round, small and classic in their look.

When we want volume in our pearls, then Aura Grande is the way to go! With this collection we use large freshwater pearls with irregular shapes - that are extra unique in the way each pearl is shaped. These types of pearls are called baroque pearls.

Pearls have been a big part of history, dating all the way back to 4000 BC, and have been a status symbol in many different cultures; the Orient, the Roman empire and more recently, the lineage of royal families in Europe.

In the late 1800s, Japanese entrepreneur Kokichi Mikimoto figured out how to culture pearls - which has changed the way we work with pearls today.

Pearls are still a luxury product and are admired all over the world, but thanks to Mikimoto, pearls are more accessible for consumers. That makes us happy! We love being able to design with pearls.

In the first half of the 1900s, pearls were very popular, with a strong trend in the 1920s. But these weren’t necessarily real pearls. It was fashionable to use jewelry that would normally be used for costumes - and they wanted volume! There couldn’t be too many pearls. We’ve seen this in recent years, where the book and movie Great Gatsby (set in the 1920’s) have had an impact on modern trends.  

As we reach the 1950’s, we see a more “classic” look that we nowadays associate with grandmothers and earlier generations. The focus at this time was feminine, elegant jewelry - and people had the finances to afford real pearls again after the war.

In the 60’s and 70’s we see more of a revolution of earlier trends, and pearls go a bit more out of fashion - where the youth doesn’t want to look like their parents.

Now we’re in a new age, the 2020s, where we see a lot of faster trends, and multiple trends all at once. Luckily, pearls have never been fully out of style, and are a classic piece of jewelry that can be used for a classic look - or to lift a more raw and edgy look, like we see here in 2022. Our pearls fit perfectly into both categories!