Pearl
At Malki Studio, we think that there are few gems as precious, romantic, and timelessly beautiful as pearls.
Testaments to the wonderous phenomenon of life on Earth, pearls are formed inside the shells of a variety of molluscs when an irritant is introduced into the interior environment of the animal.
Pearls are formed when nacre, the iridescent material that covers the inside of shells, is deposited in layers around the irritant.
Today, the vast majority of pearls used in jewellery are cultured from particular freshwater and saltwater molluscs, resulting in various shapes, colours, and sizes of pearls that correspond to equally variable monetary values.
Prior to humanity’s ability to culture pearls, these little wonders of nature were exceedingly valuable and rare, historically commanding an even greater value than diamonds.
Little wonder that pearls have traditionally been used by a number of cultures as a measure and display of wealth and status, perhaps most vividly exemplified in the Byzantine Empire and Mughal India.
We greatly admire the soft glow and and iridescent colours that pass over the surface of pearls.
Whether perfectly round or highly irregular (baroque) in shape, pearls speak to Malki artists of humanity’s connection with other life on Earth, of historical prestige, and of romantic and wild beauty of nature.
