SAMPLING OF A PEARL

There are three types of pearls: natural, cultured and imitation pearls.This is an imaginary biopsy of a pearl that has been cut out of a shell. It is some sort of a tumour - a swelling, an abnormal growth of tissue - a grain of sand or a lost worm; a foreign body, which has found its way inside the shell. Now covered in layers of nacre, shell’s own defence mechanism, it becomes an object of examination and recontextualization.

‘2000 oyster shells need to be opened before finding a single beautiful pearl.’

The Natural PearlLet’s observe how a natural pearl behaves when placed in different environments. It is believed to be a symbol of wealth, chastity, authority. It has been attributed to Christ and Virgin Mary. A symbol of power.

Enviroment A - The Elitist CushioningHere, the natural pearl shines with confidence and authority, almost possessing the body of the wearer. The wearer is no longer a mere human, the pearl graces it with an allure of a deity.  

“The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.”

Enviroment B - The Egalitarian GloveWhen a natural pearl is stripped of its authority and grounded for the sake of spectacle and status, like a circus bear it shifts her character, becoming more plastic alike, although genuine still. She is no longer a ruler, she is now a speaker for the masses.

CULTURED PEARL - THE SECOND STAGE OF TRANSFORMATIONThese pearls are farmed, often too round. Sometimes of high quality but, if rushed, lower-quality pearls are taken out of the oyster too quickly, therefore their nacre coat is thin. So are the expectations of those who put them on. 

Enviroment A - The Industrial GrindBorn in factories, where both pearls and the labourers who polish and farm them go through excruciating efforts for the sake of market demands around the world. They are manufactured goods, copies of unreachable natural perfection.

"I favoUr pearls on screen and in my private life.”GRACE KELLY

Enviroment B - The Shiny Display of a Duty Free ShopOnce they find their way into the market, they become shapeshifters. Shining bright like the most lustrous consumerist skin.

Pearls are always appropriate.Jackie Kennedy

Imitation pearls- THIRD STAGE OF TRANSFORMATIONAlso known as pearl simulates, usually made of glass or plastic, they were invented as low-cost commodities to serve the needs of the so-called lower classes and children. After the World Wars many wooden or plastic beads were made to satisfy the vanities or nostalgia of the women who couldn’t afford real pearls.

Enviroment A - Body JewelsEach body part can be bejewelled and covered in plastic pearls. It's our second nature.

Marco Polo has seen the inhabitants of Zinpangu place rose coloUred pearls in the mouths of the dead.Oscar Wilde

Enviroment B - Decorative Commodity with a Personality CrisisAll plastic all round everywhere, nouveau riche at its poorest. Representing a large portion of plastic pollutants. This is where the genuine pearl ends her cycle, as a replica of herself thrown into the oceans, initiating new tumours in the circle of life.

Enviroment C - The Depths of FantasyStories of pearls have been told and re-told throughout the centuries. They live on in our collective consciousness, like seeds that grow into big fantasies. We harvest them with the same delicacy as freshwater pearls, because they might be worth even more.

True beauty is measured by the number of pearls within you and not around your neck.Suzy Kassem

FROM A GRAIN OF SAND TO A COVETED PRECIOUS JEWEL. PEARLS HAVE TRANSFORMED FROM STATUS SYMBOLS TO GLASS AND PLASTIC IMITATIONS, ALL FOR THE SAKE OF THE EVER GROWING POPULATION. EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF LUXURY EVEN IF IT'S JUST AN IDEA OR A DREAM. ALL THAT'S LEFT IS THIS IDEA OF A JEWEL THAT CAN MAKE US MORE WORTHY IN THIS WORLD. BY PRODUCING THESE IMITATIONS OF A SEA GODDESS WE ARE POLLUTING THE VERY SEAS IN WHICH THIS GODDESS WAS CONCEIVED. SOMEDAY A PLASTIC PELLET WILL FIND ITS WAY INSIDE A SHELL AND THE CIRCLE WILL BE CLOSED. UNLESS IT POISONS THE SHELL AND CLOSES IT FOREVER.