We are all familiar with pearls. Sought-after since ancient times, they still inspire the great modern jewelers. But how many people know that they were at the heart of an intense trade between the Gulf and France from the late 19th to the mid-20th century? How many remember that they were at the center of the luxury industry and Parisian culture for decades?
Organized by L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, the exhibition Paris, City of Pearls, from November 21st, 2024 until June 1st, 2025, recounted the forgotten history of this amazing artistic, commercial and human adventure.
It presented a hundred pieces from about twenty of the most prestigious lenders, such as Paris Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris), the Petit Palais - Fine Arts Museum of Paris, heritage collections of the Maisons Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Fred, or the exceptional Albion Art private collection.
After a gemological introduction on the origins of pearls, the exhibition traced the history of jewelers’ passion for pearls from the late nineteenth century to the present day.
