August 24, 2010
Mai Pearls features at The Wedding Community Blog!
We were all very excited to see the designer and founder of Mai Pearls, Henrietta Askew, been interviewed by The Wedding Community Blog!
In the interview Henrietta has shared the history of Mai Pearls, its vision and even her favourite jewellery piece! It was great to tell them a bit more about who we are, the blog is a great source of information for brides and events organisers.
Moreover, we have shared the vision of fairness in business. Mai Pearls is really glad that it supports local communities in China, especially through paying fair wages to the women who work with us.
The best of all is that fairness does not imply higher prices. In fact, everyone wins because Mai Pearls still provides quality jewellery and genuine pearls at affordable prices.
If you want to learn more about our brand or company, please make sure you visit The Wedding Community Blog or About Mai Pearls section in the Mai Pearls website.
Posted: August 24, 2010 10:54 AM
July 26, 2010
The Dragon & The Pearl
Pearl curiosities: Do you ever wonder why Chinese paintings constantly have a dragon and a pearl?
Pearl curiosities: Do you ever wonder why Chinese paintings constantly have a dragon and a pearl?
Firstly, the painting of pearls near dragons have been studied for years and years and had always caused lots of controversy. There are many explanations for it, pearls could represent wisdom, the yang and yin sign, or even fertility. Moreover pearls have been described as the hidden soul of oysters!
Now, a word of warning to all of you girls who have the habit of biting your pearls! There is an old Chinese tale about this little boy that many thousands of years ago ate a black dragon pearl... and he ended up turning into one! So, watch out when biting your necklaces! don't say we didn't warn you ;-)
Mai Pearls has enjoyed digging into some the tales around the history of pearls! So many stories for such little gems! But you can't blame them, the shine of pearls have fascinated humans since the beginning of history! There are register of pearls been treated as valuable gifts dating more than 2200 years ago! But dont take it from me, check out for yourself the captivating shine of pearls at
Mai Pearls!
Have fun!
XXXX
Mai Pearls Team
Posted: July 26, 2010 01:30 PM
June 01, 2009
Pearls in Paintings
When we think of pearls in painting, a lot of us possibly automatically think of the Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer's however there are many more paintings out there where the sitters are draped in pearls.
Nicholas Hilliard’s painting of the Pelican Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I can be found in the Liverpool Museum. Here Queen Elizabeth I is depicted almost swamped in pearls that hang from her dress. They can also be found in her head piece and necklace which supports an incredibly large drop pearl, off set against her pale English rose skin.
But pearls have not always been just for women. In this portrait by Steven van der Muelen (c.1560), Sir Robert Dudley; the Earl of Leicester wears pearls in his portrait. They were a very clear sign to the viewer that the sitter was wealthy and in turn powerful. Both of these paintings share this in common and this is perhaps another reason why Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is so strange. From looking at her clothes she is obviously not a wealthy woman, yet what is she doing with not only a pearl earring but such a large pearl? Although I enjoyed the film that was based on this very painting, the answers it provided to these questions were possibly fictitious in order to make a good movie.
For your chance to “get the look” click here!
Posted: June 1, 2009 12:38 PM