Pearls and a great inspiring story

So last week a classmate from my jewellery course, invited us to her shop to learn how to knot pearls…

I don’t know if it’s because Pearls nowadays are not that in fashion or it’s only our “grannies” that seem to wear them with pride, that I never really appreciated them as I should. But as I never refuse learning new things or a big-fat-girly-chat, I joined my mates and we went to visit Sharon at her shop Kaqala. 

Now I can say: What a great experience!!! I came out of the shop with a big smile, happy that I’ve learnt so many new things about pearls and a great life story.

I knew Pearls were made by some kind of mollusk in shells underwater but there’s so much more to it than that. Did you know that Pearls are “alive” and in order to keep them that way you need to wear them? If you keep Pearls in a box for too long they die loosing its shine and colour. They need to be in contact with skin and fresh air to keep its beauty… In old times servants would wear the Pearls of the house Lady in order to keep them “alive”. Interesting, don’t you think?

Another story is the one from Mr. Kokichi Mikimoto, a Japanese entrepreneur who believed that Pearls had special health benefits and healing powers. He ate two small Akoya pearls every morning and lived to be 94. He also ate 5 to 8 bowls of rice daily...

But this is not all I learnt on this day… I’ve also learnt that it’s never too late to start anything in life. For instance, Sharon, (whom I hope doesn’t mind me writing about…) only really found what she wanted to do at 45. After divorcing her first husband and working mainly in the pharmaceutical industry, then met her new-husband-to-be, resigned from her job and started traveling all over the world buying beads. She then opened her shop, which nowadays it the biggest beads shop in Southern Africa… And she didn’t stopped there… After 8 years of running an amazing company, she is now designing her own fine-jewellery line and I'm sure she will definitely do amazingly…

Great and awesome story! I wish you could’ve heard her and all her funny anecdotes… 

My little post doesn’t do justice to everything she has taught us…

Thank you Sharon for opening the doors of your shop and life to us! You really are a role model…

And girls: on those days that you feel frustrated and not fulfill with your job or life and even feel it’s too late at 30, 40 or even 45… it’s not!!!! ♥

Have a great weekend!!!