They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but to some the harsh sparkle of a diamond pales in comparison to the soft gleam of a lustrous string of pearls. For thousands of years man has been drawn to this mysterious and enigmatic gift from the sea. Upon it friendships have been forged, bonds broken, and deals sealed. From centuries past and for many to come, the pearl has and will always be revered as the most extraordinary gem borne of nature.

Seven years ago, the only thing I knew about pearls was they were expensive, beautiful, and completely unaffordable (to me). Around the same time, I was approached by a pearl farming and retail company to produce a large-format pictorial book on pearls. The company had seen my work in the book Anilao and wanted to do something similar that was relevant to their product ñ as a corporate gift and to sell in their stores and third-party bookstores.