Throughout history, pearls have been one of the most coveted of all gemstones. In the centuries upon centuries before the invention of the cultured pearl, these organic gemstones were extraordinarily rare and highly prized. In the 18th century, a strand of pearls of matched color and size could command a greater price than jewels set with diamonds, rubies, or emeralds. Pearls were included in European sumptuary laws and there were strict regulations denoting who was allowed to wear them. This c. 1800 era pearl eternity ring was made at a (slightly) more egalitarian time in history and could have been worn by anyone who could afford to buy it (which really wouldn't have been many at the turn of the 19th century).