Let's get into the Mayakoba Mood!
Sophie Blake NY's Mayakoba collection is inspired by five key colors that celebrate the very best of Mexican jewelry.
Escape with us to Mexico through our mood board inspirations!
Sophie Blake NY's Mayakoba collection is inspired by ...
Pearl (The Jewel of the Sea)
In the 17th century, Pearl was traded in Mexico from the orient and began appearing in silver jewelry. The soft material of pearl makes for easy use by artisans in Mexico to curate various types jewelry pieces.
The history of pearl collecting in Mexico goes back a very long way. When Spanish explorers sailed into the Sea of Cortés (Gulf of California) in the early 1530s they encountered Pericú Indians wearing necklaces strung with red berries, shells and blackened pearls. It is believed that pearl jewelry in the region dates back about 7000 years. Lacking metal knives, the only way the Indians could prize open the oyster shells and find pearls was by throwing the shells into a fire, hence the charred pearls. The Spanish explorers quickly recognized that their knives would yield lustrous milky-white pearls, the equal in quality of any found in the Middle East or Asia.
Harvesting pearls became a priority as the Spaniards tried to establish permanent settlements on the arid peninsula now known as Baja California. From 1535 to Mexican independence in 1821, thousands of pearls were dispatched to Europe on a regular basis, where they were incorporated into the lavishly decorated regalia of many notable European courts. During the period of Jesuit missions in Baja (1697 to 1768) pearl collecting was restricted, but even then illegal traffic in pearls persisted.
Gif caption https://gph.is/2cBYbEw Elizabeth Taylor Pearls
What Inspires You?
We want to know what inspires you too and how you express yourself with SOPHIE BLAKE NY jewelry!
Coming soon: The SB Journal - Issue N°3 Part 5 - Midnight!
Stay tuned for Issue N°3: Part 5 as we share the next key color and mood of our Mayakoba collection.
Be sure to check The SB Journal often to stay connected with us. Say hello on our social pages and use #sophieblake and #sophieblakeinspo to show us your jewelry inspirations!