The pearl's history is long rooted in femininity. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, femininity and passion is also knowen by the name of "Pearl" and is symbolized by pearls. Pearls are the only jewelry or accessory that seem to be exclusive to women. (Men wear diamonds, rubies, emeralds and all the other types of jewels, but do not seem to pick pearls as an accessory.) The pearl is round, smooth and lustrous and considered to be elegant. It is also something that moves. It does not stay put when set down. If there is nothing to hold it in place, it will roll away. The act of creating a pearl is very sensuous and feminine. The layering of secretions over a small irritant changes it from something that is annoying to something that is "precious". It is material that is not gathered from the earth. Diamonds are created by heat and pressure. Gold and silver must be mined form the earth and separated from other material. Pearls are created by living organisms and harvested from the sea, which is also symbolic of the nurturing woman. There is a fashion standard that the Classic Style is "basic black with a string of pearls". This may be so, but anyone wearing those pearls has their own style of approaching what the pearls mean. To some, they are merely additions for decoration. To others, they may be tiny treasures to be worshipped. The attitudes that people have for pearls runs the gamut from whimsical to wistful, from sensual to serious. This series seeks to visually portray some of those attitudes.