Are Pearls Bad Luck on Your Wedding Day?A hard, lustrous spherical mass that’s naturally white or with a bluish-grey tinge, pearls are regarded as the most exquisite forms of jewelry on the market today, as they give off an air of elegance and sophistication.
But are the lustrous pearls from the shells of pearl oysters and other bivalve mollusks the best jewelry selection for wedding days?
Are pearls bad luck on your wedding day?
While superstitions are self-fulfilling as far as we can tell, there are things that are regarded as no-no’s when it comes to wedding jewelry (other celebratory events), and today, we explore pearls and their suitability in weddings.
We’ll also take a look at some of the wedding superstitions you might want to ditch.
So, are pearls bad luck when worn on a wedding day?
Well, wearing pearls on your wedding days is regarded as a no according to superstitious individuals and cultures who believe that you shouldn’t ever wear pearls (especially black) on your wedding day as they symbolize tears and sorrow and that they could usher in some bad luck in your future.
It’s also believed that wearing black pearls would result in trouble and a whole load of sadness between couples, and the subsequent deterioration of your relationship.
All these beliefs come about from the negative pearl symbolism. While pearls are among the oldest gemstones on earth, they bear some negative associations accumulated over the years.
Legends have it that pearls symbolize tears, specifically bitter tears from Adam and Eve, or according to the Ancient Greeks, the tears of the gods.
But even with these negatives, there are numerous positives around pearls.
What’s good about pearls?
The negative associations to pearls notwithstanding, there are many positive connotations around pearls, which is why brides have worn white pearls as their go-to wedding jewelry for centuries.
It is because of their popularity that the pearls are seen as the quintessential gemstones for wedding days.
Some of the reasons why you might fall in love with pearls, even more, include the following:
Absorber of bad luck – many beliefs tie pearls to tears. But there is a good side to all this in that the pearls worn on wedding days are symbolic of the tears shed by the bride. With the pearls symbolizing/ representing the bride’s tears, it means that the bride’s life will be free of tears, and the bride will lead a happy marriage free of sorrow. The reason behind this belief is that the pearls are seen as absorbers of any bad luck that would come into the marriage.
Wisdom – The Chinese culture holds the belief that pearls are a sign of wisdom. The Chinese belied that the pearls come from the heads of dragons and that they were quite rare, as a result. Therefore, gifting pearls to a bride to be would be similar to wishing them knowledge and wisdom.
Symbol of protection – throughout the Western Culture, pearls have been viewed as the symbols of protection, therefore, keeping the bride safe from any evil.
Purity, Loyalty, and Innocence – Today, pearls are believed to represent loyalty, purity, and innocence, and the color while associated with wedding pearls is associated with purity and innocence. Wearing pearls on your wedding is, therefore, very symbolic, which means that pearls are quite meaningful and pretty much the ideal jewelry choice for weddings.
Everlasting Love – Pearls also represent everlasting love, and it is, therefore, the best choice for gifts between lovers celebrating occasions such as romantic anniversaries, engagements, and weddings.
What’s bad about pearls?
As mentioned above, superstitions are self-fulfilling, and this means that if you believe that the pearls are bad for you, they will be.
So, despite the many negative connotations around pearls and why they shouldn’t be worn on wedding days, you might be on the positive side of things and see pearls as the most meaningful jewelry you could wear on your wedding day.
But if you’d like to know both sides of the pearl story and why you should or shouldn’t wear pearls on your wedding day, the most significant belief about pearls has to do with their connection to tears and sadness.
As a result of this connection, some people regard pearls on wedding days as unlucky wedding jewelry.
Given the negative associations with pearls, it might not be the best idea to gift someone pearls, especially if they are superstition.
Gifting someone pearls might mean giving or wishing them tears or sadness and bad luck.
In fact, some people believe that receiving pearls is viewed as very bad luck unless you choose to buy the pearls yourself.
Other beliefs hold that wearing pearls on your wedding day would lead to sadness and trouble between the couple, leading to the deterioration of relationships.
So, Should you Avoid Pearls on your wedding day?
There are many superstitions around pearls, and you might find yourself changing your mind about the kind of jewelry you choose to wear on your wedding day despite always knowing that you’d walk down the aisle wearing pearls. But superstitions shouldn’t be the reason why you give up those coveted pearls.
If you are not superstitious, we recommend that you go all out with the pearls and look fabulous on your day. After all, legends and ancient beliefs note that pearls symbolize purity, innocence, loyalty, wisdom, knowledge, and others believe that the pearls mean that you wouldn’t suffer in your marriage. Pearls are also said to symbolize everlasting love, which to us, means that you shouldn’t let anyone stop you from wearing pearls.
On the other hand, if you are superstitious and your beliefs side with those of individuals and cultures noting that pearls bring nothing but bad luck, sorrow, tears and that they might be the end of your relationship, you might want to look for a better alternative.
At the end of the day, the choice is yours ultimately. You can choose to wear pearls walking down the aisle or not, but with our mothers, grandparents and older generations before us making it known that there’s no way you could walk down the aisle without new or your mother’s pearls, it would be a great idea for you to wear the pearls too.
In case you are still bugged by that idea of bad luck and a part of you still believes that the pearls might actually be associated with bad luck, yet you are convinced that you must wear pearls, you will be happy to know that there will be no harm brought your way if the pearls were from your grandmother or mother. As long as the pearls are ‘something borrowed,’ it means that you will have swerved the bad luck bit of the pearls when receiving them as a gift.
Conclusion
The decision to wear pearls on your wedding day or not comes down to personal choices and preferences. Having heard that the pearls might be associated with tears and that they may bring sadness as you walk down the aisle and into your married life, you might be conflicted.
However, you shouldn’t overlook the positive side of pearls. If you are one of the ‘glass half full’ brides and believe that the pearls take up the place of sadness, meaning you will have sadness without them, it might be a smart move to get and wear the pearls.
Whether to wear pearls on your wedding day or not will be a decision that lies entirely on you. Your beliefs will determine how you perceive the pearls and how your marriage life is.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.