Today, I wore it for the first time after leaving Manila. The pearl necklace and bracelet sat in my drawer for four months untouched but not forgotten. I would occasionally look at it and wonder about its origins. I didn’t wear it for fear that it may break or get lost. It has more meaning now that it had been entrusted to me. More importantly, I’ve uncovered certain truths about this piece of jewelry.
I counted how many pearls there were in my necklace alone. I was curious to know. There are 54 pearls strung delicately together and I’m willing to bet the craftsmanship took hours. I wondered how many breaths were taken to dive for these pearls. How much time was spent holding a breath under water? How many hours did it take for a diver to harvest these pearls from the pearl farm? And how much, might I ask, did he make diving for this piece of jewelry that I have the luxury of wearing?
This leads me to addressing the Filipino children who are working right now in dangerous gold mines in the Philippines. They dive in murky waters for ore as deep as 40 feet yet earn only $11 a month from wealthy miners. My eyes shed tears for them. (Tears of anger, that is.)
The risk of diving is forgotten with every breath held underneath water and dirt. Each time a breath is held, the risk of death becomes imminent. And all for what? A pearl? An ounce of gold? I am now so unsure if my pieces of jewelry are child-labour and exploitation free… Can I we try to start being conscientious buyers, then? Is there really a need for elaborate things on our bodies on a daily basis? Who said that we needed gems and jewelry to be beautiful?
I am unsure what to do or think when I see my own pearl necklace and bracelet. I can’t fathom reason to wear it anymore. I still see it as a precious heirloom from my mom and I would love to pass it on to my daughter someday. Maybe I can use it to teach my daughter about the struggles in our society. Someday… But for now, these 54 pearls remain a remembrance of 54 breaths held underneath the struggle.
More.. https://beautifulrumors.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/54-pearls/
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