History of Pearls – Part 2: King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Fake Pearls, Black Pearls, Pearl Biology, Pearl Jam, & World’s Largest Pearls | Bedtime Sleep Stories about History (Not AI)
Calm History - Bedtime Sleep Stories for Education & Relaxation (By A Real Person; Not AI)
Harris | ASMR & Insomnia Network
4.4 • 891 Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Calm History. I'm Harris, and this podcast is my quirky mix of education with sedation. |
| 0:12.0 | So go ahead, lean back, put up your feet, and settle into my time machine of tranquility. |
| 0:21.6 | I hope this episode distracts and relaxes your overactive brain squirrels. |
| 0:32.6 | This is part two of the history of pearls. |
| 0:40.9 | I started 500 million years ago, |
| 0:44.7 | and I explained the origin of pearls and pearl diving. |
| 0:48.2 | I then moved forward in history to tell you curious pearl-related stories |
| 0:51.7 | about Alexander the Great, |
| 0:57.9 | Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, |
| 1:05.7 | Pallani the Elder, Aphrodite, Botticelli, and Christopher Columbus. |
| 1:10.7 | I ended part one in 1500 AD. |
| 1:21.6 | Now, in part two, I'll restart around 1500, and I'll tell you more pearl-related stories, |
| 1:34.5 | but this time they'll be about King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, and a little peasant girl who upset pearl snobs all over the world. |
| 1:50.0 | I'll also explain how fake pearls are made by humans, how real pearls are made by wild oysters, and how cultivated pearls are made by farmed oysters. And I'll finish this episode with the rise of pearls in pop culture, as well as |
| 1:59.6 | the drama of determining the world's largest pearl. |
| 2:06.6 | The History of Pearls Part 2, from 1500 AD to the present day. |
| 2:16.7 | In 1509, Henry VIII assumed the throne in England. He was also another |
| 2:24.9 | passionate member of the Pearl Lover Club. He ordered massive amounts of pearls to be sewn into |
| 2:33.2 | his robes, his coats, his hats, and even his shoes. |
| 2:39.8 | But who was an even bigger lover of pearls than Henry VIII? |
| 2:45.4 | That would be his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I. |
| 2:50.6 | During her reign in England, from 1558 to 1603, she wore pearl |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Harris | ASMR & Insomnia Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Harris | ASMR & Insomnia Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.