Queen Elizabeth I and her court were known for their fascination with pearls, which during the Tudor era symbolized purity and were closely associated with the queen’s image. Recent scholarship highlights that many of these pearls originated from the Americas, a consequence of expanding European colonial ventures in the late 15th and 16th centuries.

Lauren Working, a historian at the University of York, explores this theme in her book *A Golden World*, which examines the tangible influence of Indigenous peoples of the Americas on Tudor and Stuart England through objects and materials such as pearls, silks, and silver. She traces how goods produced by Indigenous hands found their way into English elite circles, shaping tastes and material culture during the period.

Working notes that while pearls had a long history in European adornment, the Atlantic pearl trade blossomed following Christopher Columbus’s third voyage in 1498, which opened direct access to South America. Subsequently, large quantities of Atlantic pearls entered European markets, altering the availability and symbolism of such jewels in English society. Courtiers like Walter Raleigh famously incorporated pearls into their attire or imagery connected to Elizabeth I, reinforcing the queen’s association with purity and virtue.

The book offers a wealth of detailed anecdotes illuminating the complexities of early modern trade and cultural exchange. One episode describes a merchant who was likely killed following a boast about a rare emerald, which was later found hidden in London. Another recalls a parrot owned by Raleigh’s half-brother John Gilbert that reportedly displayed unusual tastes and was coveted by royalty. These stories underscore the reach and rarity of imported goods during the period.

However, Working’s work is framed largely through a critical, postcolonial lens that emphasizes exploitation and harsh conditions endured by Indigenous and enslaved peoples in colonial enterprises, particularly in places like the silver mines of Potosí, Bolivia. She attributes systemic abuses to English and Spanish colonial ventures while critiquing traditional imperial historiography. Nonetheless, some of her interpretations remain disputed. For example, claims regarding Francis Drake’s involvement in slaving voyages, the nature of early modern racism in England, and the characterization of Spanish atrocities have varying perspectives among historians.

Additionally, critics note that Working’s focus on elite English consumers offers a narrow view of the broader societal impacts of the New World, with minimal discussion of how Native American encounters influenced English literature or wider cultural consciousness. Moreover, some argue that her selective use of sources and interpretive framework may simplify complex historical narratives, at times mirroring the binary oppositions she critiques in earlier imperial histories.

Overall, *A Golden World* presents a richly detailed, though at times polemical, examination of the physical and cultural exchanges linking Tudor England with Indigenous America, highlighting the intertwined histories of goods, peoples, and imperial power during a formative era of global encounter.