Fashion and Beauty
Hello… Pearls Aren’t Just For Grannies!
It’s so hilarious how some women refuse to wear pearls because, for some strange reasons, they associate pearls with grannies! These unfortunate close-minded women think that pearls are only for grandmothers! D-uh. Hello… pearls aren’t only for grannies. And you know what, so what if they were? It just shows that our grannies have excellent tastes when it comes to fashion accessories and jewelry. Nothing wrong with that. It’s only those who are fashion backwards and those who are narrow-minded who, unfortunately, think “that” way. Too bad for them.
Pearls are known to be the month of June’s birthstone, and just because I’m totally obsessed with pearls, just like Carrie Bradshaw was totally obsessed with her shoes, I decided to dedicate this particular issue of my column to pearls! To be accurate, this is the third time since 2020 when I first started my column that I’d be writing about pearls. Sorry (but not really sorry), I’m just so totally in love with pearls.
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Here are a few fashionable and stylish young(er) modern-day women who rock pearls!
Catherine, The Princess of Wales. Catherine leads the classic example of younger women who can truly rock pearl jewelry. She’s known to wear the pearls which her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, passed onto her.
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Taylor Swift. Yes, Taytay loves wearing pearls! She’s often seen donning pearls on her date nights, concerts and music videos. She wears them with vintage clothes.
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Queen Letizia of Spain. When royal women are associated with wearing pearls, you know then that pearls are truly worn only by those who exude regal nature and elegance.
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Selena Gomez. This fashionable beauty is known to wear pearls both on-cam and off-cam. In one of her music videos, her fans bought dupe versions of her Selena pearl necklace!
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Gigi Hadid. When it comes to young fashionable women, don’t look any further than Gigi Hadid. She is known to favour pearls and wears them stylishly in a collared white shirt and jeans!
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Angelina Jolie. Only the beauty of pearls can match the beauty of Angelina Jolie, who is known for owning expensive Mikimoto pearls!
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Lady Gaga. The lady knows how to take a modern edge when it comes to wearing pearl necklaces! Just like her music, her choice of pearls is bold and artistic!
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And don’t forget that these seven legendary fashionable beauties wore pearls during their younger years!
Audrey Hepburn. Remember Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Audrey Hepburn was only 31 years old when she wore those classic strands of pearls!
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Princess Diana. The most photographed woman of all time was always pictured wearing pearls, even before she married Prince Charles. She’s known for her love of pearl chokers!
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Queen Elizabeth II. This much-loved Queen of all generations wore pearls even before she became Queen.
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Elizabeth Taylor. The woman with the most expensive collection of jewelry was known to have owned the most expensive pearl necklace: the La Peregrina. She was only 37-years-old when Richard Burton gifted her this rare piece!
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Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. From the iconic Queen of fashion who once said: “a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls,” Coco Chanel made pearls fashionable in the early 20’s when she was still a budding designer and milliner.
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Princess Grace of Monaco. A young Grace Kelly always wore pearls and was once quoted: “the pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.” Enough said.
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First Lady Jackie Kennedy. This stylish First Lady is most well-known for her love of pearls. Her most copied look is her three-strand pearl necklace.
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Suffice to say, only the truly elegant women with impeccable taste know that pearls are a must staple in your wardrobe! FYI, pearls are more timeless and classic than diamonds just because pearls arguably have a much stronger claim to being the older and more traditionally classic choice for women in high society. In case you don’t know, pearls have been prized for their elegance and beauty for over a thousand years, dating back at least 7,500 years! Whereas diamonds are the most recent addition to the gemstone world. In plain English, pearls are like old money whereas diamonds are nouveau riche, capiche?
Pearls have a richer history compared to diamonds. After all, it is one of the oldest known gemstones and treasured by ancient civilizations like the Roman Empire and up to the Middle Ages. In ancient Rome, pearls were considered more valuable than diamonds and Julius Caesar passed a law stating that only the upper classes could wear pearls within Rome’s borders. The nobility and royalty of Western Europe also coveted the natural pearl, adorning themselves with elaborate pearl jewelry of every variety.
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Pearls are admired and loved not only for their colour but for their pearlescence (their lustre). When there’s an interaction between the crystals in the nacre of the pearl and the light, the lustre occurs as it refracts back into the viewer’s eye. Buying pearls is like purchasing a piece of art — one must have quite a discerning eye and a deep understanding of the various types of pearls in the market. You have to be able to see the difference between freshwater pearls and the more exotic Southsea and Tahitian varieties and the more high-end Japanese Akoya pearls. I also highly suggest purchasing pearls from reputable sources such as specialty jewelers because they offer legitimate, high-quality and certified products with certification and origin.
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There are two types of pearls: natural and cultured. Natural pearls are extremely rare and extremely expensive. Most pearl lovers buy cultured pearls. There are two types of cultured pearls — freshwater and saltwater. The latter are more expensive than the former. I’d like to share my five tips to keep in mind when purchasing your pearls:
- Only buy from reputable sellers and make sure you get a certificate and origin. I would highly recommend The Pearl Source, Pearls Only, and Nishi Pearls in Canada. In Japan, Tokyo Pearl comes to mind.
- Know your pearls well. And, of course, know your budget too! Educate yourself when it comes to pearls and by doing so, you know what you’re getting. Learn the difference between cultured freshwater and saltwater, learn the differences between Southsea and Tahitian pearls and Akoya pearls.
- Choose a pearl colour that complements your skin tone and personality. Personally, I tend to just buy white pearls as it goes well with my skin tone and classic style. But you can also buy pink pearls (I have a few), gold, and black pearls.
- Be knowledgeable about the lustre and surface qualities of a pearl. Bumps, spots, and irregularities on a pearl’s surface can detract from its value. Choose pearls with smooth surfaces and high lustre.
- The shape and size of pearls are significant factors when it comes to determining their value. Personally, I like mine bigger and rounder! Lol. Seriously, larger and rounder pearls are the most sought after.
What are you waiting for? Elevate your style by wearing these precious pearls! I’ll leave you with this pearl of wisdom by First Lady Jackie Kennedy: “Pearls are always appropriate.”
