Friday, April 22, 2011

My obsessive obsession: Pearl, you really got a hold on me

Once, a friend of mine and fellow blogger, said “Pearls are a girls best friend.”, and I couldn’t agree more. Don’t get me wrong, diamonds are beautiful, but if I have to choose between diamonds and pearls, I would choose pearls in a heartbeat. There’s something about them that makes me feel vintage, classy and delicate. They have a certain mysticism that makes your outfit look sophisticated.

Of course, the meaning of pearls through history is vast. For the Egyptian, pearls were so valuable, that they were buried with them. As for the Chinese, they used to pay tribute to the king with pearls. But for the Hindus’ it was different. Their sacred books and epic tales were full of pearl references. And for the Romans, pearls were symbols of wealth, status and class.

So, it’s no wonder that the most famous pearl wearers were Queens, Hollywood royalties, First Ladies and even girls in paintings.

Here’s a look at some of the most famous pearl wearers of all time and the places where you can get replicas or at least jewelry inspired on them. Enjoy!
Anne Boleyn


As we all know, for the royalty, jewels were very important. They would use diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, topaz and opals, but it was pearls the most important item of the jewelry. That’s why, as seen in many portraits, Anne Boleyn, the Queen of England from the 16th Century and the second and most famous wife of Henry VIII, owned one of the most well known pieces of pearl jewelry: a gorgeous long pearl necklace, with a gold B on it and three pearls that dangled from this pendant.


 Anne Boleyn B Necklace Combo from The Anne Boleyn Files

Elizabeth I


Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of the Queen Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII,  as a princess used to wear a necklace, very much alike to the one, her mother, Anne Boleyn, used to wear. It was a long pearl necklace, with three teardrop pearls dangling from the pendant. 


Princess Elizabeth Necklace Parure from Sapphire & Sage


But, on the day of her coronation, Elizabeth I, wore a golden necklace with black and red diamonds and teardrop pearls dangling from the red diamonds. 


Queen Elizabeth I Coronation Jeweled Collar from Sapphire & Sage

Girl with the Pearl Earring


Okay, so this pearl wasn’t worn by a person, but this portrait is one of the most famous masterpiece of the Dutch artist, Johannes Vermee. Even though most of his paintings are associated with pearls, in this painting the focal point is the glass drop pearl earring. This pearl is described as “a massive creation of highlights and shadows and obscure shadows".

 

Stunning S925 11 14mm White Shell Drop Pearl Earring from Xaxe

Coco Chanel


Coco Chanel, one the greatest designers of the 20th Century, was not only known for her iconic suits but also for her signature pearls. Her fascination for pearls, led her to create chokers, brooches and pendants with these precious stones. 


 Coco Pearl Necklace Silver by Pillowtalknyc from Etsy

Louise Brooks 


This remarkable actress and beauty, was not only known for her amazing silent films and popular flapper bobbed haircut in the 1920’s, but also for her iconic pictures. Specially, the widely known portrait of the actress holding a long string of pearls, becoming one the most reproduce pictures of Louise Brooks.


Gold Tone Simulated Pearl Long Necklace from Croft & Barrow®

Grace Kelly


Grace Kelly or as we should call her Princess Grace, was probably one of the most beautiful woman in the whole entire world. She went from being a movie star to a princess, when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco. Her sophisticated and timeless look, caught the attention of many, becoming a fashion icon. Her elegant style was always complemented with was gloves or hats. But, it wasn’t until Louis Arpels convinced her to wear pearls to enhance her delicate beauty… and the rest, as we know, is history!


Classic 3 Strand Biwa Pearl Necklace from Coleman Douglas Pearls


Kelly Bracelet in Sterling Silver with Swarovski by Lulujewels from Etsy

Large White Freshwater Pearl Earrings from Coleman Douglas Pearls

Audrey Hepburn


Oh, Audrey! My personal favorite style icon. She was so beautiful, graceful and poised, not to mention an amazing human being and actress. Her “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” look instantly became popular with her little black dress, gloves, sunglasses and of course, her gorgeous big pearl necklace. Many women, including me, love Audrey’s  jewelry, but the truth is, Audrey herself was not a big jewelry fan; nonetheless, she knew how to choose them and what suited her. 


KJL Audrey Necklace from Kenneth Jay Lane Jewelry
 
Jacqueline Kennedy


When it came to style, the former First Lady, Jacky Kennedy, keep it very simple and elegant, but as the other famous women mentioned here, Jacky loved her pearls. Her most famous pearl necklace: The Margarita pearls. These were given to her by the Venezuelan president, when the Kennedys visited the country. 

Jacqueline Kennedy Collection Faux Pearl Triple Strand Necklace from The Kennedy Center Online Gift Shop

Princess Diana


Diana, Princess of  Wales or as we love to call her Lady Di, was not always a fashion icon, but as time passed, she became more independent and confident, turning, immediately, into a trendsetter for her honed and sophisticated style. She wore many gorgeous accessories, but one of her most famous jewels was the striking, eleven strand pearl, with diamonds and rubies spacers, choker necklace, that she wore at the premiere of “1492 Christopher Colombus”.

Bling Jewelry Inspired by Designer Gold Plated Link Four Row 6mm Pearl Collar Choker Necklace from Amazon

Elizabeth Taylor


There’s no denying that, the late Elizabeth Taylor, had a passion for jewels. This true fashion icon owned one of the biggest jewelry collection in the world and even wrote a book about it called “Elizabeth Taylor, My Love Affair with Jewelry”. But her most iconic piece of jewelry was the pearl called “La Peregrina”. This famous pearl, discovered in the Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama, was given to her by her husband as gift in the late 1960’s and it was set as a pendant to a necklace designed by Cartier.
 

Elizabeth Taylor Inspired Faux Peregrina Pearl Necklace from Emitations


TTFN! ^_^

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