Girls with (some) Pearl Earrings 

Yes, you guessed right. This time we are going to talk about pearls. Queens’ beautiful enormous pearls, pearls that remind us of Coco Chanel (or “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, depending on the personal mood-board), pearls that were admired, hated or stolen. How they appeared in our fashion culture, how to wear, where to find them and how to keep the pearls safe and shinning. 

Pearls reminds us of…

… the story of Le Peregrina – having the size of a small egg, it is often regarded as one of the world’s most famous and historical pearls. This jewel has been in the hands of different royal families including Queen Mary and Napoleon Bonaparte. More recently, the pearl had been given to actress Elizabeth Taylor as a Valentine’s Day gift from Richard Burton. In 2011, the necklace was sold for $11 million at auction in New York.

… Marilyn Monroe and her pearl necklace. Most of pearl collars (produced by famous brand Mikimoto) were gifted to her by Joe DiMaggio. 

… Audrey Hepburn and her iconic outfit. That scene from the famous movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) is that scene that made us dreaming of a pearl collar. 

… Deborah Kerr and her multi-strand pearl bracelet in “An Affair to Remember” (1957). The impulse we need to wear the pearls in some inventive ways. 

… Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City (the movie, 2008). The simple pearl necklace was the leitmotif of the entire movie – mixed with anything, from flamboyant outfits, jeans to the simple night gown.  

… Daisy Buchanan played by Carrie Mulligan in “Great Gatsby” (2013). Her beautiful 20s style and the luxurious pearl bracelets and earrings are the symbol for the rich and famous. 

… Grace Kelly’s eternal love for pearls. “I favor pearls on screen and in my private life,” Grace Kelly explained when asked about her favourite type of jewels in the early 1950s.“A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls.”

… Lupita Nyong’o dress from Oscars (2015). The dress, which was adorned with 6.000 pearls and valued by Calvin Klein at $150.000, was stolen from Nyong’o’s hotel room (and found after that in the same hotel). 

… The Girl with a Pearl Earring – the movie, the book, but first, of course, the painting of Vermeer. The 2003 film cast Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. 

… Princess Diana and her “revenge dress” appearance (1994) mixed with a stunning pearls & sapphire necklace, that outfit that entered the history of fashion (you can see also beautiful outfits in the movie Princess Diana, 2013, with Naomi Watts). 

Pearls, a short history in time:

The ancient history. Pearls were well known in all cultures and religions across centuries. The Egyptians wanted to be buried with them and Cleopatra (yes, that mighty fashionable icon of all times) won a bet against Marc Antoniu dissolving a pearl into vinegar just to prove that she can have the most expensive beverage in the world. Well, from Cleopatra we can move to Ancient Rome, where pearls symbolised social status, as well as in Greece (bonus: here, pearls were for married women). On fast forward in style history, we can see a lot of pearls necklaces in the paintings of Queen Elizabeth 1st of Great Britain (and the noble ladies of her era) . 

The modern era marks a big development of pearl business, over all. In Central America pearls were heavily exploited (along with the human resources to provide them) and, therefore, the natural pearls became more and more rare. In 1916 the French jewellery Jaques Cartier put the base of his first store in New York, on Fifth Avenue (paying for that one 100 dollars and a pearl necklace – the story said). 

In 1916 there was a major turn in pearl history. The Japanese jewellery maker Kokichi Mikimoto has developed a method that allowed him to cultivate pearls. Rounded, perfect, easy to get and cheaper than the natural ones.  

In the 20s, pearls are everywhere – from black elegant dresses at the receptions to striped blouses and suits promoted by Coco Chanel. And this is the moment when the false pearls (the plastic ones) get their seat in the fashion train – Coco was the first ever fashionista wearing false pearls necklaces, one on top of the other. 

The 30s are the Hollywood era of pearls – Lauren Bacall or Katherine Hepburn have completed their elegant outfits with a pearl accessory – and everybody, from housewives to socialites are longing for one. The war stopped the production and, 10 years later, the pearls appeared in more than white (black, pink, ivories).

The modern times. In 1980, the fake pearls are considered too tacky to wear. And the real ones became, again, the favourite jewels of princesses. Remember Lady Diana and her outfits accessorised with a lot of pearls (some of them very complicated strands, with sapphires and diamond included)? 

The 2000 are for Carrie Bradshaw and “Sex and the City” pearls and, 10 years later, the biggest and most expensive pearl in history was made (Beauty of Ocean worths more than 140 millions of dollars). 

How can you wear them:

Of course, with anything and everything nowadays. But if you want a special way of wearing you should know there are multiple choices of pearl necklaces. From chokers with one single big pearl to multiple strands. The pearls actually come in an array of different shapes. The most common include round, off-round, drop, and baroque. 

A single strand of pearls, touching the clavicle is called The Princess (may go with an elegant or a casual outfit). The Bavette is a necklace made with multiple bead strands of unequal length brought together by a clasp (perfect when you want a little drama in your outfit or for a sleeveless gown). The Collar necklaces are well wrapped around, multiple times, on the middle of the neck, shorter than chokers yet similar in design. The Opera is, typically, a single strand of pearls that falls below the bust, worn single or double depending on the neckline. And, if you want to be seen (even from behind), The Back Dangle, a long necklace that folds over at the neck, and drapes down the back. 

Pearls in 10 #RomanianBrands variants:

Of course we are going to recommend you some Romanian bran that will make you proud of wearing their pearls jewellery. 

1.  With only 4 types of jewellery (rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets) Lisa&Co. managed to offer some timeless beautiful pieces – https://lisaconcept.ro/ 

2. Dedicated to pearls, Atelier Devi is a Romanian brand that propose simple, elegant and very delicate pieces of jewellery – https://atelier-devi.com/. 

3. Lady Magpie is another brand that offers a lot of pearl possibilities. Sometimes, the delicate pearls are mixed with porcelain, gold chains and Swarovski crystals – @lady_magpie_jewellery.

4. Try Loor Jewelry for a different approach on pearls and different shapes (baroque pieces , simple strands of pearls, mixed with gold or silver chains – https://loor.ro. 

5. We all know Malvensky by now, for sure – their gold & pearls necklaces are very elegant, very interesting and fit for almost every occasion – https://www.malvensky.com/.

6. Minionette is a Romanian brand very active lately – its pearl creations are divided into 3 separate categories (depending on which one you fit, you can choose your special piece) – https://www.minionette.ro/power-pearls/.

7. From Miss Mary a Little we would like to recommend the signature piece – the string ring, with a pearl on top, of course. But there are many other options – https://missmaryalittle.com/. 

8. O Perla – a brand dedicated entirely to these amazing pearls – try the classical collars, the pearl bracelets and the delicate pin earrings – https://operla.ro/. 

9. Stil Diamonds – a very well-known Romanian brand (a bigger one than the designers before) – their proposals in terms of jewellery are for everybody – from simple chains to dazzling rings with a pearl on top – https://www.stildiamonds.ro/ 

10. Teilor is now a big brand, but 100% Romanian. Therefore, we couldn’t end the list without them. Try the beautiful classical pearls collar and you can feel instantly transported into the scenes of “Sex and The City” – https://www.teilor.ro/. 

How to recognise a real pearl:

Pearls are unique. When you look at each pearl on a necklace, the colour, shape, size, and lustre the pearls are not all exactly the same. True pearls do not have a particularly neat shape. Naturally grown pearls are very difficult to form a necklace all the same shapes. Even when the weather is hot, true pearls have a sense of cool. Plastic beads generally feel warm.

How to take care of them:

* Keep your pearls away from other pieces of jewellery, in a separate box, preferably covered in soft fabric – the metallic parts could scratch them.

* Do not use plastic bags to transport them while travelling; plastic can emit a chemical that causes the shell to deteriorate

* Use a natural cloth to wipe the pearls after wearing it (you can assure that way that no makeup, body oil or sweat will stay on them).

* Do not spray perfume directly onto pearls! Do not wash them and do not enter into the pool with them, no matter how cool this looks in the movies! 

• A good rule to remember is that pearls should be the last things to put on and the first things to take off.

Photography: www.pixabay.com, www.outnow.ch, web pages of Romanian brands mentioned.