Pearls of Wisdom
When you think of pearls, chances are at least one of the following adjectives will come to mind—prim, proper, traditional, reserved. For whatever reason—perhaps it’s the June Cleaver effect—pearls have developed a reputation as the go-to accessory for occasions where a woman wants to look modest, respectful, and polite.
Take Rihanna. The pop princess, known for her wild wardrobe and edgy hairdos, is one of the last people on the planet you’d expect to see sporting a classic strand of white pearls. But for a recent court appearance related to her case against ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, that’s exactly what she showed up wearing. Her message? I am a good girl and I should be taken seriously. (It worked.)
While a strand of white pearls will likely be associated with a classic look, a la Jackie Kennedy and Coco Chanel, until the end of time, some designers have started pushing the boundaries with both white and colored pearls. If you don’t think of yourself as a pearl girl, you might want to think again.
Clare Ullman’s chocolate-pearl bracelet is the perfect example. Lustrous brown Tahitian pearls are paired with champagne topaz, andolucite, and cognac quartz to create a modern-day charm bracelet. It’s beautiful, it’s contemporary, and there is nothing boring or stuffy about it.
While pieces from the past featured pearls paired with pearls and more pearls, with the occasional diamond thrown in for good measure, many of today’s looks feature the pearl as an accent.
S.H. Silver’s stunning tourmaline and diamond chandelier earrings feature a single pearl at the very bottom. The earrings are fun, even a bit funky—words not traditionally used when describing pearl jewelry!
Ian Saude’s Treasure Cage ring pushes the envelope further. Hidden inside a nest made of gold branches sit several baroque South Sea pearls that rattle around loose inside. Unlike a strand of pearls, you wouldn’t know this ring was a piece of “pearl jewelry” unless you were standing six inches away.
The looks today’s designers are producing are as varied as they come, but they share one common bond: They definitely aren’t your mother’s pearls.
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