My mother was born in 1930, and in those days, pearls were A Very Big Deal. Her mother had pearl strand necklaces given for her 21st birthday and for her wedding. My mother had the same. She had a beautiful double strand of pearls my father gave her as a wedding present. She also received a single pearl strand as a bridesmaid’s gift when she was a teenager. Both these necklaces were pretty plain – identical cultured pearls with a small silver clasp. I inherited them when she died but I have worn them only a handful of times. Pearls need to be worn so my mother’s set is in terrible shape from lack of wear and care.
My father-in-law gave me his late wife’s pearl set (necklace, bracelet and studs). I wore the set on my wedding day, and I wear the bracelet and the stud earrings often. I love them and I make sure to take good care of them.
I also have pretty pearl drop earrings. They were pretty cheap and probably bad quality but they are easy to wear.
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If you look at the late Queen Elizabeth II, she loved traditional strands of pearls and wore them almost all the time. They were very plain and every single pearl was identical. Nowadays, that type of pearl necklace is not a big thing in the same way. Traditional strings of pearls seem a little staid, a tad old-fashioned and you have to be careful how you wear them to not look frumpy. The length also makes a difference – shorter ones actually look better than once that hit mid-bust. Queen Camilla loves her multistrand pearl jokers with striking gem centrepieces, and those always look fresh and new.
I love funky pearls, such as those from By Millin.
And I adore the work done by Tina Seven of Tina Pearls. She takes ‘imperfect’ pearls and turns them into little works of art. Pearl purists are probably horrified, but I really love them.
Look at this cat! Very spendy but it is an absolute work of art. Here is a video
Find Tina here:
- Website
- There is a cat section
I have not bought from this shop but the reviews seem good and they do take safe payment options like PayPal.
What are your thoughts on pearls?
I am not a fan of Tina Pearls as I much prefer cultured pearls.
I agree with you that pearls need to be worn to stay shiny and beautiful. However you should never wear pearls next to metal (gold and silver damage them), nor wear perfume or body lotion.
I have also inherited pearls from my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother. It is obviously impossible for me to wear them all so they are kept in a special box which is made for pearls. It keeps them at a steady temperature and constant humidity. I like to wear a necklace, earrings or a pendant now and again.
Like brooches, I wish more people wore pearls. I would love to see your pearls Nathalie.
These Tina Pearls are really lovely! I don’t wear pearls, but I have a string of pearls that my grandmother had given me. It’s true that we are supposed to wear them often so that they don’t “spoil”… I think I may need to have a look at Tina’s website… Her creations are absolutely lovely!
I think they would appeal to an audience that are not attracted to traditional pearls. I am so in love with that cat!