Satta-Matturi pearl and 18K earrings on a model. Photo: Satta-Matturi
One of June’s three birthstones, pearls share a rich history through royalty, fashion, film, symbolism and legend. Over the past few years, they are also witnessing a renaissance that dusts off any associations with being outdated, prim, preppy or conventional. The new pearls come alive with a current vibe. That’s not to say that we aren’t seeing inspirations from the past. Pearls in antique and vintage jewelry are also making a comeback, from the Victorian through the mid-twentieth century with an emphasis on a stunning range of Belle Époque and Edwardian styles as well as early 20’s looks such as sautoirs and long swingy chandelier earrings. Whether uber modern and edgy, minimal and sleek, feminine and romantic or inspired by a mix of time periods, pearls are definitely having their day.
Additionally, like many trends in jewelry and fashion, movies and television, iconic stars and celebrities on the red carpet provided inspiration for the renewed interest in pearls.
Gal Gadot at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019, in New York. Photo:... [+] ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images
Mindi Mond Spike pearl and diamond earrings. Photo: MIndy Mond
The Dolce & Gabbana women's Fall/Winter 2019/2020 collection fashion show, February 24, 2019 in... [+] Milan. MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images.
The first early sign that pearls were going to be witnessing a revival in the design studios of small designers and renowned jewelry houses followed on the heels of the collaboration between director Baz Luhrmann, costume designer Catherine Martin, and Tiffany & Co. for the film The Great Gatsby(2013) , which gave a new lease on life to authentic and Art Deco-inspired jewelry. The trend came back full circle with lavaliers, long drapey pearl necklaces, hair ornaments, pendants, earrings, and, with a new twist, hand jewelry. Martin had a found an illustration from the ’20s that showed a bracelet design with a compact attached to it that sat on top of the hand and fitted with rings. All of these jewels inspired new versions and pearls became popular again.
Director, producer and writer Baz Luhrmann and costume and production designer, Catherine Martin of... [+] the film "The Great Gatsby," unveiled at the Fifth Avenue flagship on April 17, 2013 in New York City. This photo depicts the pearl hand bracelets worn in the film Photo: Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.
The recurring mini-series The Crown and Victoria also featured pearls strongly in regal style.
Claire Foy in The Crown
Most recently the characters in Crazy Rich Asians wore different pearl pieces to depict their position in family and society. The diamond and pearl earrings designed by Mouawad played a pivotal role in Gemma Chan's character Astrid's life and there was also a one-of-a-kind multi-strand pearl, emerald, ruby, and diamond necklace that Michelle Yeoh's character of Eleanor Young wears as the strong matriarch of the family.
Gemma Chan entering the Mouawad Store in Crazy Rich Asians where she buys her pearl earrings in the... [+] film.
The highly anticipated film version of Downton Abbey, which will be released in December 2019, has already inspired designers and the antique market. The film starts off in 1927 and is sure to feature pearls in earrings and necklaces.
Promotional photo for the upcoming film of Downton Abbey.
On the fall/winter 2019/20 runways we saw plenty of pearls. Some gave a nod to regal tiaras of royalty while others showed big, statement pieces that were exaggerated versions recalling the styles of 50s movies stars as well as influential fashion icons such as Diana Vreeland, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly.
David Koma Fall Runway Show. Photo: David Koma
During the recent jewelry week in Las Vegas where the press and trade go to see the newest collections of emerging and established designers and discover new antique and vintage treasures at different show which include Couture, Premier and The Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show, I found a range of styles which featured all different types of pearls. Here are some of my favorites of these precious luminous gems that have been handed down like heirlooms throughout generations, stringing together our cultural histories.
Happy Birthday, June girls! It's the perfect time for you and all women who have an interest in these sensual gems to indulge in a gift to yourself of one of the new pearl styles.
Satta-Matturi pearl and 18K and spinel earrings. Photo: Satta-Matturi.
Sofia Zakia pearl and diamond post earring. Photo: Sofia Zakia
Lene Vibe a garden of baroque pearls and 18k florals and creatures
Mizuki Stick pearls in earrings with diamond accents
Sean Gilson for Assael pearl and gold cuff bracelet.
Nancy Newberg pearl and gold hoop earrings
Robinson Pelham Glactica white gold, pearl and diamond earrings.
Colette black and white pearl statement earrings. Photo: Colette
Nancy Newberg Pearl and black diamond earrings
Satta-Matturi pearl and 18K earrings
With pearls in our present, I thought it fitting to pay homage to some favorite stories of iconic pearls and stylish pearl girls of our past.
Every collector has her own tale to tell about pearls, whether they are of famous provenance, passed down through generations, or given as tokens of love and affection. Queens, princesses, famous designers, socialites and film stars all recognized the power of pearls and the luster that shone throughout history.
During the 20th century, women of all demographic began to wear pearls, due in part to Mikimoto’s invention of the cultured pearl and the desire to imitate favorite celebrities of the day. But prior to this, pearls were one of the favored gems of the aristocracy. Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette, Queen Alexandra and Empress Josephine all had a penchant for pearls. Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I feature a plethora of pearls sewn into her gowns and wig and strands upon strands cascading down the front of her high-neckline gowns.
When we think of Coco Chanel, we get an instant image of a designer who changed perceptions of personal style—wearing pearls. Long strands draped across her shoulders and dangling down her back, or mixed in with an assortment of chains, pearls were part of Chanel’s armor. She once proclaimed: “A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls.” The intermingling of real and faux gave her a look that was more chic and creative than flashy or showy.
Harper's Bazaar's Mrs. Carmel Snow (L) chatting with Coco Chanel (R). Photo: The LIFE Picture... [+] Collection/Getty Images
Grace Kelly became a poster girl for pearls in the 1950s. “I favor pearls on screen and in my private life,” she once said. Starring opposite James Stewart in the Hitchcock film Rear Window(1954), her jewelry consisted mainly of pearls. In the official engagement photo of Kelly and Prince Rainier III, she wears a two-strand pearl choker. On her wedding day, she selected simple pearl and diamond earrings to complement her intricate lace gown. As a wedding gift, Rainier commissioned a parure of pearls from Van Cleef & Arpels. Soon after, Van Cleef & Arpels became the jewelers to the Principality of Monaco. Princess Grace’s Van Cleef & Arpels pearl wedding suite consisted of a perfect pearl necklace, a floral-motif ring with a center pearl, a triple-strand bracelet, and a pair of ear clips.
Actress Grace Kelly takes a break on the set of the Paramount Pictures movie Rear Window in November... [+] 1953 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Getty Images
Jacqueline Kennedy lived by the adage that ‘pearls are always appropriate’. She seemed to echo what fashion in the early ‘60s was all about—less fitted and formal the ‘50s—yet still pulled together and chic. Pearls were part of Jackie Kennedy’s uniform; she tucked pearl necklaces into dresses and suits for day and the sleek gowns she wore in the evening. Her triple-strand, faux pearl necklace designed by American jeweler Kenneth Jay Lane became her signature piece during her time in the White House. Many did not know at the time that several of her pearls were imitations. One of the most famous pearl necklaces that Sotheby’s sold was fake. The hammer went down at $200,000 for the original three-strand necklace, which she had bought from Kenneth Jay Lane for less than $200.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and son John F. Kennedy, Jr. playing with the string of simulated... [+] pearls around her neck at the White House. Photo: The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
The first scene of the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s featuring style icon Audrey Hepburn as New York party girl ‘Holly Golightly’ continues to influence jewelry today. The image of Hepburn standing outside Tiffany’s jewelry store at the break of morning in the gown she wore the night before and multi-strands of pearls with a floral clasp in the center, a tiara, sunglasses and opera length gloves has been imprinted in our minds, imitated and recreated in a host of magazines, jewelry display cases and windows and has been handed down for generations since the film came out.
Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, in a still from the film, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,, 1961. Photo:... [+] Getty Images
Royalty reigned over pearls once again in England in 1981 when Lady Diana married Prince Charles. As a wedding gift, Queen Elizabeth gave Diana a tiara called the ‘Cambridge Lover’s Knot’, a very heavy headpiece with 19 perfect swinging pearl drops, created for Queen Mary by Garrard in 1914. Pearls were Diana’s favorite gems. Her first single strand of pearls, which had a sapphire clasp, was a gift from her parents, which she wore throughout her life. The most stunning of Diana’s chokers was one of seven strands with a large, double row of diamonds surrounding an oval sapphire. The gem was originally part of the brooch that was her wedding gift from the Queen Mother. She later mounted the sapphire as the centerpiece and, since she was photographed almost every time, she wore it, started a trend that swept across Europe and the U.S.
Princess Of Wales Wearing The Cambridge Knot Queen Mar's tiara of diamonds and pearls given to her... [+] by the Queen At The British Embassy In Washington. Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images
Of all the natural pearls in the world, the most famous is ‘La Peregrina’, which means ‘pilgrim’ or ‘wanderer,’ an apt name for a pearl that traveled for more than 400 years until it found its perfect place in history around Elizabeth Taylor’s neck. Three years after acquiring La Peregrina, Taylor approached Cartier to have it made into a necklace based on a choker design she had seen in a portrait of Mary Tudor, Queen of England. Taylor worked with Cartier designer Al Durante on the piece comprising Oriental pearls, intersected with diamond and ruby quatrefoils, set in platinum and gold. When Taylor’s jewels went up for auction at Christie’s in December 2011, the Peregrina necklace sold for a record$11.8 million.
"La Peregrina", a Cartier pearl, diamond and ruby necklace owned by US actress Elizabeth Taylor on... [+] display during a preview of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor December 1, 2011 at Christie's in New York. Photo: HONDA/AFP/Getty Images.
We saw pearls go from screen to street (or more directly to design studios and manufacturers around the globe) after Renee Russo wore a necklace of stationed pearls on silk thread, designed by Wendy Brigode, in the films Tin Cup. It was a sleeper jewel that made millions for all that copied the look.
Renee Russo in Wendy Brigode pearl necklace
The Girl with The Pearl Earring also brought back baroque pearl drop earrings in all variations, price ranges and colors of pearls, proving how film can affect what women relate to and purchase.
Pearls go back for centuries and there are many more stories to tell about historical, royal and celebrity jewels. The renaissance we are witnessing continues to be fostered by progressive talents and the variety of looks that are being offered in the market today.