Pearls Are More Than Just A Fashion Statement

Rumor has it that wearing pearls is more than a just mere fashion statement these days.  Most women who wear pearls do so because of their strong fashion sense and the natural beauty of the pearls   It seems that there are even more reasons to wear pearls now, besides just good fashion sense.  Did you know that wearing a pearl strand necklace for a long period of time may help avoid faucitis, more commonly known as a sore throat as well as hyperthyroidism? Experts say that this is because long term exposure to pearls can make the human body system "cool down", so wearing a pearl strand may also ease one’s temper during menopause. In addition, because of the smooth nature of nacre and the elements contained in pearls, the area on your neck where it is exposed to your pearl necklace, may become very smooth and soft.

In fact, people started to use pearls for medical and cosmetic use as early as 2000 years ago. Pearls contain plenty of chemicals including calcium, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, iron, tungsten, zinc, lead, silver, gold, lithium, iodine, zirconium, selenium, etc.   Hence, by wearing pearls regularly, it can allow these effective elements to filter through human pores, be absorbed by deep tissue, and result in cosmetic improvements.  This process may help enhance one’s metabolism, and as a result your skin will become smooth, and it may slow down the aging process.   Sound like a good enough reason to wear pearls to me!

Spring Is In the Air

As more of a  traditional summer favorite, bright whites are here this spring as a pristine counterpoint to the tropical hues and smoldering metallics many designers debuted in their new spring collections. We will see flowing white dresses and crisp white precision tailored suits, tea-length daytime wear and tight white light-up-the-night numbers. While fashion creations this year range from daydreamy to chic and sophisticated, the all-whitelook lends pearl lovers a cool, clean canvas to make their own. This is good news for our pearl jewelry loving friends, who on the streets this spring can expect to see crisp white shirts and white jeans making a comeback alongside pretty-fun colorful pearl  necklaces. This resounding white backdrop means it’s anyone’s game on the pearl jewelry front. Pearls necklaces, pearl bracelets and pearl earrings in an assortment of bright colors as well as the traditional spring pastel standards and and of course white!. Tahitian pearl rings most definitely will snag the a spotlight on one stage, while bold gold and brightly hued semi-precious stones and pearl necklaces heat up another. From an emotional standpoint, white just feels right. It’s clean and optimistic—refreshingly rich but not too decadent, wholesome and pure —almost as if  the world is starting to lighten up!.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue......

So I wake up at 3:00 in the morning to catch my first sight of the Princess Bride and I can hardly contain myself!  No one else in my house has shared my enthusiasm for the event, so I was on my own!  I was just staring to nod off during the opening pomp and circumstance when I was jolted back to reality with the arrival of Kate and her father at Westminster Abbey.  With minimal fanfare, they got out of the beautiful Rolls Royce, her sister helped her with her train, and they headed for the church.

In line with an old Royal tradition Kate Middleton headed down the aisle  with a sprig of the herb myrtle in her bridal bouquet to symbolize lasting love and fertility just like Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria; before her.  She was a raving beauty in her beautiful new wedding gown that was simply exuberating class as she approached her groom, wearing an understated diamond tiara borrowed from Queen herself; who received the tiara as a gift from her mother on her 18^th birthday.  Also in line with Royal tradition, Kate’s gorgeous blue sapphire engagement ring was paired with a royal wedding band made with gold from a mine in Wales, a tradition that began relatively recently with the Queen Mother's wedding in 1923.

It goes without saying while her gown and veil were nothing short of gorgeous,   I would have been overjoyed to see her wearing some of Diana’s pearls.  However, I am not disappointed.  In fact I understand perfectly.  Princess Catherine aka Kate Middleton, has the rest of her life to pay homage to her late mother–in–law, and wear her prized gems whenever she wants to.  All of a sudden, it makes perfect sense to me and I am quite excited for her. Today was her wedding day, the very first day of the rest of her life.  No reason to start it out in the shadow of the former princess who was also so loved by Prince William,  the United Kingdom as well as people from all over the world.  But you can be assured, I will be watching out for sightings of “The Princess and Her Pearls”, as she forges ahead in her new life.  I am certain there will be many of these sightings, because as all pearl lovers know, “the pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens”.  Best Wishes to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The Princess and the Pearl

It is just one week away from the royal wedding and the fashion speculations of what the future Princess Kate will be wearing are in full force! Who is the lucky designer that will make the dress? What will her hair look like; up or down?   But if you ask me, the most important questions is “What or more specifically whose tiara and jewelry will she be wearing?”

If I were her royal stylist, or even the princess herself in my own little fantasy world, I know what my choice would be.  Not only as a tribute to Williams beautiful mother, Diana, but more importantly because they are absolutely stunning, I would opt to wear Diana’s pearl crown, her pearl  choker and her stunning South Sea pearl and diamond earrings.  Just like Princess Diana of Wales, Kate Middleton is the perfect example of a modern-day woman. She is the picture of elegance with an ever present touch of class.  Kate always dresses with style and presents herself with a certain level of class and dignity.  All of these traits just scream “PEARLS” to me. Like Diana,  Kate seems to have old-fashioned values and grace but is confidently still living in the 21^st century.  I would say that William is a lucky man, as Kate will make a wonderful princess.  I am just as certain wearing the pearls belonging to William’s mother would be a welcomed gesture and I think Kate should honor Diana while she sets out to create her own amazing legacy.

I am so excited!  I just can’t wait!

Farewell to a Legendary Pearl Lover

Elizabeth Taylor, the legendary actress famed for her beauty, her jet-set lifestyle, her charitable endeavors and her many marriages died on March 23, at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 79 years old.  She will be mourned, not only by her fans from her successful career in motion pictures, but from jewelry lovers around the world; primarily the ones who favor pearls.

In 1969, Richard Burton spent $37,000, narrowly outbidding Prince Alfonso de Bourbon Asturias, to gift his wife,  Elizabeth Taylor with La Peregrina, a stunning pear shaped pearl, for her thirty-seventh birthday. “  Included in the purchase of La Peregrina was the pearl’s interesting history, which is as fascinating as the pearl is rare and beautiful. A slave was set free after finding the pearl in the Gulf of Panama and bringing it to the Spanish court. It was later given to Mary Tudor of England upon her engagement to Spain’s Phillip II in 1554. Later, Queens Margarita and Isabel owned the pearl. Both were immortalized, wearing the pearl, in separate portraits by a famous  sixteenth century painter.  And finally, in the early part of the 1800’s, the famous Bonaparte family owned the pearl.

Elizabeth got her ideas of how she wanted the pearl necklace set from a painting of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was wearing it as a choker. The pearl’s former setting can be seen in publicity shots for Elizabeth’s cameo in the 1969 film, Anne of the Thousand Days, and the new, more elaborate setting in the films Divorce His—Divorce Hers and A Little Night Music.
 

Burton and Taylor had considered writing a book on the fascinating history of the pearl and its owners, but unfortunately they never did. They also considered purchasing a four-hundred year old painting with the pearl adorning Queen Mary—but nothing could match the brilliance and elegance of this amazing gem more than Elizabeth herself.

 

 

SHOP WISELY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON - Why Cultured Pearls Are a Good Idea

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, it is time to start working on that important gift list.  Is there a special someone on that list that deserves a beautiful piece of jewelry this year?  Don’t let the negative news reports about the economy and the skyrocketing price of gold take the fun out of your holiday shopping. Just think a little differently. Step outside of your regular box. Think classic, think traditional, think beautiful, think “most prized possession”. When I put of all of these things together, only one answer comes to mind - cultured pearls.  Now that you have the answer, there is a whole world of pearl jewelry options available to make this holiday gift giving season, your most memorable yet, and one she will never forget.

"The classic cultured pearl necklace is a symbol of class and elegance”, say Bri Murphy, Managing Director for pearlstop.com., “but today there is just so much more to pearl jewelry than the traditional Japanese akoya cultured pearl necklace.   Tahitian pearl pendants, freshwater pearl earrings and cultured pearl and diamond “tennis” bracelets which we call "golf" bracelets, have become an indispensable part of every woman’s fashionable pearl jewelry accessories.”  Because of their versatility and classic elegance, cultured pearl jewelry is great for all occasions and different gatherings and even for use in a corporate business setting.  Cultured pearls and cultured pearl jewelry are timeless and you can never go wrong with wearing one because they will not go out of style.

With the rising price of gold, many jewelry items have priced themselves right off the holiday shopping list of many, but that doesn’t have to be the case.  Take for example the Sterling Silver Tahitian Cultured Pearl Dangle Earrings from pearlstop.com.  “We have taken one of our most popular 14K white gold earring styles and made them in sterling silver with rhodium plating.  This way, you get the very same elegant look with beautiful Tahitian cultured pearls for a fraction of the price.  Pearls are one of the most coveted of gems.  We want to make sure pearl jewelry is both available and affordable to those who want to purchase it”, say a spokesperson for the company.  This year people are being especially cautious, but don’t let it ruin the thrill of a special holiday purchase. There is no need to take jewelry off you shopping list; just approach it from a different point of view.  Cultured pearls are a very stable investment.  You know exactly what you are getting for the money you are spending without the worry that fluctuating numbers on a teletype machine somewhere out will make your gift any less important.

Focus on why you are purchasing that special gift in the first place.  Remember pearls are the classic traditional gift that every woman cherishes.  Woman tend to cherish their pearls so deeply that they think often of the day they will pass them on to a beloved daughter or  special niece, but it is pretty much guaranteed she won’t be around for the teary eyed smiles on their face when they receive them.  No one wants to share their most prized possession until they know for certain they won’t be wearing them any longer.  Give a gift that will never lose its value;   a token of one’s love, as a treasured memory or a sentimental family tradition.  Cultured pearls are worth their weight in gold.

For more information visit pearlstop.com or contact Bri Murphy at vip@pearlstop.com

Mommy, Where Do Pearls Come From?

Mommy, Where Do Pearls Come From?

  

Without getting too complicated or technical, I would love to share a

wonderful story with you about the “birth of a pearl”. 

Just like with humans, this miracle can happen naturally or with a little assistance from the scientific world.  However, rarely do oysters create pearls naturally, so the majority of pearls on the market today occurred with the assistance of a human being, or cultured as we call it.

In a nut shell, or should I say oyster shell, this is how the story goes for one of those extremely rare occasions when nature takes charge in the creation of a pearl.  Imagine, a happy little oyster sitting on the bottom of the sea minding its own business when along comes an annoying little piece of coral and makes its way inside of the oyster’s shell.  Of course, the oyster doesn’t know what it is, but it certainly knows it doesn’t belong inside his shell.  The oyster thinks that this little intruder might cause it a lot of trouble, so the oyster decides he must protect himself from the irritant!  The animal instincts click in and the mantle (an oyster body part) starts producing nacre, a really hard substance which lucky for us also happens to be beautiful too, and encases it around that miserable little piece of coral to protect the happy little oyster from that nasty little intruder.  As years go by, the oyster keeps producing nacre on the irritant until the remote possibility that some diver is in the right place at the right time, and finds the oyster with the beautiful natural pearl, a true miracle of the sea.   I wouldn’t spend too much time looking for that one in a million oyster, as these days, your odds of winning a state lottery are much better than finding a natural pearl.

 Natural pearls were coveted by royalty in many countries, and at one time were somewhat prevalent in many parts of the world including parts of Japan. In the late 1800’s with foreign trade increasingly more common,   the natural pearl supply diminished due to the demand and over harvesting.  A visionary in his time, a man by the name of Micky Moto (more commonly referred to as Mikimoto) saw the problem early on and started working to figure  out a way that the oyster would continue to grow pearls with a little stimulation from mankind.  Thus, the cultured pearl as we know it today was born.

After several years of trial and error, the first perfect cultured pearl made its debut in 1905.  Micky Moto had learned a lot from his experimentation and went on to perfect the process which has made it possible for pearls to adorn some of the most beautiful necks in the world.  So now, I will tell you the rest of this story of miracles from the sea…

When oysters reach the age of 2-3 years old and appear to be healthy, they are ready and able to go under a surgical procedure that gets the process of “pearl making” started.  Also known as seeding or nucleating, this is a very delicate procedure and takes many years to learn the technique to successfully perform it.  First, the oysters awaiting the procedure are starved for several days, to slow their metabolisms down, decreasing the chances of the oyster rejecting the nucleus.  In addition, it is easier to open the oysters if they are really hungry!  Next a donor oyster is sacrificed and a piece of the mantle is removed from its outer section.  As we already learned, the mantle is an oyster body part responsible for producing the nacre and a live graft from it is necessary so that the host oyster will accept the foreign nucleus graciously. Next the oyster is opened with special instruments and the mantel is inserted into the soft tissue of the oyster through a slit made with a sharp scalpel.  Then the core nucleus, picture a round bead, usually made from the a shell of a Mississippi mussel is placed in the oyster‘s soft tissue through the same scalpel slit that received the mantle graft.  The oyster is then returned to the water to be irritated by the little intruder that was surgically implanted in its shell.  The oyster now proceeds to go through the same process as if a small piece of coral or a pebble had gotten into his shell.  The oyster starts producing nacre and encasing its intruder in order to protect itself, thus creating a cultured pearl.  The oyster remains in the water to allow the nacre to continue building up around the nucleus.  The longer the oyster remains in the water, the thicker the nacre.  The thicker the nacre, the more lustrous and beautiful the final pearl is.

When the pearl farmers are satisfied and the pearls are ready, they are harvested.    After harvesting, the pearl has to go through a series of processes such as cleaning and polishing, sorting, and sometimes drilling to become ready to be the most prized possession of some lucky girl somewhere in this world.  Most pearls will move on to be part of an amazing pearl necklace lying gracefully on the neck of a beautiful woman.  Some pearls will dance from the ear lobes of princesses and queens.  Many will spend their 1st day out in their new life adorning a bride and her bridesmaids on her wedding day.  While it is impossible to know where all cultured pearls will end up, either in a ring or earrings or in a bracelet around your wrist, there is one thing we know about pearls for certain.  When a pearl has the privilege of being adopted by someone who loves them, they will certainly live happily ever after, as long as they are together.