Freshwater Pearls ~ Affordable Sophistication

Real friendship, like real poetry, is extremely rare - and precious as a pearl. Tahar Ben Jelloun

Pearls have always been regarded as a valuable and precious gem. Once only adorned by royalty and the elite, pearl cultivation in the 1900’s made pearls an affordable luxury. Though considerably less expensive than other types, freshwater pearls come in a wide variety of subtle colors, shapes and sizes.

Pearls are an organic gem created when material, such as sand or tiny rocks, is introduced inside the shell of a mollusk. Cultured pearls are made by inserting an irritant into the shell, commonly a piece of shell from another mollusk. Then a layer of protective material called nacre is formed over the irritant and the resulting ball of luminous nacre eventually becomes a pearl. This process can be anywhere from a number of months to quite a few years depending on the mollusk.

Freshwater pearls occur most commonly in the rivers of Scotland, Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, and the state of Mississippi in USA. Although harder to come by, round freshwater pearls are the most valuable. Most are baroque pearls, meaning they are irregularly shaped. Fresh water pearls are typically shaped like tear drops.

Recreating Classic Looks

Style is deeply personal, but most of us are inspired by the fashion represented by celebrities and others we admire. Here are a few notable influencers of style that made pearls a desirable accessory.

Coco Chanel believed too much money killed luxury and was the first designer to offer ‘costume’ jewelry acceptable to the elite. She loved to create using artificial pearls and would often design jewelry that hosted dramatically large and colorful versions of the gem. Chanel made pearls chic.

Who can forget the moment in Breakfast At Tiffany’s when Audrey Hepburn entered wearing a little black dress and beautiful string of pearls! Audrey Hepburn made pearls glamorous.

Fashion Icon Princess Diana often wore understated pearls with quite dramatic evening gowns and outfits. Princess Diana made pearls a lasting classic.

A pretty string of freshwater pearls can easily adorn a sophisticated outfit for evening or a classic look for daytime. They even work with your favourite pair of jeans and cashmere sweater. Experiment with the look, they truly are a versatile and beautiful gem.