Pearl Jewelry and the Celebrities Who Wear Them

Class, style, timeless, sophistication, intelligence, these are a few words to describe pearls and the women who wear them. With so many actresses and other famous women of modern times sporting bigger and more lustrous pearls, pearls have made a big comeback. It doesn’t look like they’re going to fade away anytime soon. Things have changed, as today it’s not just the size of the pearl that makes a statement, so much as it is a combination of the pearls themselves along with the celebrities who are wearing them. Yes, pearls are certainly enjoying resurgence!

Celebrities and other famous women influence much of the look and style in today’s fashion world, while also setting trends. Yesterday’s style masters, Jackie O and Princess Diana, come to mind as both projected a glamorous elegance that so many women have strived to emulate. Who could forget Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? These women dressed with flair and accessorized with style; everyone wanted to be just like them. As a homage to Old Hollywood glamour, here’s a look at pearl jewelry made famous by some of our most beloved ladies.

1. One of the earliest known pearl collections is the Mary Queen of Scots pearls. The most famous piece within this collection was a six-strand necklace strung as a rosary and consisting of more than 600 pearls. Queen Elizabeth I of England was a collector and lover of these pearls.

2. A legend known for her diamonds, not surprisingly, also loves pearls. Actress Elizabeth Taylor owns one of the world’s most famous pearls, the La Peregrina pearl, which was given to her in 1969 by, then-husband, Richard Burton. This very large, pear-shaped white pearl was found by a slave in the early 1500s in the Gulf of Panama. The magnificent gem was owned by a long line of royalty, starting with Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VIII, before Burton purchased it at auction for Taylor. Interestingly, Taylor once misplaced the famous La Peregrina pearl in her white-carpeted home. After an extensive search, guess where the pearl was found? In her beloved dog’s mouth.

3. When talking about celebrity pearl jewelry, we must also mention actress Sarah Jessica Parker, now a popular clothing designer and modern day style icon who made layered oversize pearl necklaces chic. Today, simulated layers of pastel pearls are the rage. The layered necklace look is hot, especially freshwater pearls in complexion-flattering lavender-like iris. Gorgeous pink pearl jewelry is extremely popular too.

4. Believe it or not, pearls often show up in sports, like golf and tennis. In the golf movie, Tin Cup, actress Rene Russo wore a necklace now known as Tin Cup throughout the movie. Its look - white pearls evenly spaced on a fine chain, received almost as much attention as the actual romantic comedy itself! This piece started a trend and today, several stunning variations of this simple Tin Cup necklace can be found in jewelry stores worldwide. Surely you’ve seen the twin sweater set and a simple strand of pearls? With a pair of long walking shorts or culottes, that’s what you’ll see quite often at golf course clubhouses.

5. You might be interested to know that Jackie O's famous and much-photographed triple strand pearl choker is simulated. The gorgeous pearl choker she's known for features round white pearls on strands of graduated lengths, and typified Jackie's signature, simple yet elegant, style. This piece became extremely popular after Jackie was photographed with son, John-John, sitting on her lap while he played with her pearls. In 1996, the simulated pearls went to auction where they were expected to sell for somewhere between $500-$700. They were purchased by The Franklin Mint for $211,500! It’s not hard to figure out why they sold so high.

6.Princess Diana, another beloved lady of style, wealth, and class who will never be forgotten for this very reason. Diana's most famous pearl piece is probably her dangling pearl and diamond tiara. This exquisite piece of jewelry was given to the princess by her mother-in-law, the Queen of England. Copies of the pearl tiara are now worn by many brides on their wedding day.

You can be a star!

So, here’s a little insight on how you can be a fashion standout. There is an endless supply of imitation pearls and costume jewelry pearls on the market. Playing around with them won’t cost you a fortune, can be very fun, and might even inspire you to be a fashion trend-setter. Why not mix various lengths or sizes of pearls together or entwine a silver or gold chain? How about mixing your real pearls with your imitation pearls? Remember, when a new season hits, update your wardrobe with the latest pearls!

Pearls are available in many hues. You can get several colors, lengths and styles and wear them with your little black dress for many attracted looks. This season the popular color is lavender. The lavender family is various in shades from pale iris to plum. Have you seen pearl rings in the magazines? From small, understated rings to oversized ones, pearl rings are hot!

Achieving the layered look like Sarah Jessica Parker, is very easy - simply, pair a waist-length gold or silver chain (or maybe a couple) with a shorter strand of freshwater pearls, and then add a pearl choker or oversized beaded choker. This look is good for both dressing up and dressing down as with t-shirts and jeans. You can take them from daytime at the office to night time for some fun on the town.

Little can compete with a beautiful pearl necklace around your neckline, or those gleaming pearl earrings set gracefully upon your ear. Pearl necklaces are great for all occasions including holiday gifts, weddings, parties, and prom. When it comes to jewelry, today's stars like Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman love to pair luxurious pearl necklaces and earrings with their evening gowns when they are walking the red carpet.

As a result, you can see that pearls will never go out of style. They are always a classy and a traditional wardrobe accessory that will never disappoint. You would not be wrong in saying that pearls are forever.