Why do Fashion Designers Stray Away from Pearls?

Have you ever wondered why we see so little pearls on catwalks? Pearls are one of the most feminine and universally flattering gemstones and yet they often get a cold shoulder from the fashion designers of this world. Naturally there are notable exceptions, such as Chanel, but overall most fashion power houses will readily choose sparkly diamonds or bold-colored sapphires, rubies, or emeralds over delicate and shimmery pearls.  

I have given this a lot of thought, and I finally settled on red carpet events as at least one of the guilty parties. Why, you ask? Let me explain.

Izabel Goulart wearing emerald statement necklace and Dita Von Teese rocking pearl earrings at Cannes Film Festival
Photos via Harper's Bazaar

On one hand, we have flash-hungry celebrities that want to shine during such events. Figuratively, yes, but mostly they want to literally exude sparkle from every earlobe, finger, neckline, or toe. They want to be seen and admired. They work closely with fashion designers to put together head-turning outfits and accessories in the hope that they’ll help to maximize their media presence. On the other hand, outfits seen at the Oscars, Grammy’s, or MTV Awards, just to mention three, all set the tone for the current and upcoming fashion trends, so designers produce their trend-setting jewelry pieces to be shown off during such events. Again, this means most of them are more likely to create over-the-top, daring, and highly visible pieces (read: *Bling*Bling* ;o)

Emily Blunt wearing ruby earrings to Golden Globes and Zoe Saldana adorned with pearl earrings in Cannes
Photos via Harper's Bazaar and Trend911

Unfortunately, one of the easiest ways of attracting the general public’s attention – you and me! - or that of photographers to begin with, is to wear something bold and/or sparkly that screams big money. As often as not, the resulting jewelry pieces   are not feminine, maybe not even flattering - but definitely loud and audacious. As for the pearls, well… their delicate shine suffers and their beautiful colors tend to disappear when overpowered by the strong flashes of today’s cameras, so they are not as photo-attractive on the red carpet as their more sparkly and colorful alternatives. Also, from a designer’s point of view, pearls are more difficult to work with because their special sheen, voluptuous forms, and ethereal appeal require more creativity in marrying them with modern and daring styles. In consequence, the fashion scene has fallen in love with the fire of diamonds and the boldness of rubies. Don’t get me wrong, I love diamonds and colored gemstones too - but I would love to see more pearls on today’s catwalks.

So if you are a designer and reading this: Hi there! Please include pearls in your fashion repertoire. We love them dearly and they love us back even more. I dare you, show me one woman who doesn't look good in pearls!

PS. Luckily, I have noticed some changes in this bling-fever. Details in our next blog post :o)

Hong Kong Jewelry Fair Treasures

The September Jewelry Fair in Hong Kong concluded on Sunday, September 25. I spent two beautiful days cruising between rows upon rows of jewelry exhibitors. Everybody was there. Antique jewelry sellers charmed us with early 20^th century pieces from Cartier and natural pearl strands; precious stone wholesalers exhibited their largest, most beautiful deep green emeralds and sky-blue sapphires; and talented jewelry designers from all over the world displayed their newest over-the-top collections.

Chen Chan Jewelry Parade at Hong Kong Expo 2011

And, oh yes, the pearl vendors! Many of them came with their biggest, most lustrous and breath-taking pearls from all over the world.

Jackie O's treasures

The World went crazy about famous pearls these days! Two strands of Jacqueline Kennedy's faux pearls and a pair of her simulated pearl and diamond ear-clips went up for auction this Monday, just two months after the London's exposition of MM's famous pearl choker.

© Bonhams 

Pearls in Art: Woman with a Pearl Necklace

We all saw the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer, but did you know that this is not the only canvas by Vermeer that introduces pearls as the object of fascination?

In fact, there are many other paintings from the Master that incorporate pearls into the scene: Woman with a Pearl Necklace, Woman with a Lute, The Concert, A Lady Writing, Girl with a Red Hat, A Study of a Young Woman, A Portrait of A Young Woman, Mistress and Her Maid, or Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid, just to name few.

Johannes Vermeer, Woman with a Pearl Necklace, 1664, Berlin Museum

The Woman with a Pearl Necklace has its main focus on pearls. A young noble woman is standing next to the window, but it is not the exterior world that occupies her mind. She looks into a small mirror on the wall and admires herself wearing a strand of pearls. She gently ties two yellow ribbons attached to her necklace, a  movement that reflects her innocent self-satisfaction. The daylight is softly sparkling up her pearls, giving the girl even more pleasure from looking at them. Her mind seems to be lost in contempt as she admires her appearance enhanced by the beauty of pearls. She feels complete and true to herself. 350 years later and we still feel the same about our necklaces, don't we?

Pearls in Art: Girl with a Pearl Earring

One of the most famous paintings featuring pearl jewellery has been created in 1665 by Johannes Vermeer. It is sometimes referred to as the “Mona Lisa of the North”. Why the paining of an unknown girl has been so captivating to generations of art lovers?

It is probably because the girl is drawing the viewer into the scene as she looks over her shoulder hoping to see who is standing behind her. The capturing of this brief moment, where the girl fixed her eyes on us, gently gaping her sensual lips, is masterfully accentuated by small but significant play of light, be it her shiny eyes, glossy lips, or the shimmery pearl…

The pearl, a few brush strokes, is the focal point of the paining. It accentuates the movement of the girl’s head and evokes the evanescence of the captured moment.  

The painting can be viewed in Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in The Hague. A more scientific interpretation of the painting can be found here.

Sources: Wikipedia and Maurithuis

Marilyn's Pearls

What is more appealing than a beautiful woman wearing beautiful jewellery is? In celebration of the London’s Bond Street Culture & Heritage Week, Mikimoto is displaying one of its most famous jewels- a strand of pearls that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe.