The Style Files: The Power of The Pearl

Coco Chanel , the high priestess of fashion once declared that ‘A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls’. She layered the precious necklaces one atop the next and her fashion house has continued to use the iridescent beauties on everything; clothing, shoes, bags and of course jewellery. She also said “Pearls are always right" and made pearls a versatile and classic staple to every woman's wardrobe. Chanel has reinvented pearls yet again with unexpected, contemporary shapes. The Chanel SS14 catwalk introduced the oversized pearl and Chanel has taken the country club out of the equation by offering gigantic, bauble necklaces, rings and bracelets. The Chanel pearl necklace has been featured on 2014 Vogue covers from around the world creating a cult classic.

The power and appeal of pearls has never diminished, their luminous essence and elegance around the neck and on the wrists; even the simplest single-pearl earrings are eternally chic. While they don’t have the sparkling glamour of diamonds, pearls are quietly gleaming their way back into high fashion.

A firm favourite with royalty throughout the ages, Princess Grace of Monaco,  a fashion icon, was hardly ever seen without a simple strand of pearls or her favourite Van Cleef & Arpels pearl bracelets. Recently the Duchess of Cambridge has taken a shine to them with her favourite imitation pair selling out only hours after she wore them.

A host of extremely stylish celebrities like Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ashley Olsen to name a few are devotees of the look and US First Lady Michelle Obama is often seen wearing her favourite double-stranded pearl necklace. Pearls are also proving to be a smart investment because like diamonds and gold, natural pearls appear to hold their value in uncertain economic times. Two natural drop-shaped pearls, rumoured to have been owned by Empress Eugenie of France, were recently sold at auction in New York for a world record price of £2-million.

Experts believe that natural pearls are and will continue to get record prices because of their rarity – pollution and over-fishing mean the supply of new natural pearls is waning.

Courtesy Colombo Jewellery Stores

While the pearl's trendiness might wax and wane, it has a timeless appeal. Pearls are always flattering, they bring light to the face, which is what jewelry is for. They're beautiful and there’s a purity in their roundness that will always hold allure.