What's with the pearls in the news lately? Did Pelosi single-handedly
make pearls hot again? She gets all the credit, but actually, fashion
designers, style reporters and jewelry designers have been touting
pearls' renewed popularity for a long time now...way before Nancy came
on the scene with her multi-colored jumbo pearl strand. Read on...
Whether cultured or fake, colored or white, pearls are a symbol of
elegance and authority
February 2, 2007, by BY BONNIE BING
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Cultured and simulated, white and mixed colors, today's pearls are
likely to say "Look at me."
Think Nancy Pelosi, not Grandma.
Thanks to Pelosi, they are now being called Power Pearls, representing
elegant authority -- a signature look for the first female speaker of
the House.
Most of the attention has been on the mixed-color strand of marble-
size pearls the congresswoman wore the day after her re-election in
November.
"It's 'unmatronly' and unique. It shows she's not afraid of
innovation, and that's a powerful image," Eve Alfille, a jewelry
designer and founder of the Pearl Society, said in the San Jose
Mercury News. She estimated the pearls to be 13 to 14 millimeters in
size.
The highest quality strand of real pearls of that size can cost
$20,000 to $80,000.
Genuine or manmade, inexpensive or super-pricey, pearls in all sizes,
shapes and colors are a hit this season and will carry into spring.
Natural colored pearls are popular. "The lavenders, the greenish
tones, the light blues and the golden pearls are beautiful," says
Jerry Burnell, owner of Burnell's Creative Gold and Precious Stones in
Wichita, Kan.
The biggest news is in the freshwater category. "The Chinese have
learned to make freshwater pearls round," says Burnell. "Freshwaters
today are a long way from the little ones that looked like Rice
Krispies."
As pearl buying heats up, shoppers might encounter styles and looks
they aren't familiar with. There are many types of pearls, and some
are fake. If you're investing in genuine pearls, make sure you're
buying from a reputable dealer.
Want big, bold pearls that won't break the bank? Try Moon River
Pearls.com's mother-of-pearl necklace for a wonderful alternative to
Tahitian and South Sea cultured pearls.
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