Pearls: Why go faux?

I cracked open my new issue of InStyle and saw a gorgeous t-shirt dress and patent leather Jean Michel Cazabat sandals that were to die for, paired with a cute, nearly-$1000 leather clutch and a double strand of faux pearls for, gasp, $125. Yes, it seems like a bargain compared to the purse and the shoes, but the gasp is for the stupidity of the recommendation. I don't understand why anyone would buy faux pearls when real pearls are affordable. Case in point, this gorgeous 60-inch freshwater pearl strand is on sale for $60. That's right, less than HALF of the faux strand. My advice? Get the dress, the sandals, even the $680 bag, but toss in real pearls. www.moonriverpearls.com