Pearl Jewelry 101

From Coco Chanel to Michelle Obama, women have always considered pearl jewelry a must-have addition to their jewelry collections.

Ever wondered how those oysters manage to create such a shiny little miracle? Or what about the five most important factors to consider when buying pearls?

Here is a pearl primer from my sugar momma, Jewelry.com, that tells you all the pearls of wisdom you'll ever need to know! Enjoy!


Pearl Jewelry 101:

Pearl, the birthstone for June, is among the most timeless, classic and treasured of all gems. Throughout history, pearls have been associated with wisdom, wealth, purity, romance and mystery. The ancient Egyptians were buried with them. In Rome, pearls were considered the ultimate symbol of wealth and status. The Greeks prized them for their beauty and association with love and marriage. Medieval knights wore them in battle as a talisman against injury. And during the Renaissance, some European countries banned all but nobility from the right to wear them.


It's hard to believe that such a luscious, beautiful gem comes from such humble origins. A natural pearl starts out as a grain of sand or microscopic worm that works its way into an oyster and cannot be expelled. To protect its soft body from this irritant, the oyster secretes a smooth, hard crystalline substance called nacre. Layer upon layer of nacre coats the foreign object and hardens, ultimately forming a pearl. In general, the thicker the nacre, the richer the 'glow' of the pearl - which can greatly enhance its value.


Although early pearl gathering depended on divers braving the oceans' depths to retrieve these treasures, the vast majority of pearls today are grown, or cultured, on pearl farms by surgically inserting a small shell bead, or nucleus, into the mantle of an oyster.

Even though pearls are harvested en masse on pearl farms, producing a quality pearl is an extremely rare event. It is estimated that half of all nucleated oysters do not survive - and of those that do, only 20% bear marketable pearls.

When shopping for pearls, the five factors that determine value are luster (surface brilliance); surface cleanliness (absence of spots, bumps or cracks); shape (generally, the rounder the pearl, the higher its value); color (pearls come in virtually every hue of the rainbow, and a few others, too); and size (the average pearl sold is 7-7.5 millimeters, but these gems can be as small as 1 millimeter or as large as 20 millimeters).

Because pearls are soft, ranking only 2.5-4.5 on the Mohs scale for hardness, they require special care. Natural oils from the skin, as well as hair spray, lotions and cosmetics, can dull their luster. Like other jewelry, they should be cleaned with a soft damp cloth and stored in cloth or cotton away from other jewelry to prevent scratching. Also, avoid allowing your pearl to come in contact with harsh chemicals, which can erode its surface. And if worn frequently, pearl necklaces should be brought to a jeweler once a year for re-stringing to prevent strand breakage.

Jewelry at the TV Land Awards

Diamonds and gems are usually the highlight of any red carpet event in my book, but at the TV Land Awards? It's always the cast of characters that are the most memorable.


Where else can you find the likes of The Hoff rubbing elbows with Isaac from The Love Boat?

Or Glee's Jane Lynch posing with Charo.

Or Anne Coulter arm and arm with... Jimmie "Dynomite" Walker from Good Times???? Does it get any better than that????

Well, it was comforting to see pretty pearls on our favorite TV moms, Mrs Partridge and Mrs "C".

And former Charlie's Angel, Cheryl Ladd looked lovely in a David Meister black jersey cocktail dress with diamond hoops to die for.

Earring statements shined bright on other TV Land stars, including Taxi's Marilu Henner, Charlie's Angel, Jacklyn Smith, and little Vicki from The Love Boat, Jill Whelan (memba her?)

While necklaces have been a veritable no-show on the red carpet these days, Joyce DeWitt(!) from Three's Company wore a simple diamond statement to light up the final seconds of her 15 minutes of fame.

Clearly, I enjoyed the people watching far more than the jewelry this time around. But where else can you find Blondie getting an icon award or Tom Hanks slumming it with the remnants of the Bosom Buddies cast? It's a pop culture diva's dream come true!

The TV Land Awards will air in all their glory on April 25th.

Am I dating myself with these star sightings? Who wore your favorite TV Land look?

Jewelry Makes a Statement in Paris

It’s my favorite jewelry fashion time of year – the Paris Haute Couture Shows. And while this go-round has not delivered the Christian Lacroix craziness that lit up the runways last year, there are some serious statements worth coveting.


Dior did diamonds in flowers and bows, and pearls in both black and white and ‘bigger means better’ silhouettes.



Armani kept the statement necklace trend going strong with grey, metallic, chunky looks that must have weighed more than a newborn.



Valentino used headpieces as his accessory du jour, with stunning lace looks that oozed style and sophistication.


And gold kept glittering at the Givency and Christian Lacroix shows (a sad showing since this will be his last Couture collection due to financial issues).

And Fashion Week isn’t over yet! The stars are still arriving and the catwalks still cracking with fashion that you can’t even afford in your dreams. But what’s a jewelry fantasy without a dash of inaccessibility, right?

Stay tuned for more couture coverage, and check out a complete album of stunning jewelry looks fresh from Paris on Jewelry.com’s Facebook page.

Drool, dream and covet, jewelry hounds!

A Jewelry Makeover for Susan Boyle?

From her old timey pearl necklace to her demure ‘never been kissed’ personae, singing sensation, Susan Boyle, has the makings of one helluva makeover story.

The sweet Scottish chaunteuse has the world completely smitten - myself included - and though she wowed the judges and millions of fans with her performance on Britain’s Got Talent, she is just not wowing folks in the fashion department.

I know it’s gauche to say so - we should really love Ms. Boyle for the woman she is – but what’s a Cinderella story without a makeover, right? Would Sandy and Danny have driven their convertible into the sky if “Bad Sandy” hadn’t emerged with bed-head hair and those impossible leather pants? Would Richard Gere have climbed the fire escape for Julia Roberts if she hadn’t ditched the hooker garb for an opera gown and diamonds?

That’s all I’m saying.

The jewelry hound in me can’t help but think there’s gotta be another way for the divine Miss Susan to go than that dowdy pearl strand. We love you, Susan. You can do better.

So for her next performance I'm thinking 'class, class, class'. Simple, elegant sparkle that says, “Single women who live with their cats are fabulous and free.”

Toss the necklace idea altogether. Work the ears, instead, with an elegant earring that will draw attention to her incredible pipes. Maybe add a little something for the wrist.

There is nothing wrong with throwing in a little color, and semi-precious stones are a great way to go to for the spring season. Or. Just stick with gold – like her vocal chords. It’s the metal du jour in this economy and will serve as a harbinger of what is sure to be a gold record in the making – produced by Simon Cowell of course.

What do you guys think? Should she be left alone in the fashion department or is it OK for us to want her to jazz things up a bit? Do you like my jewelry styling angle or is there a better way to go? Weigh in!

Let Them Eat Diamonds!

What do three-carat diamond earrings, a four-strand pearl necklace, a pricey Oscar de la Renta dress and a Chanel J12 white ceramic watch get you? A nice batch of controversy, if you’re Cindy McCain.

Vanity Fair did a little digging after Mrs. McCain made her Monday night debut at the Republican National Convention, and their experts estimate that her outfit for the evening cost a whopping $300,000. The earrings alone are estimated at $280k. Do we have a new Marie Antoinette in the making?

To be fair, Michelle Obama wore designer duds throughout the Democratic National Convention, but her brooch bling was, how shall we say, not as awe-inspiring in the diamond department. We’re sure inheriting a beer fortune helps up the ‘ice’ quotient in your jewelry box.

So what does $300,000 mean to us regular folk? According to Vanity Fair:

• One and a half houses, given the national median home price of $206,500.

• A year's worth of health care for 750 people.

• The full array of back-to-school supplies and clothes for 500 kids.

• Enough gas to drive cross-country 543 times.

• 365 round-trip flights from Washington, D.C., to Anchorage, Alaska.
  

Interesting. Very interesting.

How Long is Long? - Pearl Strand Lengths

June is Pearl Month and Jewelry.com has a pearls of wisdom when it comes to picking the perfect pearl piece.

Pearl necklaces come in five basic lengths, but which is the length for you and what do they mean?

Choker, Princess, Matinee, Opera and Rope.Y ou may have heard of some of the names but probably have no idea how long each is and, more importantly, how it sits on the neck and below.

Choker - 16 in
The pearl choker is the shortest length circling the neck. While a pearl choker can be worn with almost any neckline and looks great with every style, from casual to formal, make sure it doesn't swallow the neck. Pearl chokers draw attention to the neck but if you have a particularly short or long neck, the attention should be drawn away from the neck to the shoulder line or below. As such, stay away from chokers. For everyone else, a choker is great classic, suitable for every occasion.

Princess - 18 in
A princess strand falls slightly below the neckline and compliments every neck-style from high to low. It's great for office-wear as its length sits just above a blouse neckline and won't be hidden like longer lengths.

Matinee - 24 in
The Matinee strand is most popular for formal occasions and is the perfect length for any little black dress event. It's also the best length for those who are well endowed in the chest region as it highlights the neck and shoulders finishing just above the cleavage.

Opera - 32 in
Falling just below the bustline, the Opera strand is great for eveningwear and compliments every body shape. For less formal occasions, it can be doubled over and worn as a twin choker – a true day into night piece.

Rope - 46 in
If it's versatility you're after, then a pearl rope is the style for you. By itself the strand generally falls somewhere around the waistline and is perfect for those that like to stand out from the crowd. Its length means you can play with styles from triple, or quadruple rows of a choker, to doubling it as Princess and Opera style together. Or try simply knotting it for a chic look that's perfect with everything from jeans and a tee shirt to an elegant evening gown.