Beyond the Sea

Pearls have always been associated with quiet elegance, and are a wardrobe staple of any lady who entertains. Just ask America’s First Ladies – from Jackie Kennedy’s iconic 3-strand necklace to current First Lady Michelle Obama. While Jackie Kennedy’s strand – fake, as it turns out – was made up of the smaller pearls that were typical of the 1960’s, the new Mom-in-Chief favors larger, statement pieces including the oversized South Sea pearls.

All South Sea pearls have a distinctive look that separates them from the rest of the pearl family. They come from the Pinctada maxima oyster, which is found naturally in only a small number of deep ocean habitats near Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Each pearl is the color of its host oyster - shades of white, silver, pink, gold or cream - and has a satin-like shine due to the warm water environment in which it resides. The Pinctada maxima grows up to 12 inches in diameter, and can be nucleated with a much larger bead than any other oyster. Consequently, South Sea pearls are typically 2 to 3 times larger than the average pearl, and are more expensive because their larger size requires more time to grow.

We recently purchased these beautiful pearl drop earrings, which are truly a classic 1960’s look. The settings are a cluster of diamonds set in a flower-like pattern with platinum and diamond caps encasing 15mm x 21mm drop South Sea pearls. These pearls are large even for South Sea standards, and lend an even more dressed up air to the classic cluster. For less formal occasions, they can be detached and the clusters can be worn alone. Still in demand, pieces like these prove that some things stand the test of time and the ever shifting winds of fashion. Print this post