A Pearl Of A Girl

When I was a very little girl, my family took a trip to Disney World, and as a treat we paid a diver $5 to swim down to the bottom of a tank full of clams, pull one ashore, and pry it open in front of us. We understood from the outset that we were not promised a pearl, but my brother and I were lucky enough that each of our clams did in fact contain a pearl. My brother’s, if memory serves, was light blue. Mine was a deep, dark gray, so gray in fact it was nearly black. For thirty years I’ve kept the pearl in its original baggie, and moved it from jewelry box to jewelry box, hoping to one day make something out of it in effort to preserve this precious childhood memory.




There’s much folklore about these glorious treasures of nature, starting with beautiful Venus, who was said to have risen from the ocean on a clamshell, as depicted here in one of my all time favorite images, thanks to the great Botticelli.

Legend has it that pearls are ruled by the moon, can be worn to strengthen the mind, and even help control anger and increase memory. It’s also said that pearls have a calming effect, and my theory on this is that they immediately spark a sense of warm tradition.

It’s understandable that the traditional white pearls aren’t for everyone – and there’s no need for them to be in order to receive all the incredible cosmic benefits of this magical stone. When I saw these hot pink pearls, I knew I need to have them! They’re the perfect three-strand necklace, because they go just about anywhere, yet never allow an onlooker to mistake the wearer for a school marm.

Even white pearls don’t have to be so formal. But losing formality never means you have to give up on elegance. The off-set chocolate and cream colored shells give this white pearl choker a perfect touch of whimsy.

My friend Christine and I are HUGE fans of these delicious yellow pearls – we both own a strand, and every time we wear them people always stop and ask, “Where did you get those???”

I confess to having a pair of coin pearl earrings that I wear with just about everything – everywhere. Coin pearls, as with other freshwater pearls, come in so many fantastic colors.

Sometimes the simplest pearls make the most elegant statement. Here’s a picture of me, modeling a lengthy strand of freshwater pearls with mixed glass crystals. It’s the kind of necklace that can be perfectly accessorized with a formal black clutch, or a Caribbean sunset.

Considering pearls are said to bring wealth, fame, popularity, good health and happy marriages, it’s a wonder why, in these tough times, we don’t see women utterly drenched in them! Maybe I should wear mine more often.