A Dress For A Guest At A Wedding (Part III)

For weddings and special occasions, ladies everywhere take their pearls and gems out of the bank safe, clean them off and put them on.  Costume jewelry is fun for every occasion but real jewelry sees the light when a lady and her family want to reflect status and tradition.  I keep mine in a bank safe along with my will as these pieces are my inheritance and it's my responsibility to keep them safe and pass them on to the next generation.  

1.  This strand of pearls and these pearl studs surrounded by moonstones were a sweet sixteen present.  It became popular in Europe during the late Georgian and early Victorian periods to give children coral and seed pearls as gifts as well as in America during the Federal period immediately after the American Revolution.  Pearls are associated with innocence and purity, and were believed to be ideal pieces of jewelry to be gifted to a girl on her 16th or 18th birthday, as her first formal piece of jewelry or to a bride on her wedding day.  President Abraham Lincoln, purchased a suite of seed pearl jewelry, consisting of a necklace and two bracelets, from Tiffany & Co. for his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, to be worn at his inauguration, held on Saturday, March 4, 1865.   Today, monogrammed silver gifts from Tiffany & Co. are the preferred gift for children. 

2a.  My grandmother's Akoya pearl necklace and pearl studs surrounded by diamonds.  I loved this necklace when she wore it so she willed it to me because my birthday is in June and my birthstone is the pearl.

   2b.  A strand of pearls and studs are standard pieces of jewelry for a lady as the set worn by Lady Diana Spencer demonstrates. 

 3a.   My grandmother's pearl necklace with my mother's sapphire and diamond earrings.  The earrings matched her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.  I received the ring and earrings after my mother remarried.  I love them but maybe, out of respect for my mother, I shouldn't wear the sapphires to my brother's wedding.

3b. Sapphires were popular after the engagement of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer but my father bought the ring and earrings before the royal wedding so kudos to him for good taste!  Allegedly, Lady Diana picked the ring because her mother's engagement ring was also a Ceylon blue sapphire.  Sapphires are sure to make a comeback now Kate (or Catherine) Middleton is wearing Diana's famous sapphire and diamond ring. 

4a.   My grandmother's South Sea pearl drop earrings. 

 4b.  The new Diana, Princess of Wales, wore a pair like them in this post-wedding ceremony photo as pearl drop earrings have been in every lady's jewelry box since ancient times.  Probably the most famous portrait of a woman wearing a pearl drop earring is Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (1665).

 5a.   My mother's sweet sixteen pearl and diamond danglers and matching semi choker.  I received this set as a college graduation present.  You can't see the top of the earrings very well but the flower is a delicate and lovely tulip.  I love wearing this set with a black or dark blue velvet dress on special occasions. 

5b.  Lady Diana Spencer wore similar pearl danglers in this photo by Lord Snowdon.  I think my grandmother's necklace goes better with my Trina Turk dress so I was thinking of lending this set to the bride in case she needs to wear something "old" or "borrowed" on her big day!

6a.  These Art Deco pearl and diamond danglers were my great-grandmother's earrings.  She may have inherited them from her mother.  I was amazed she had them as I figured they would have been sold during the Great Depression as many families sold precious heirlooms to survive during America's worst economic crisis.

6b. Lady Diana Spencer wore her mother's large pearl and diamond earrings for her engagement and wedding so I won't wear mine to my brother's wedding but save them for my wedding.  As one can see from the photos, big jewels go better with a gown than a dress!

To learn more about coral and pearls Vendome Press's "Living Jewels" is extraordinary.  I bought this book at "Solo" in Solana Beach when I was visiting my family for Thanksgiving but you can buy it online at Amazon.

Cheers,
Katie