The timeless gem beloved by Coco Chanel, Marilyn Monroe and Harry Styles
telegraph.co.ukjewellery. ‘A woman should mix fake and real’ was another adage – she happily piled real pearls given to her by aristocratic lovers alongside the ropes of imitation pearls and glass that she made fashionable.
Paired with a suit and neat hat, it’s a prim and proper look – but Chanel would also sling her pearls over Breton T-shirts, knitwear and gowns, an approach mirrored by her clients, who loved the freedom afforded by her costume jewellery.
Pearls are perhaps the most democratic gem of them all. Their lustre does wonders for the complexion, as Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Princess Diana knew well.
They carry a sense of history, reminiscent of monarchs who’d wear them strewn across their necks, tiaras and gowns. Elizabeth Taylor was enthralled by the famed La Peregrina, a mammoth natural pearl once owned by Spanish royalty (and unfortunately so was her puppy, who almost ate it).
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