PEARLS OF WISDOM

FOR A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

OVER TIME WOMEN HAVE BEEN SENT MANY MESSAGES ABOUT DIAMONDS. In 1953's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Marilyn Monroe, decked in glitz and glam, declared diamonds as a girl's best friend. In 1985, Madonna's "Material Girl" echoed the same sentiment. The dia­mond's history started long before Marilyn confessed her love for the gem. Historians believe diamonds were first used in ancient Greece, India, Egypt and then launched into world­wide stardom after an increased supply emerged from South Africa in the 19th century.

Likewise pearls have long been coveted by women. From India to China to Egypt and Rome, the pearl is an item often dis­cussed in historical counts as well as the cultural tales. In fact, one story explains that Cleopatra actually crushed a pearl, placed it in a goblet of wine and drank it to demonstrate Egypt's wealth and opulence. It seems she had a bet going with Marc Antony over who could throw the most expensive dinner party. A dumbfounded Marc Antony declined his dinner (also a pearl) and admitted defeat.

Now in 2009, both the diamond and the pearl still hold special meaning for women. Just how did these precious items come to represent so much in so many different cultures?

Fashion gives one answer for the obsession with diamonds. According to Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com, dia­monds were used in the 17th Century for stomachers (a deco­rated triangular panel that fills in the front opening of a woman's gown or bodice), dress ornaments, and brooches. During the Victorian period jewelers like Tiffany & Co. began to make jewelry of such high standard that shops opened in European cities.

Michael Botsko, Director of Tiffany and Co., explains how the precious stone in the little blue box became so iconic over the years. "Since 1837 Tiffany has offered the finest products that are available. We consistently offer to our customers items of quality, beauty and style," he says. "Diamond jewelry has always been a very strong part of Tiffany's offerings to our clients and we see clients coming to us not only for engagement rings, but for diamond jewelry for other occasions."

Botsko believes that diamonds have, currently are, and always will remain popular with women. "Diamonds have always been a very precious item that not only has physical beauty but also represents so much, such as love, devotion and occasions," he says. "People identify diamonds with very important times in

their lives. It's wonderful that they are able to enjoy these diamonds on a daily basis by wearing them as jewelry

Women have continuously labeled diamonds as the hall­mark of love. A diamond ring is an outward display of affection and commitment - not to mention a symbol of status that shows you were worth every penny. Robert Lucien May, Executive Director for the Natural Color Diamond Association, says this diamond obsession can be traced to Archduke Maximilian of Austria who started the tradition of the engagement ring when he gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy. "Diamonds remain the ultimate gift of love, evidenced by the fact that today over 70 percent of women continue to become engaged with a diamond engagement ring."

Think back to the moment when you were a little girl trying on mom's jewelry. Even at a young age, wearing these items felt thrilling because you felt feminine and luxurious — a sensa­tion May says never seems to leave a woman.

BY SARAH KOMISKY

How diamonds and pearls became iconic gems.

PEARLS

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IMAGE MAGAZINE—Issue 20C

"Diamond divas continue to receive or purchase diamonds throughout their lives and today many seek new ways of enjoying diamonds with Natural Color Diamonds and diamonds combined with other gemstones," he says. "Women's desire for diamonds continues to be sparked by great jewelry design and color, which is why Natural Color Diamonds are enjoying such a strong presence on the red carpets, fashion runways and women's jewelry wardrobes."

Pearls are another classic piece of jewelry women continue to adore. They have been valued for over 4,000 years, making them the world's oldest gem. From Persian princesses to Roman brides, women in the ancient world all val­ued the pearl for its beauty. The Spanish, French and Italian all used pearls as fashionable ornaments. In the Americas, the Incas and Aztecs both felt the pearl held special powers.

Fast forward a few years. Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana and Jackie 0 heavily popularized the pearl in modern culture. "We have powerful women that are associated with pearls," says Kathy Grenier, Marketing and Public Relations Manager for The Cultured Pearl Association of America. "Think about the women in the political arena. They pick pearls because they take on the essence of a woman unlike any other jewelry."

Like diamonds, pearls also have a special connection with love and are traditionally worn by brides as a sign of purity. "The American people as a whole and women love traditions and romance. It started years ago," she explains. "The diamond became the symbol for wedding and engagement and the pearl became the symbol of the garments you adorned yourself with."

Pearls aren't just bridal jewelry. There are now many creative options, including Black Tahitian pearls, large South Sea pearls, and colored pearls that women can explore and enjoy wearing. "The same interesting, cool and contemporary designs that are available in the non-pearl world are available in the pearl world. Designers are being inspired by pearls and are including them in their jewelry," she says. "Wrapped around that we have all the tradi­tional conic pieces that people do think of and all the passages of time that are marked by pearl jewelry."

To be a classic, timeless piece of jewelry you have to have to have an "it" factor and one of the main components that both diamonds and pearls pos­sess is that they are indicators of wealth. Diamonds have been used as a sta­tus symbol for ages and by wearing this jewel of high value women have con­tinuously been engaged in a silent competition that has withstood the test of time.

Jewelers (and jewelry lovers) use a clear-cut system to determine the qual­ity of a diamond. This process begins by using the standard for diamonds, known as the 4 C's: carat, cut, color and clarity. May suggests some other techniques when it comes to the color of diamonds.

"Natural Color Diamonds are all about the color. The grading of color remains the most challenging gemological task of gemologists," he explains. "Consumers are confident purchasing Natural Color Diamonds, because they can see much of the color distinctions such as the primary hue (in terms of a color rarity chart that NCDIA provides) as well as the strength or intensity of color (i.e. saturation) and size of the stone."

Natural Color Diamonds require very precise conditions in which to flour­ish - making them extremely rare. In fact, for every natural color diamond, there are 10,000 colorless ones that hove made the trip to the Earth's surface. It is this entirely natural process of geographical formation which ensures that each natural color diamond is one of a kind. The formation of natural color diamonds is a process that requires the presence of not only the original magical formula for all diamond creation, but also the presence of additional trace elements and distortions to the typical diamond crystal.

Pearls are measured by different criteria than diamonds. In general, salt­water pearls tend to be more expensive than freshwater pearls. According to Pearl Guide.com, quality pearls are measured according to the type of pearl, the thickness of its nacre (iridescent material found in the inner layer of the shell,) its luster, the cleanliness and texture of its surface, its shape, its color and its size. All of these qualities determine the pearl's price.

Knowing that you own a natural piece of art is something a woman can't resist. When you have what is desirable, you become the center of attention. "Pearls were always looked upon as for royalty," Grenier says. "It existed

Back then but it wasn't exactly what they were necessarily marketing. It has maintained that kind of exclusivity and rarity."

When shopping for diamonds and pearls, understanding the terminology is critical. A firm grasp of the 4 C's of diamonds and an appreciation for a pearl's attributes will get you far, but so will deciding on where to shop. It's not just the big name storefronts that carry high quality gems. More and more, savvy shoppers are looking to smaller, local jewelry shops as a convenient and cost-effective alternative to the often-intimidating larger stores. Remember:

There is no such think as a used diamond - after all, diamonds are forever. Many of these local and smaller storefronts have the same high quality stones that the larger names carry, minus the extra mark-up for overhead.

The obsession with diamonds and pearls can only increase with help from the media. When it comes to the red carpet, the beautiful people all make mention of whom they're wearing and their jewelry is no small part of that. Year after year, celebrities adorn themselves in thousands of dollars worth of jewels - and the public swoons.

"Celebrities have been gravitating toward not only iconic pieces of Tiffany jewelry but also beautiful, whimsical and fashionable pieces," says Botsko. Tiffany.com holds pictures of celebrities, such as Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson, and Eva Mendes all wearing Tiffany. It's no wonder that when women see these pictures, they want to be like them - that means owning the jewelry.

So the question remains: Are diamonds or pearls a better friend? "Both diamonds and pearls are desirable singly or when combined in a single item of jewelry," May notes. "When a diamond (the ultimate gift of love) is paired with a pearl (the classical symbol of luxury) the play of light from the diamond reflects on the luster of a beautiful pearl and a woman enjoys unparalleled beauty and feels beautiful and desirable."

Botsko agrees that it's hard to determine which gem is more important or more desirable because they both fulfill special roles of their own. "They are both so different," he says. "Diamonds do seem to be an important part of a person's life and pearls can be incorporated into many occasions from very formal to very fun and fashionable settings." Fortunately, it is a woman's pre­rogative to have more than one best friend. IM

IMAGE MAGAZINE Issue1 2009