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And this is what she had to say: A pearl necklace. She wanna pearl necklace. She wanna pearl necklace. -- ZZ Top, "Pearl Necklace"
Is that a Collar, a Choker or a Lariat?
A little guidance on necklace lengths and types.
A Collar is usually 12 to 14 inches long and fits snugly around the middle of your neck, above the collarbone. Often beautifully beaded, a collar can also be as simple as velvet ribbon with a single ornament such as a carved shell cameo.
Choker length is generally 14 to 16 inches. It rests atop your collarbone. The length should be comfortable, not so tight it restricts your breathing or eating. Pearls are lovely in a choker length, especially with a precious metal or jeweled clasp. Sterling silver and marcasite jewelry shines here as well.
The so-called Princess necklace (17 to 19 inches), not to be confused with Princess-cut diamonds, is a good all-around length. A pendant suspended from a necklace of this length will be very flattering. Good with boatneck dresses or tops.
Matinee length, 20 to 24 inches, is also extremely versatile. It can go from the office to cocktails to a casual night at the movies.
An Opera length chain or strand of pearls (28 to 34 inches) forms a long vertical line that is slimming. Opera length necklaces can be kept clasped, which is wonderfully convenient for women with limited dexterity.
Lariat/Rope lengths (35 inches and longer) were favorites of Queen Alexandra who popularized the wearing of generously-sized pearl strands. You can recreate that Edwardian look by wearing several strands of varying lengths.
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Chocolate pearls
Have you heard? Celebrities are wearing them. No surprise, they are hard to get and expensive.
The chocolate brown color doesn't occur naturally, though pearls do come in many colors such as whites, yellows, goldens, pinks, blues, grays, greens and black. Chocolate pearls are believed to be created by bleaching cultured black South Seas pearls, but it is hard to be certain as the process is proprietary. Be aware when evaluating a chocolate pearl purchase that unscrupulous persons may try to coat the pearl to attain the uniform brown color. Unfortunately the coating will flake over time.
True chocolate pearls are big, usually about 10-12 mm, and can retail as high as $40,000 a strand.
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Lustrous organic gems, only very small
Seed pearls are the tiniest of pearls, generally less than 2mm in diameter and weighing under 1/4 of a grain. While the preferred shape for seed pearls is round, most of these pearls are a more irregular button shape, particularly in the smallest sizes. The term is used interchangeably for both natural or cultured pearls.
Seed pearl jewelry often incorporates hundreds of pearls into lacy clusters. This jewelry was particularly popular in Europe and the United States at the end of the 18th century, continuing into the mid-1800s. Since larger pearls could often be prohibitively costly, particularly when many matched pearls were required for a necklace, seed pearls became available at more affordable prices. Most seed pearl jewelry consists of white pearls, and was considered extremely fashionable for Victorian brides. While the occasional antique piece includes other gems, most were made entirely with seed pearls.
Seed pearl jewelry was made by stringing the pearls onto silk or white horsehair, and attaching these strands of seed pearls to a mother-of-pearl backing which was specifically carved and drilled for this purpose. While earlier seed pearl pieces had a light and airy look, as fashions became more elaborate and fuller, seed pearl jewelry also gained a more substantial appearance. Many later pieces incorporated a metal backing due to their increased size and a need for increased support and stability. Seed pearls are still used today, although they are more likely to be incorporated as a spacer or accent with other strung beads, rather than on their own.
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