Eretz Elana

Item of the Day: 18K Elephant Ring

This gorgeous estate item is not only eccentric and fun, it's also amazingly hand detailed.  The fine work and customization on this piece really make it a beautiful find.  Best of all it can be easily sized larger or smaller. A fantastic cocktail ring that would be the hit of any gathering!

http://futurefashionista.com/so18kyegorud.html

Outfit of the Day.

 

   

Top: Roland Mouret;  Jean: Balmain;  Bag: Marc Jacobs;  Shoes: Bottega Venta;  Belt: Burberry;  Jewelry: Future Fashionista

Bivalve Humor

 

The Many Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I considered by many to be the greatest monarch in English history. When she became queen in 1558, she was twenty-five years old, a survivor of scandal and danger, and considered illegitimate by most Europeans. She inherited a bankrupt nation, torn by religious discord, a weakened pawn between the great powers of France and Spain. She was only the third queen to rule England in her own right; the other two examples, her cousin Lady Jane Grey and half-sister Mary I, were disastrous. Even her supporters believed her position dangerous and uncertain. Her only hope, they counseled, was to marry quickly and lean upon her husband for support. But Elizabeth had other ideas.


She ruled alone for nearly half a century, lending her name to a glorious epoch in world history. She dazzled even her greatest enemies. Her sense of duty was admirable, though it came at great personal cost. She was committed above all else to preserving English peace and stability; her genuine love for her subjects was legendary. Only a few years after her death in 1603, they lamented her passing. In her greatest speech to Parliament, she told them, 'I count the glory of my crown that I have reigned with your love.' And five centuries later, the worldwide love affair with Elizabeth Tudor continues.

Celebs love their pearls!

It's very striking how vastly different each of these women are from their ages to their style... yet they all look AMAZING in their pearls! This is a great example of how anyone can wear pearls.

Below: Top L-to-R: Halle Berry, Liv Tyler, Kate Winslet. Bottom L-to-R: Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Sara Ramirez

 

Below: Top L-to-R Isla Fisher, Paris Hilton, Sarah Jessica Parker Bottom L-to-R Uma Thurman, Jessica Simpson, Salma Hayak.

Below: Top L-to-R: Megan Mullaly, Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey Bottom L-to-R: Demi Moore, Keira KKnightly, Angelina Jolie

 

Below: Clockwise from top left: Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, Debra Messing, Scarlett Johansson

Pearl Facts

Here are some pearl facts for you to learn and brag to your friends.

• English pirates John Hawkins and Francis Drake were secretly encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I, and routinely seized pearls from Spanish vessels whenever they could.

• The Royals of the 1500’s and 1600’s wore pearls from all over the world – European freshwater, marine pearls from the Persian Gulf, American Pearls and pearls seized by loyal pirates from passing ships.

• Pearls are produced by mollusks, a phylum that includes snails, scallops, mussels, octopus, squid, and oysters of over 100,000 living species.

• The feature shared by all mollusks that defines it scientifically is its mantle tissue that lines the inside of the shell.

• The oldest traces of pearls appear as rounded depressions on the mold of the bivalve megalodon from the upper Triassic of Hungary and are approximately 200 million years old.

• Pearls in fossil form appear in abundance from the Cretaceous period (Age of the Dinosaurs), 65-145 million years ago. These Cretaceous Pearls have been discovered in rocks in Euope, Japan and North America and the majority were produced by the bivalve mollusk of the Genus Inoceramus. The pearls measure up to 11cm and are usually dull yellow or gray.

Outfit of the Day: July 1st

 

Akoya Pearl Stud: http://store.futurefashionista.com/714kakpestea.html

Akoya Endless Strand: http://store.futurefashionista.com/enloroneof6a.html

Pearl Artifacts and Jewelry: Greco-Roman Word

The prevalent use of pearls in the Roman Empire is apparent just by looking at ancient artifacts; surviving jewelry, sculptures, cameos, coins, mosaics, and drawings from this ear.   The ancient writings of famous authors of the period such as Pliny the Elder, also teach the world about the importance pearls had in the Greco-Roman Empires. 

                “[Pearls] occupied the first rank…and the very highest position among valuables.”

                                                                                                                Pliny, Historia Naturalis

 

Above: Pearl earring from the Roman Empire first to third century C.E.

 

Above: Early seventh century bracelet with pearls, sapphires and chalcedony excavated in Upper Egypt.

 

Above: Chalice of Abbe Suger from the Abbey of Saint-Denis, is decorated with pearls, precious gems and gold.  The sardonyx cup is from the second to first century B.C.E.

 

Sumptuary laws created by Julius Cesear banned women below a certain rank from wearing pearls.  Pearls became an indicator of status.

 

(Source: Pearls: A Natural History, Landman, Mikkelsen)

 

Ways to wear your Endless Pearl Ropes

Friday's Pearls in Poetry- 6-26-2009

The Pearl Diver

No one dives to the ocean-bottom
Just like that:
One does not learn the skills involved
At the drop of a hat
It's those skills slow-learnt in the depths of love
That I'm working at.

--8th Century writer Lady Nakatomi comparing the art of love to the art of pearl diving.

Outfit of the Day for June 23rd, 2009

Golden Akoya Pearl Stud Earrings: http://futurefashionista.com/814kgoakpest.html

9x9.5mm Multi-color Akoya Strand: http://store.futurefashionista.com/9x14kmuakpes.html

Outfit of the Day for June 22nd 2009

Teal Blue Tahitian strand on sale for $4600 and 18K Diamond & Teal Tahitian Earrings on sale for $3640

Friday's Pearls in Poetry

In 1889, just before his death, Robert Browning read "A Pearl, A Girl,"

A simple ring with a single stone,

    To the vulgar eye no stone of price:

Whisper the right word, that alone -- 

    Forth starts a sprite, like fire from ice,

And lo, you are lord (says an Eastern scroll)

Of heaven and earth, lord whole and sole

    Through the power in a pearl.

Featured Item: Vietnamese Akoya Pearl Studs

Thicker nacre, clean ocean waters, and very earth-friendly.

These Akoya pearls are newer to the market and some of the most gorgeous Akoyas we’ve seen in years. These Akoyas are similar to the ones seen in the 1950’s & 60’s – when nacre thickness was three times the thickness of the .40mm we see in their Chinese/Japanese counterparts.

Grown in Vietnam, they have at least 1mm nacre thickness. Vietnam’s waters are also much cleaner, less crowded and more regulated than their Chinese/Japanese counterparts.

 

 

 

"The Versatility of Pearls"

 

 

 

 

 

Le Sofa Rouge

 

Rene Gruau was an Italian artist who painted the picture above, "Le Sofa Rouge."  As you can see, a simple strand of pearls can capture the eyes of viewers from the bold red background.

"The Birth of the Pearl: Popular Legends & Magic"

 

·         The ancient Chinese believed pearls were created in the brains of dragons.

·         Greeks and Romans linked pearls correctly to oysters but thought rain or dew penetrated the shell and created pearls

·         Stories in Ceylon, taught that Adam and Eve mourned then son Abel with many tears that gathered to form a lake that gave the world the first pearls.  Another version recounts the tears of regret from the original sin.  Eve’s tears became white and pink pearls while Adam’s tears became gray and black pearls.

·         The creation of a pearl also symbolized purity especially in religious texts.  Many ecclesiastics associated the mystery of the pearl’s “birth” with the Immaculate Conception

·         Noted Jewish traveler of the twelfth century, Benjamin of Tudela, wrote that oysters rose to the ocean’s surface where they captured raindrops. 

·         Early Hindu writers discussed pearls as originating from clouds, elephants, snakes, fish and even sometimes oysters. 

Trend Report from the RTW Fall 2009 Fashion week

Fall 2009 Fashion Trend Spotting from the Fall 2009 Runway Collections in Paris...

The Fall 2009 runways were dominated by feminine designs with a throwback to sensual, womanly dresses and flowing Parisian chic skirts.  Many designers created looks with straight forward, sleek silhouettes that brought back a feeling of their earlier past designs with an added twist. 

This was especially evident in designs by Yves Saint Laurent which seemed to go back to the basics in response to the current economical situation.  The looks utilized a lot of monochromatic pieces rather than patterns. YSL's color choices employed the use of black and strong primary colors with lots of fiery depth such as deep red, emerald green and flowing metallic fabrics. Yves Saint Laurent runway look also incorporated an intriguing take on classic women's suit wear with trouser-skirts.   Adding huge lustrous lady-like pearls really finishes this ultra-fembot look of the Fall 2009 season.

Marc Jacobs took his inspiration from the stylish 1980’s French women with very feminine fabrics and perky.  These sleek Parisian chic looks were mixed with black straight-forward suit jackets and also breezy short cropped sleek dresses.

Chanel balanced looks by juxtaposing grown-up and youthful looks by pairing buttoned up, fitted black silhouettes with flirty cuffed sleeves.  Their poised put-together ensembles of black and charming, girlish blouses with intricate sleeves will look incredible with long ropes of pearls, metal chains and the similar pieces.

 

 

Going for Baroque

    Pearls with an irregular shape are defined as baroque.  Baroques is a French word that originally described pearls but later was applied to architecture, music and art.  The term baroque is a broad definition of any pearl with an irregular shape and within this category are subcategories of baroque, such as “circle” or ringed pearls.

                Although the coveted or at least “popular” shape of pearl these days is the round - the favored shape throughout European history was actually the baroque shape.

                Among the most popular jewels of the Renaissance period, were lavishly designed pearl pendants set in gold and designed around large baroque pearls.  The shape of the pearls inspired whimsical creatures such as mermaids, dragons, tritons, lions, and swans.  These pendants had hours of intricate enamel work and exquisite detailing. 

 

 

                Baroque pearls were also used as decoration in figurines in the 1500-1600’s.  These are pieces were similar in composition to the pendants of the Renaissance but they were not worn.  Some of the most famous pearls that have been discovered have been baroque pearls used in figurines.  One magnificent object d’art was discovered in 2000. An amazing 856.58 carats (4 ½ inch x 6 inch) pearl that formed the center body of a centaur.  It is the world’s largest known pearl, a baroque blister pearl.  Its exotic colors of mauve, grayish-purple and bronze and its intense iridescence have caused speculation it is a product of the rainbow-lip, pteria sterna mollusk. 

Below: Discovered in 2000, This art figurine of a Centaur was made with an 856.58 carat natural Baroque shaped pearl.

Below, a Baroque pearl forms the Baby inside this cradle figurine.

References: Pearls: Ornament and Obsession, Kristin Joyce and Shellei Addison

The Pearl Book, Antoinette Matlins

Crown Jewels of Iran

We posted a little glimpse of the Crown Jewels of Iran, but there is so much more lavish beauty that these pieces deserve their own post.

The Imperial Crown Jewels of Iran are arguably the best collection of fine natural pearls in the world. The collection contains several crowns, thirty tiaras, several thrones, bejeweled swords, vases, plates & pitchers and many loose gemstones, diamonds and pearls. They are so valuable that they are still used as a reserve to back Iranian currency .

Chest full of Natural Pearls

  

Empress Farah Coronation

 

Coronation Necklace.

 

 

Gem-encrusted Globe, Golden Flagon and a gemstone plate cover.

 

Darya-ye Noor Diamond, a 182 carat fancy pale pink diamond