I must confess I do sometimes wonder what the obsession for some is with pearls - I mean, they're just round and usually white or cream and easily faked, so why is it that some are willing to pay sometimes exorbitant prices for them.
Well, I suppose if we're talking natural pearls then the price is at least understandable but seriously - would you consider this lump of white stuff to be THE most expensive pearl in the world!! And if you had a cool $100 mill lying around would you be tempted to splash out on it just because it's a pearl (just not as we know it!)?
Most of us though are tempted for whatever reason by the 'standard' clean neat pearl necklace with 20-30 nice round pearls knotted onto a length of silk. However, again if you want truly round pearls, you're going to pay more than for those with slight imperfections to their shape. It used to be in centuries past that to get round pearls would have been left to the rich whereas most other buyers would have been content with "potato" pearls or "rice" ones which are the next closest. Nowadays if you're really strapped for money though you can avail of all the beautiful faux pearls which come in all manner of shapes and colours etc. A good faux pearl necklace will still prove costly enough if it involves a lot of pearls and time to create.
If you've not yet seen my "Queen Elizabeth" inspired one it's one of those beautiful pieces that you'll want to put on show as often as you can. The Queen wore it on several occasions, where Princess Catherine wore it for the Queen's funeral. This was made with faux pearls and a lot of crystals in the pendant component. It's proven a popular commission piece now too so you can always have that option available should it be sold out from the shop.
Real natural oyster produced pearls are one of nature's most amazing creations and the oyster unique in its production - no other mollusc to my knowledge does such a work with an irritant, so the price of these incredible beads is understandable. While I've made my version in faux pearls, if you'd like to have a more enduring heirloom created with natural pearls, please do ask as I can easily create one for you.
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