It’s no secret that I love pearls. Real or fake, it makes no difference. If they look good, I’ll wear them. I am partial to multi-strand necklaces like the one above from JewelryStylist.com. When it comes to wedding pearls, however, brides-to-be can’t just don any old pearls. Jewelry designer Saori C. says,
It’s important to remember that even though all natural pearls are described as “white,” they aren’t the stark, bright white of the faux pearls that are widely available in bridal boutiques. True natural pearls are a beautiful, warm, off-white color, and they will provide a wonderful accent to almost any wedding dress, even those in ivory tones. Faux or glass pearls can be a less expensive option, but be careful – colors vary greatly and one designer’s “white” or “ivory” may be completely different from another’s.
Not sold on pearls and still looking for the right jewelry to compliment your wedding look? Consider the following: Will your ceremony and reception be formal, semi-formal, or casual? What sort of neckline will you be sporting on your wedding day? Do you want your jewelry to blend with your dress or are you looking to highlight your bridal ensemble with a splash of color? Do non-precious metals irritate your skin? (< ---this is particularly important for chemical sensitive brides) If you simply can't decide or have an atrophied jewelry fashion sense (like me), you can consult a jewelry stylist like Erica Jill, who can be reached at advice@jewelrystylist.com. And, if like me, you are also fascinated by pearls, check out Pearls: A Natural History by Neil H. Landman and Paula Mikkelsen. It’s awesome!
I considered wearing my pearls (I have a single strand given as a 21st bday present some years ago), but they got totally lost against my dress (too much white and too much shoulder/neckline for them to hope to stand out). So it’ll either be a gold and sapphire necklace borrowed from my future M-i-L or this fabulous neckalce/torque type piece of gold wire and opalite glass beads that a really amazing artist I know made.
It’ll basically come down to what looks best.
I’m a sucker for pearls too. I so wanted a pearl wedding ring; but for the sake of peace I settled for something else. But someday I will claim my rightful ring!
This necklace with the varying sizes of pearls is fabulous! Call me trashy, but I don’t really care whether what I wear is real or not. As a matter of fact, I’d be much more comfortable wearing a $27 necklace than I would be wearing something expensive that I could possibly lose/break/mangle. Grace is not my middle name.
I have to admit the only pearls I much care for are Baroque ones. The luster of pearls is so much more interesting to me when there are a lot of angles on the surface for it to reflect off of…but that’s just me.
I’m definitely of the opinion that bridal jewelry should reflect the personality of the bride. If you never wear anything larger than a discreet pair of stud earrings, don’t go for big, loud jewelry on your wedding day. OTOH, if I’d gone the quiet route with my jewelry on my wedding day, my beloved might not have recognized me. I always wear a lot of big, crafty jewelry, often with an animal theme.
So what did I choose for bridal jewelry? A pair of big, hammered silver disc earrings, my silver animal rings that I wear every day, and a hammered silver brooch of a snarly, spiny dog that had belonged to my mother. No expert would have recommended those as wedding jewelry, but the people who commented on it all said positive things, and I look like me in my wedding photos.
And yes, if your wedding gown has the right sort of neckline, that necklace above could be spectacular.
Meg, both the possibilities you’re considering sound amazing.
And Jenny, you’ll never convince me wearing faux jewelry is trashy…but then I’m the one who owns and seriously wears a pair of rubber vulture earrings! LOL!
A snarly, spiny dog, Twistie! Wow! That is what I call original.
I’m going to have to second jenny’s emotion above. The most expensive jewelry I own hardly ever sees the light of day because I am dang paranoid about losing it!
It was a sort of homage to my late mother, since it was one of her favorite pieces of jewelry and I was the one who convinced her to go ahead and get it.
I actually went back and forth for a while on whether to wear the dog or an asian-inspired mother of pearl brooch I’d inherited from my grandmother. It was my MOH and another bridesmaid who sat me down and said it had to be the dog. They were right. My bridesmaids were the best.
My mother, sister and I all wore my grandmother’s choker-length graduated pearls (which are now mine!) for our wedding days. Lots of good mojo in them!
I’ve heard that wearing pearls on your wedding day is bad luck, but I agree they look fab. I recieved a pearl necklace/earring set from my grandmother when I graduated from high school that I’m considering wearing on my wedding day. Also my mother’s engagement ring was a pearl – and my parents have been married for 35 years now. So maybe there isn’t any truth to these supersistions?
I like pearl jewelry. I ever wore a set of freshwater pearl & crystal necklace,earring jewelry set in my wedding party. It’s great!
I’m still waiting for Pearl Jam to announce their trip to Seattle this summer it’s not too late, it’s not too late. *fingers crossed*