Jewels and the woman: The romance, magic and art of feminine adornmentOstier, Marianne
History
Jewels and the woman: The romance, magic and art of feminine adornment
Ostier, Marianne
Jewelry
Another beautiful diamond necklace, almost as attractive as the round
solitaires, is one made of baguette diamonds. It is both more sedate in
mood and more modern in style. The baguette necklace, moreover, while it
is beautiful in its sole array of diamonds, may also be worn with further
adornment—a diamond motif or clip or tassel, of which more will be said
in connection with other necklaces.
The rivière necklace, round or baguette, is often made so that it can
be separated to form two bracelets. It is thus a flexible jewel and can
be used on the arm when the informality of the occasion would make the
all-diamond necklace less appropriate.
_The Pearl Necklace_
Although the diamond necklace, especially the unsurpassed rivière, is
worn only on the most special occasions, there is hardly ever an occasion
on which a properly chosen pearl necklace is out of place. The pearl
necklace is the most beloved as well as the most versatile of all such
jewels. The simplest tailored suit will be graced by a tailored choker,
or by one or two strands of well-matched pearls. The pearl necklace can
be worn on a sweater, a high-neck dress, a V-neck dress, a low-cut gown.
I have seen one, though I do not recommend it, worn with a bikini; and
one, doubled about the ankle, taking the place of the thin “slave chain”
of gold.
The pearl necklace looks proper on a simple lass in her teens, and it
graces the frail or fuller charms of an elderly lady. While it is thus
general in its range of use, it is by no means indiscriminate in its
bounty; the shade and the size of pearls must be carefully selected in
order for their harmony to enhance the wearer.
_The Colors of the Pearl_
There are innumerable shades of pearls from which to choose. They vary
from chalk white through rose pink to dark cream. Some of them are
greyish or brownish; these may be becoming if suited to the complexion.
The general whiteness we first associate with the pearl is overlaid with
these other tones in softest lustre.
The simplest way of selecting the tint of pearl that will add its glow to
the complexion is to lay the strand against the inside of the wrist. Each
strand should be moved slowly back and forth and compared with the skin
tones. Usually one lustre of the pearls, one particular tint, will bring
out a velvety glow on the skin. This is the proper complementary shade
for the complexion. In making such a choice, it is well to take counsel
from the trained observation of a reliable jeweler.
_For the Brunette_
For a brunette, or someone with well-tanned skin, care must be taken lest
the pearls be too white. This will cause a dulling of the glow of the
skin. The wrist test described above will reveal that, for the brunette,
cream-colored pearls are the best.
_For the Blonde and the Redhead_
Either a blonde or a redhead, with a fair complexion, will find the
virtues of her skin enhanced by pearls of a pinkish hue. Especially on a
blonde, pearls can be most attractive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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