My string of pearls aren't exactly daytime, there's a diamond pendant in the enter of the string...so it's just for formal occasions.

For years, i've worn an akoya pearl pendant for everyday.

Mine have stayed in the fireproof lock box for YEARS - I haven't worn them in probably 10 years.

I love, love, love pearls! Wish I could wear them a little more often but at the office I'm surrounded by 20 and 30 year olds and to me pearls say "older woman". Sophisticated, but still old. I don't want to draw any more attention to the extreme age difference between me (I'm almost 56 [ouch]) and the rest of the team than I have to. I did hire in when I was 52 so it's not like they really care, but for some reason, I do. LOL

Jodi-

They don't look good on me, so I never had any. My DDs groom wanted to give her what is says is the southern traditional gift of a pearl necklace for the bride when they married. She suggested she would rather have diamond studs. They look great on her!

Anything goes and I love that. I read somewhere that the first lady wore beads and was criticized for it, beads are my favorite piece of jewelry. I don't hate many things and never a person, but if you can't wear what you want, it's a pretty said world. You could not pay me enough to go through what she has to go through.

If I had any pearls, I wouldn't hesitate to wear them. I think they're so classic and comfortable, too.

Hope you enjoy wearing yours more often, Glenda...sounds like you were stylin'! :)

I have a pretty strand and occasionally wear them for special occasions. Have also worn them with jeans and a cute top. Life's too short to wear about "rules" like that. I've worn them with denim when I wanted to, also. What can I say? I'm just a rebel! LOL

Also have one black pearl on a small gold chain. My friend, Angie, gave it to me before she left to go to Seattle for cancer treatment. I wear it almost everyday of my life.

You girls, I figure pearls are like other good things. Use those suckers! You don't want the second (or third!?) wife to get them, do ya!? LOL

I have four strings of pearls, including an opera length with a diamond cluster clasp. Unfortunately, they all belonged to my mother or grandmother, and need re-stringing. I'm too afraid to wear them on the original strings. Let's see ... my grandmother died in 1971 at the age of 87, and got her two strands in her early 40s ... so the oldest ones would be about 70 years old.

I am not particularly fond of pearls, but I certainly have some great ones. I inherited my mother's very expensive pearl necklace, plus I have an expensive pearl brooch and ring, as well as a lot of cultured pearl jewelry. My brother took Mom's black pearl ring for a memorial display in her honor.

Maybe when I get old (LOL), I'll start wearing pearls....

I was just looking at my pearls today.

I have the string that my DH gave me for our wedding. Yes, "the southern traditional gift of a pearl necklace for the bride when they married." It was then in 1944, (maybe still is?) a tradition.

I also have a faux set with earrings that my kids gave me one year for my birthday. My birthday is in June, and Pearl used to be the stone for June.

Sue

Glenda, you should enjoy and wear your pearls anytime and anywhere you wish. I've seen pearl strands worn with the traditional black dress, and with jeans and a tee-shirt. They look just as beautiful no matter where and not matter what age the wearer. Every photo I've

I don't have a pearl necklace (poor, poor pitiful me! LOL). I did have a pair of pearl stud earrings given to me by an uncle when I turned 14. I wore them almost constantly until I was 32. I was in Spain then, and had gone to the gym straight from work. (We were allowed to wear pearl studs with our uniforms.)

I was showering and one of them dropped off and fell down the drain. My heart broke. I had never in my life lost an earring before.

Twenty years later I still have the one single pearl. Maybe I should see about turning it into a pendant.

I do have a couple of brooches made by "Krementz." They each have a small pearl in them.

Enjoy your pearls ladies!

I wear my pearls all the time with many different styles. I love my pearls and since my first single strand as a little girl I have cherished and worn my pearls. I've had the first strand restrung also the second and third stands over the years. I only wear the double strand for more formal occasions. It was a gift on my 50th B'Day so I haven't worn it near as much as I have the others.
Classy elegant gorgeous opalescence strands of pearls around the neck gives a certain quality look to the lady wearing them even the most casual of clothing.
CT

Wow, Caroline, you mentioning Krementz made me go to that sight. Scrolling down I found that I have three pieces of their jewelry,which were my mothers.

I had no idea what I had hiding in my jewelry box.

Thank you!!!

My string of pearls is broken. I need to get them fixed. I do wear my diamonds whenever I feel like it. They are much to pretty to just be in the jewelry box.

I almost never wear a matching set of ear rings. You can be so creative, and wear more styles at the same time, if you just wear that pearl ear ring and any other ear ring in the other ear!

:)

Moni

Glenda, remember that post where someone ask do you dress appropiately for your age and most everyone came back and said that they did what they wanted to? Well, to me that goes for jewelry also. Apparel wise most anything goes nowadays. I am sure your pearls complimented your white slacks and top quite nicely. I love pearls. My husband bought me the most beautiful pearl cross and earring for my 25th anniversay. I don't even know if that is anniversay appropiate, but I love them. Isn't that what matters? That goes for you too. Did you feel good in what you were wearing, and did love wearing those pearls with that outfit?
That is what truly matters.:)

I got a pearl necklace from my grandma and I think I only wore it once. I should wear it more often though! Reading this thread made me realize that. :)

I have a simple string of pearls, given to me by my (now deceased) Godmother as a teen. She spent a lot of money back then, more than she should have. I wore them at my wedding twenty nine years ago and put them away. I must pull them out and weaR them again. I understand body heat and normal body oils make the pearls shine.

I have a couple short strands inherited from my DM and MIL. The pearls I wear most are a 16" strand that can be doubled to a short length with a separate clasp. I have often worn a diamond on a thin chain under the doubled pearls for formal occasions. The diamond appears to be pendant from the pearls. The matching pearl studs get a lot of wear.

I'm so glad all of this happened to be in the bank when we were burgled!

I have a short strand that was a Christmas gift several years ago...I wear them pretty regularly.
I also have a long strand (that has recently been restrung) that was my grandmothers. She was a concert pianist and played at Carnegie Hall many years ago. The requirements at that time were black dress and pearls. Often in the course of my life, I have played in concerts, exhibitions or done recitals and yes you guessed it...black dress and Grams pearls. I often wear them just for moral support when I am playing...they are very calming!

I love pearls with jeans! Perfecto!

My husband has given me several strands of pearls over the years and I enjoy wearing them. The first necklace I wore at my wedding over 35 years ago and I gave them to my daughter on her 25th birthday. I wear them fairly often and have my jeweler check them every year or so to see if they need to be restrung. Restringing isn't expensive - so get those pearls out and wear them with pride.

You can wear diamonds with jeans, any kind of jewelry with anything in this day and age. Set your own style and the heck with "THE" style. I have talked to clerks in jewelry stores and clothing stores, anything goes except for formal affairs.

I felt comfortable wearing my pearls the other day for luncheon with friend. Not overdressed.
Wore my mothers stud pearl earrings as well.

I haven't worn mine in years. Don't know why because I love pearls.

As gems go, pearls are relatively soft and for that reason, I do not recommend a pearl on a ring. I recommend traditional placements of pearls which are necklaces, ear rings, broaches and pins.

In my opinion, pearls can be worn anytime, but most wearers wear them on special occasions, or in situations where the pearls can be protected - don't wear pearls while playing beach volley ball. Pearls are worn with black dresses because their appearance is super with black, but this is not the only time pearls are nice!

Do pearls make you seem old - don't think so! In the past, pearls were worn more by 'the older' woman for two reason: She could finally afford them, and she would not as likely be engaged in atheletic activities. But a young whipper-snapper can sport a sting of pearls, too. For evidence of this, view jewelry ads and catalogs. You'll find pearls on the 25 yr old model.

Re-stringing:
When you have your pearls re-strung, discuss which technique is to be used. Specify knotting between each pearl, and the knot must be larger than the hole in the pearl. Obviously, knotting is to prevent loss of pearls in case the string breaks. At most, only one pearl may be lost.

I have a pearl ring with two tiny diamonds on either side. Got it on my 21st birthday and I'm almost 70! Still as pretty as the day I received it.

I have a double strand of AAAA saltwater rose-white 6mm-8mm pearls that DH bought me over 15 years ago, but I never wear them. I love pearls, but we never go to any place fancy anymore. I also have pearl earrings, rings and a circle pin. Every time DH went to Hong Kong on business he would buy me some jewelry, usually pearls. They are all in the safe deposite box. So sad. :>(

But I do wear lots of Fresh Water pearls. Have at least a dozen different strands, some strung with beads or semi-precious gemstones. Also lots of FW earrings and rings.

I always wanted a 9-10mm Tahitian black or peacock color pearl set. But again, where would I wear it? No one dresses up in Santa Cruz.
Clare

I have a personal story about a string of pearls. My mother's best friend lived to be 102. Near the end of her life she was blind and bed-ridden. She was cared for in her Florida home by two adult children of relatives and a relative of theirs.

One day I was alarmed and sad to find a little parcel in my mailbox with a return address from her home. I knew she was preparing to die. She was sending me the necklace she bought after successfully competing in a ontract bridge competition in Montreal. In tears, I removed the paper wrapping and found the familiar dark blue leatherette jewelry box.

I opened the box and gasped! Only the clasp to the pearls remained. It had been clumsily knotted onto a string of dime-store 'pearls'.

What would you have done?

Oh Clare, dear, get those pearls out and wear them. You could wear the necklace and/or earrings to the grocery store. Wear them around the house. Wear them to watch a movie. Wear them for the love they represent and for the natural beauty that they are. I'd wear them to fill the bird feeders. The only ones I'd be "careful" with would be the rings, but you could wear them out to dinner or the movies or anything like that.

You won't hurt them! They need moisture and body oils. They would love to come out and "visit" with you.

You're very fortunate to have them; give yourself permission to enjoy them! If someone is crass enough to ask, and not observant enough to know, just tell them they're "costume."

Caroline is giving the right advice. A safe deposit box is not the place to store pearls for an extended time. The dry air conditions that are good for storing documents and money isn't good for the pearls. They need air and even the natural oils from our body is good for them.

ChiSue...what a horrible thing those people did to your friend. I hope they do get their "just reward."

I personally could not tell her the truth. There is no way she could legally prove they took the real pearls. It would only make her feel like a victim, too. It would crush her spirit at an age when she might not live long enough to build it back up.

I would thank her profusely. Then, once she's no longer here on Earth, I would turn on those three "care givers" like the pit-vipers they are. Even if there was no hope of justice, I persue them with a court case. I would try to shame and discredit them in any and every way possible.

I can be a mean old Queen B when riled. This would rile me.

I'm with you Caroline. No one does me that way and gets away with it. If I can't get restitution with a law suit, I tell everyone I know and they know. I did that once and believe you me they were sorry that everyone knew their dirty little secret.

caroline - You're right, they do need to be "oiled" so I should get them out and wear them. I think I will restring them, I have done that to many beaded necklaces, and make it one long strand instead of two short ones. And wear them for my 32nd Anniversary coming up in Sept.

And I agree with you Caroline, I would go after those vultures. A similar thing has happened to my 91 YO Mom. She has lost a lot of jewelry that disappeared, either by the house cleaners or care givers. We could never prove it though. One was the gold locket my Dad gave her when courting over 50 years ago that she had promised to me. Long gone. Don't you hate people like that!
Clare