Pearls are making something of a comeback.
Pearls were a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II and rather poignantly, often worn by royals as mourning jewellery since Queen Victoria wore them when she lost her husband Albert.
In fact, Queen Victoria was a fan of pearls for much of her life and she used to gift her children a pearl on each of their birthdays, so that by the time they were 18 they would have a single strand pearl necklace.
This wonderful tradition continued with King George VI gifting two pearls to Elizabeth and Margaret on each of their birthdays. This was the three strand pearl necklace she was often seen wearing. Made from natural pearls this original necklace is worth an eye-watering £1 million.
Before cultured pearls were created in the early 1890's pearls were in fact rarer than diamonds, and this oldest known gemstone was priced accordingly, making it exclusive to royalty centuries ago. Many of the pieces seen on the Royal Family now, have been in the family for centuries, passed down to the next generation.
So perhaps pearls aren't making a comeback so much as becoming a frontrunner in jewellery design for younger generations, and rightly so.
