Whether they fall into the something old, new or borrowed camp, pearls are the fail-safe ladylike wedding-day adornment. But they’re no longer just for traditionalists. Tiffany & Co.’s conch and diamond chrysanthemum brooch works the dramatic side of flora, carved as it is with petals set to move en tremblant. Cynthia Bach deploys a conch pearl to create a wearable objet d’art, serving as both pendant and brooch. At Van Cleef & Arpels the message is think big, as with a ring boasting a huge gray Tahitian pearl flanked by heart-shaped diamonds. And Bulgari indulges in the opulence of a choker in which pearls play against gold and pavé diamonds—certainly worthy of the phrase “to have and to hold.”
From top: Bulgari’s 18k yellow gold, pearl and diamond necklace, price available upon request, at Bulgari, 800.BVLGARI, bulgari.com; Tiffany & Co.’s platinum, conch pearl and shell, and diamond brooch, $140,000, at Tiffany & Co., 800.526.0649; Van Cleef & Arpels’s platinum, Tahitian pearl and diamond ring, $83,000, at Van Cleef & Arpels, 877.VANCLEEF, vancleef-arpels.com; Cynthia Bach’s platinum, conch pearl and diamond brooch, $130,000, at Neiman Marcus Precious Jewels Salon, 617.536.3660.
Pearl Vision
The wedding mainstay gets an exotic twist.
June 2008
