Fashion director Ken Downing proclaimed in the New York Times, “Dressing up is the new cool. Being undone or disheveled is out,” heralding in this season’s nod to all things classic in form if not function.

It is no wonder that American women have a long standing love affair with classic jewelry since it was actually Queen Isabella of Spain’s jewels which financed Christopher Columbus’ voyage of discovery. While we think of fine jewelry as a decorative item, it has held an important place throughout history.

As Joseph Sataloff and Alison Richards in “The Pleasure of Jewelry and Gemstones” point out, “Jewelry has been associated with the four aspects of civilized life with which man has universally been most concerned: money, power, religion, and love.” Although maybe not necessarily in that order.

Fine jewels have always held a mystical quality from ancient Egypt where jewelry was supposed to protect wearers from misfortune, even after death, evidenced by the great tombs such as Tutankhamun to the 44.5 carat blue Hope Diamond, notorious for the bad luck it supposedly brought its owners.

Despite the good or bad fortune they bring, gorgeous jewels have always held the power to make any woman feel like a queen.

In fact it was the French mistress of Charles VII, Agnes Sorel, who was the first non-royal to dare to wear diamonds in public in 1437. She commissioned jeweler Jacques Coeur to string the diamonds together into the first diamond necklace. Since that time women have been fascinated with classic jewelry fashion. However as Morton R. Sarett points out in “The Jewelry In Your Life”, “A king, queen, courtesan, dictator, patron or celebrity can always influence fashion momentarily but the real strength of gems and jewelry lies in their everlasting beauty.”

DIAMONDS – THE REAL DEAL

Diamonds have a rich history, most being over three billion years old. Since the 1950s when the Gemological Institute of America developed the first internationally accepted diamond grading system, we have been looking at carat, clarity, cut, and color to judge the gems. However renowned jeweler Harry Winston (1896 – 1978) insisted that each diamond was unique and should be judged by more than just the 4 c’s. He would know, having handled such famous diamonds as the Hope Diamond, which he donated to the Smithsonian, and the 726 carat Jonker Diamond, the 7th largest rough diamond on record. There was a heated debate on the safest way to send it back from Africa, and he decided upon regular registered mail for 64 cents postage.

The secret of Winston’s jewels lies is in the concept of letting the individual stones shape the design. He said, “If I could, I would attach the diamonds directly to a woman’s skin.” Because each stone was hand set in individual platinum settings, it allowed exceptional brilliance and suppleness with which to drape the necks of the biggest celebrities on the red carpet.

Although he was associated with some of the most famous and expensive jewels, including the Taylor-Burton 69.42 carat pear shaped diamond, Winston advised women to make even modest purchases of real gems for longevity. “With so much expensive junk jewelry around these days, people forget that a good diamond, ruby, or emerald, however small, is a possession to be prized for generations.” True, although with diamonds, size does matter. According to Genevieve Antoine Dariaux in “A Guide to Elegance”, “A baby diamond drowned in a sea of platinum is very touching but at the same time a bit pathetic.” If it’s under 3 carats she suggests adding other gemstones to the diamond design.

Industry experts noticed a shift in the 1970s of women buying jewelry for themselves, even diamonds. With the advent of the “right hand ring” women no longer had to wait for a man to propose to drape their digits in diamonds. Strict etiquette of never wearing diamonds during the day also shifted so the multi-facets could catch the sunshine.

The perfect pair of diamond studs remains a jewelry wardrobe staple, ready to illuminate a woman’s face. Morton R. Sarett even feels, “Properly chosen earrings can do more to bring out her features than any other jewel, and she can perform more tricks with them than with any kind of makeup or cosmetic.” As much as drop earrings can lengthen the face, the more dramatic should be reserved for nighttime. Glamour beauty expert Cindi Leive advises, “Own one great pair of nighttime earrings that you’d never wear during the day.”

With an increasing public consciousness of “conflict diamonds” the international diamond industry, governments, and non-governmental organizations created the Kimberly Process, an initiative to rid the world of diamonds illegally traded to fund conflict. Major jewelers such as Tiffany’s are now including statements of corporate social responsibility next to their designs.

PEARLS AREN’T JUST FOR GOOD GIRLS

Pearls are the symbol of purity, chastity, and feminine charm and one can thus get away with quite bad behavior while wearing them. Except for a time in the early 1700s pearls have always been in favor as classic jewelry, and in ancient times were considered of immense value. According to legend, Cleopatra wagered Marc Antony she could give the most expensive dinner party in history. She sat with a plate and goblet in front of her and crushed one large pearl of a pair of earrings, dissolved it in her wine and drank it down. Antony declined his pearl as dinner and conceded she had won.

Pearls are perhaps the oldest jewels on record dating back 4000 years ago to India, and the only gem made by a living animal, taking one to three years for an oyster to produce a single gem pearl. The pearl actually takes on the color of the interior of the shell which is influenced by the mineral content of the water as well as what the oyster is eating and thus you can have black or white pearls. The most desirable color according to Sarett is “Pinkish in color with faint undertone of cream.” He says that you can tell a natural or cultured pearl versus a fake one by rubbing it against the edge of your tooth which produces, “a vibration you can actually hear.”

Kokichi Mikimoto was the son of a Japanese noodle maker who came up with the patent in 1896 to entice oysters to make round pearls on demand and established a veritable empire of cultured pearls which come in all lengths and sizes. Genevieve Dariaux advises, “Like roses in a vase, an odd number is more elegant than an even one,” and advises single strands or a three strand version. She also adds, “Real pearls must be worn frequently in order to benefit from contact with the skin or else they gradually lose their lustre,” also adding to the mythic quality that a woman’s essence is found in her pearls, especially if she is in love.

Because of the lustrous nature of pearls they require special care. They should be stored separately in a cloth bag or jewelry pouch. Be sure to apply make up, perfume, or hair spray before you put them on as they can absorb lotions and liquids. These are also not the jewels to wear in chlorinated or salt water, even in the shower. If you’re planning a hot and heavy steamy evening, switch out the real gems and wear the fakes.

MAKE A SIGNATURE STATEMENT

In Glamour’s top twenty worst “don’ts” you will find along side visible lip liner and orange fake tans too much bling. Think sparkle but be tasteful and timeless. And in an age where so much is faux, dare to be real.

Just like with clothing, investing in a signature piece of classic jewelry will allow you to stay in fashion over time. Many of the designs of the biggest names in the jewelry business like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany’s, and Harry Winston take their inspiration from past classics and breathe vitality into these immortal pieces.

Genevieve Dariaux tells us, “Jewelry is the only element of an ensemble whose sole purpose is elegance, and elegance in jewelry is a highly individual matter.” So take the classic and make it your own. You deserve it.

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