Pearle’s Perspective #02: So Stacked…The Silver Obsession
Dear Friends
I have a new obsession and it’s been occupying more time than it should. So much so that only a few pairs of spring shoes have been purchased. If you know me, you know how rare that is. My obsession? Silver Jewelry, stacked and layered. I will not stop until my limbs give out from the weight of all that jewelry. I love the clinking and jangle of the bracelet stacks on my wrists. I adore my silver chains around my neck, each sporting vintage charms. Every piece is special, different collected over time. The saying is true for me “the hunt is the pleasure of the game.”
Tiffany stack
For a long time I’ve been a yellow gold gal with occasional rose gold detours. My silver and white gold jewelry screamed 1990’s to me - I was over that look (and decade) and neglected those pieces for years. A home invasion a few years ago relieved me of all that forgotten silver. Regardless of my indifference to white gold and silver, I was relieved they missed a stash of Tiffany & Co pieces, but alas, those too have been stolen…by my teenage daughter.
I think my silver obsession was inspired by my dear friend Mary Luby. If you don’t know Mary I’m surprised. She has more connections than Kevin Bacon.They named the game after the wrong person. She is chic, classic and one of a kind. It is no surprise that she has been stacking silver necklaces and bracelets for years. She sports my favorite Christofle “Pleine Lune” bracelet made in collaboration with designer Peggy Huynh Kinh, numerous Brimfield Antique Show treasures and my favorite piece-a large scarab acquired on a spiritual journey to Egypt.
The reigning queen of silver will always be Elsa Peretti, an Italian Heiress, fashion model, best friend of Halston, and one time girlfriend & muse to Helmut Newton.
Elsa Peretti. Photographed by Helmut Lang, 1975. Available at Christie’s.
Sophia Loren
Peretti started her jewelry career with a tiny sterling bud vase which she designed with the help of a silversmith in Spain. She strung the pendant on a leather cord and models wore it down the runway for a Giorgio di Sant' Angelo show.
People noticed and soon thereafter Tiffany signed her to a 20-year contract to create designs for them. It was a smashing success, so much so that her designs accounted for ten percent of their overall sales for decades. To this day her designs are among Tiffany’s most popular pieces. You will never regret purchasing a bone cuff or a bottle necklace.
I am also quite taken with Italian Jewelry designer and over 50 fashion icon, Chiara Volisini. She sports stacks to die for on her neck, both wrists and every finger. Her jewelry is sculptural, bold and sexy just like we ladies of a certain age are. Unfortunately Volisini does not sell her pieces online, but you can find them in a few stores in Italy. To procure a piece you need to be in the right place at the right time when she is showing her creations in a gallery or a trunk show. Volisini prefers to connect with her clients in person and assist in finding them the perfect piece for their collection.
Chiara Volisini
Chiara Volisini
One rule I have made for this obsession of mine is to commit to purchasing jewelry second hand.
I have been doing this via estate sales, Ebay, The Real Real, EBTH and occasionally live auctions. I learned very quickly to step away from those live auctions. I am just the client they want, the aggressive “in to win it” bidder while forgetting my budget. At the end of one successful auction win I contacted the Auction House. It was then when I was told that my items were only available for pick up in Mexico City because shipping fine jewelry and metals is against the law in Mexico. The story of how those pieces arrived to me in Los Angeles is worthy of a separate newsletter. And because I have come clean about that mix up I will also admit to purchasing a few things after a few glasses of wine, resulting in a few “surprises” arriving on my doorstep. No matter the auction fever or wine goggles I feel these purchases are justified because it’s been a stressful year. We need to find joy where we can.
Silver has many spiritual meanings. Purity, balance, intuition, protection against evil spirits and negative energy. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans held silver in high esteem. The Egyptians believed silver was more precious than gold and linked it to the goddess Isis. The Greeks associated silver with Artemis, the goddess of the moon, while the Romans used silver in their religious ceremonies to honor the gods. All the more reason to go buy yourself a little something and start your stack. Bring some happiness into your heart, balance into your life and keep that negative energy at bay.
xoxo
P & P