Many may consider pearls to be old-fashioned and matronly, but we disagree. This timeless gem adds a vintage feel but can easily be updated to reflect more a modern design.
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Trends come and go, but style is eternal. A pearl engagement ring is the perfect choice for a timeless bride. This classic gemstone is also known as the ‘Queen of the gems’ and can be dated back to 520 B.C. A pearl fragement was discovered in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess, making this stone the oldest known gem to be worn as jewellery.
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The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all revered this gemstone. In fact, the Greek word for pearl can also translate to ‘unique’, in honour of the fact that no two pearls are the same. Pearls quickly became a symbol of wealth and status, and at one point int time, a law was passed allowing only nobles to wear this gem in public.
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Pearls are the only gemstones that grow inside another living organism. They come in various types, which will determine the price. The most rare and expensive is the natural pearl. This type is formed when an irritant like a parasite naturally enters a a bi-valve mollusk like an oyster, mussel or clam. A fluid coats this irritant as a defense mechanism, and continues to deposit multiple layers of this coating until a pearl is formed.
There are an estimated 8000 different species of bi-valve mollusks, of which only 20 can consistently produce pearls. As a result, natural pears are incredibly rare.
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Cultured pearls are made in a similar fashion, except the process requires human intervention. An irritant like a bead or piece of shell, known as Mother of Pearl, is surgically inserted into the mollusk. The cultural process takes years to complete. After 3 years, mussels are at a mature stage and are able to receive an irritant either naturally or via implantation. Once there, it take another three years for the pearl to reach its full size. Only 5% of pearls produced are true gem-quality.
Cultured pearls are grown in pearl farms under strict conditions, and fall into two categories: saltwater and freshwater.
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Imitation pearls are typically made of glass beads coated in a solution made from fish scales. It’s easy to tell whether a pearl is an imitation by rubbing it against you teeth. A fake pearl will glide across, while a real pearl will feel gritty.
While this gemstone is most commonly round, it can also come in alternative shapes like pear or baroque pearls.
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Feature image: Pexels
Iconic musician Rod Stewart and English model, photographer and TV personality Penny Lancaster have reached a new milestone. The couple recently celebrated their 13-year wedding anniversary, and they…
The British Royal family are sticklers for tradition. The many Royal brides who have walked down the aisle over the decades are all connected in a number of ways. From the wedding rings made from the same nugget of welsh gold to brides incorporating orange blossom into their dress design, these royal brides are bonded together forever.
Another thing British Royal brides have in common are their wedding bouquets. While they look different, each royal bride since 1858 has had a spring of myrtle in her bouquet. What’s even more interesting is that the sprigs all come from Queen Victoria‘s 170-year-old garden.
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Myrtle is said to represent love, fertility and innocence. The flower has been growing at Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s holiday home in the Isle of Wight, for about 170 years and its descendants still bloom today. The plant was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1845 by Prince Albert’s grandmother. Queen Victoria planted the myrtle at her home, and her daughter carried a spring from that myrtle bush when she married in 1858.
Since then, myrtle has appeared in the bouquets of iconic royal brides like Queen Elizabeth, Kate Middleton and Megan Markle.
In 1923, Queen Elizabeth built on this tradition when she placed her bouquet in the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey in a gesture of remembrance for her late brother, who died at the Battle of Loos in 1915. She also did this to honour the millions of others killed and injured in World War I. She then continued to walk down the aisle sans bouquet.
Since this day, many other royal brides have followed in her footsteps. The only difference is that they lay their bouquets down after the ceremony, not before. Most recently, Duchess of Sussex Meghan laid her flowers on the tomb as she left the church.
Feature image: Instagram / The Royal Family
Western wedding ceremonies come with a number of traditions, from the presence of a ring bearer to the garter toss and even saving the top tier of the…
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West somehow always manage to be the talk of the town. Recently, they’ve been in the news for something as simple as a birthday wish between a wife and husband.
Now, details of their wedding, specifically the enormous prices of vendors, the wedding dress, and more are of interest to the public. According to Hello Magazine, the pair who are now in their 6th year of marriage spent a whopping R103 402 500 ($6million) on their wedding weekend.
No doubt it was an extravagant affair, with details to die for. The famed coupled spared no expense.
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Taking place at a venue in Florence, Italy, they were accompanied at their wedding by 200 guests. The venue reportedly charged R5 181 854 (or £240,000). That price excluded any and all extras, such as flowers and decorations. The cake, which had 7 tiers, and took 3 people to deliver, cost R51 871 (£2,400).
The Wests also, of course, provided private jets for their guests, to transport them from Paris to Florence. Per jet, they dished out R972 416 (or £45,000).
Kim’s bespoke couture dress, designed by Riccardo Tisci (the former creative director at Givenchy) cost her R3 846 615 (£178,000). The total of her all other outfits she wore, including dresses for her hen party and for the rehearsal dinner, came to R1 231 718 ( £57,000).
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This was not even everything. There were a number of other costs attached to the wedding which have not been detailed here, including the wedding menu, the menu at their rehearsal dinner at the Palace of Versaille, and more.
Six years after their massive, lavish wedding, the pair seem happier than ever. They share 4 children – North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm – and are always seen supporting each other wholeheartedly.
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In a recent post for Kanye’s birthday, Kim said “Life wouldn’t be the same without you”.
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Image: Instagram / Kim Kardashian
On your wedding day, you’ve got to be dressed to the nines from head to toe. Your bridal hairstyle helps complete your look and adds to the overall…
Wedding dresses are very rarely short. However, a handful of celebrities opted for a modern twist for their big day by sporting short gowns to say “I do” in. From Cindy Crawford to Kiera Knightley, take a look at five celebs who kicked traditionalism to the curb.
Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford married Rande Gerber in an off-the-rack Galliano slip. Their wedding was a secret and so Crawford lied to her stylist, saying she was attending a black tie event and needed a dress that was either black or white.
Kiera Knightley
Kiera Knightley stunned in a classic pale pink tulle Chanel dress when she married James Righton in 2014. She re-wore the dress on a number of occasions afterwards – the controversy!
Sharon Tate
Actress Sharon Tate married director Roman Polanski in a short silk wedding gown. She sported puffy shoulders and the dress was a yellowy-orange colour. In 2018, the dress sold for $56 250 in Julien’s Auctions in LA.
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow married Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas in 1966 and wore a gorgeous short dress for the occasion.
Nancy Shevell
Nancy Shevell sported an above-the-knee white dress for her wedding to Paul McCartney.
Feature image: Unsplash