A crystal-covered Prada gown, a freshly cropped pixie cut and, at each ear, a 12mm white South Sea pearl ringed with diamond petals. When Zendaya arrived at the 78th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on 14 September, her Mikimoto pearls looked anything but old-fashioned.
Below, Chrissie Douglas explains why the look felt so fresh, and what it says about the power of pearls.
A fresh take on the red-carpet pearl
Plenty of pearls have appeared on the Emmys red carpet over the years. What set Zendaya’s apart was the styling. Her earrings, from Mikimoto’s Pétales Place Vendôme collection, are set with 4.40 carats of diamonds, and she added two pearl rings. Her stylist, Law Roach, said he loved the idea of “taking something as timeless as pearls and making them feel fresh, modern, and young.”
The pixie cut did much of the work. With nothing around her face to compete with them, the pearls caught the light right where it mattered. “They can look modern if you just place them very simply, with an accent,” says Chrissie. “And they will always enhance you.”
Two ways to wear South Sea pearls
At the other end of the scale is Helen Mirren, who wore several strands of pearls to the New York premiere of A Talent for Murder, in which she plays Patricia Highsmith. “She wore three South Sea pearl strands, all muddled up with beautiful baroque drops,” says Chrissie. “Helen Mirren has a real love for baroque pearls. She wears our baroque pearls in the Paramount trailer for her new series.”
The two looks couldn’t be more different, and both work. Zendaya’s restraint and Mirren’s layering show how far South Sea pearls can stretch, from a single round pearl to a generous, irregular pile.
The secret of the glow
South Sea pearls are the largest cultured pearls, grown mainly in Australia and the Philippines, and prized for their luxurious white and golden hues. Their size gives them presence, but it’s their lustre that makes them so flattering.
“Whether you’re slightly older or, like Zendaya, in the prime of your youth, pearls will still give you a lift,” says Chrissie. “They make you look healthy. They make you glow. The glow of the pearl radiates onto you and fools the eye of the beholder.”
Chrissie has spent more than 35 years putting that effect to work, matching each client to the pearl colour and overtone that suits their complexion best. “It’s the best-known and at the same time best-kept secret,” she says. “Pearls are the most amazing facelift: no pain, instant results, and they’ll last a lifetime.” If you’d like to find the South Sea pearls that do that for you, book your consultation today.
