![]() Knights, in the Middle-Age, wore pearl necklaces on the battlefield to bring them luck. Julius Caesar in the first century BC even passed a law to authorize only the ruling class to wear pearls. At all stages of our history, pearls were adored by the richest kings and queens of the Persian, the Chinese, or the Roman empires. Because, as shown by its story, the pearl necklace was first worn equally by men and women. For once, we have the right to claim that pearl necklaces are a perfectly natural fashion trend, and it is partially false to pretend they are to be only the products of a change in our mentality. What will grandmothers say when instead of giving their pearl necklace to their granddaughter, they will offer it to their grandson? But it is not totally accurate. Some will argue that it is the perfect example of our society’s move towards a future gender fluid, tolerant, open-minded, and so on. Wearing a necklace, for a man, and even more made of pearls, is a step out of the rooted concept of masculinity, more or less challenging depending on the environment. Doubtlessly, the main difference concerns gender, and here lies a perspective of questioning not forward-looking, but that, on the contrary, forces us to reappropriate the story of our past. We can discuss the aesthetic of the necklace, as stated before, which has not truly changed since its apparition as early as 420 BC. This piece of jewellery that we saw on our grandmothers, mothers, in movies, as chains or shockers, with single or multiple rows, with huge or small pearls, takes another dimension on men. So, what is the comeback of the so common gleaming pearl on boys’ necks telling us? Fashion, on this question, reveals again all its magic. The jewellery never really disappeared, worn for galas, weddings, sophisticated celebrations, but also as an element of refined daily elegance. Then, women made the pearl necklace an essential element of their wardrobe, common to all trends and centuries. One example is the distinguished Duke of Buckingham, very often depicted on his official portraits with considerable strings of pearls. ![]() The fashion trend prevailed in Europe during the Renaissance, and men wore the necklace as a fine accessory in high society. But even before, pearls fascinated the Occident, and there are written traces, as well as relics, proving their presence since the Roman empire. During their golden age, Maharajas exposed all their wealth by multiplying the rows of pearls on their necklaces and the jewelry symbolized purity and plenitude. The strings of pearls were first prominent in the Persian Gulf and in India, near the hot seas where pearl oysters proliferated.
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