Investment Shopping 101: The Beauty of Pearls

With today's recession and fashion editors continuing to preach about buying "investment" pieces, we at VagaBondnyc find it odd that no one is pointing to the importance of collecting fine jewelery in a time of uncertainty. And while today it is true that houses such as Lanvin have brought the desirability of classic French costume jewelery back to the forefront, creating almost one-of-a-kind modern works of art, it's also true that many of them come with price tags that are close to the real deal. If anything, you should start to look at fine jewelery as a safe investment, even safer than that dream art collection, because you not only get to enjoy the beauty of your investment day in & day out, but when times get tough, the right pieces can also be something you can fall back on, plain & simple, it's money wisely spent. And while a $2,500 blouse is ephemeral in nature, precious jewelery will always be a constant, ready for heirloom destinies.

With pearls on major runways from Phillip Lim 3.1 to Givenchy, and with Yohji Yamamoto's highly successful, achingly simple & beautiful collaboration with Mikimoto and with many designer's mining the 30's & 40's(another time of economic strife), we at Vnyc find the heady MGM starlett with her finger waves, signature pearls and glamour gown to be a more powerful & seductive source of inspiration than today's high-80's flamboyant vamp. Besides being statement making and a smart investment, think of something like a classic strand of lustrous Mikimoto pearls as one of the most versatile accessories you can own. They can go cocktail, downtown, street, and even casual while fitting a myriad of lifestyles, and that's the beauty of them, just look back at who's worn them throughout history. Everyone from Maharaja's to Marie Antoinette and even 80's Like a Virgin era Madonna have all given us their own iconic takes on the allure of pearls. Why buy Chanel's $1,200 faux strand when you can have a genuine, much more subtle pearl necklace for a little bit more?

Above: Yohji Yamamoto's Moon Ring for Mikimoto
Below: Mikimoto South Sea Pearl Studs-$1,200


For more Mikimoto Pearls and other fine jewelery please check our friends out at JR Dunn by clicking here.