“Pearls, the only gems not mined but born, warm against skin; contact with skin oils deepens a pearl’s silky lustre…This January, let it snow pearls!” says Susan Zelouf
Somewhere above the fray, a golden eagle circles, riding thermals, alone but for the clouds. Swooping down to catch a fish, she snatches it from the water, then rises, her ascent interrupted by a synchronised attack from above. A murder of crows dive-bomb from all angles, the corvids taking turns, intent on wresting the silvery prize from her talons. One-on-one, a crow is no match for an eagle, but against a squawking mob, a besieged eagle chooses not to engage; instead, she spreads her sweeping wings (close on seven feet, taller than most men) and soars. The higher an eagle flies, the harder it is for the shrill crows pursuing her to breathe. When they go low, she goes high.
Consider the oyster. Composed of two shells, or valves, connected by a ligament designed to open and close the mollusc, a feeding oyster filters minerals from water (an adult oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day through its gills), repurposing them into building material, a chalk and protein-based cement secreted by its mantle to fuse new layers of shell, growing its exoskeleton. If, like a 250ml jar of Crème de la Mer stashed in a carry-on that manages to evade airport security screening (aren’t you a lucky girl!), a rogue agent (the marine equivalent of a pebble in your Simone Rocha crinkled gold leather ballet flat) insinuating itself between an oyster’s mantle and shell occasionally goes undetected. The oyster has a plan for that. Triggered, its mantle goes to work protecting the oyster’s plump muscular salty sweet core, producing layer upon micron-thick concentric layer of nacre, coating the meddlesome intruder with the same iridescent shellac lining the oyster’s gorgeous shell walls. Fast forward 24 months and the irritation has alchemised into a lustrous pearl, nearly five millimetres in diameter, unique as a snowflake, a miracle.
“The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to find the pearls.” Chris Gardner, Motivational Speaker
We’ve been through the mill, us lot. But not nearly as much as the next guy, we remind ourselves. Being connected 24/7, it feels almost impossible to empathise in a world of woes, to process one tragedy as we brace for the next, to be resilient rather than resigned, to maintain an open heart, to respond with kindness. Einstein said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Much time is spent denying the existence of miracles, not enough time devoted to noticing them. What pearls have you managed to string together in your own life? Is yours a necklace of silken knots punctuated by glistering concretions, each pearl a prayer, a blessing, a new beginning? Or do you keep yours hidden in a pocket, fingering it, a strand of worry beads keeping your hands busy, your mind distracted, every pearl a tear? Pearls, the only gems not mined but born, warm against skin; contact with skin oils deepens a pearl’s silky lustre. Coco Chanel urged women to pile on the pearls: “A woman should have ropes and ropes of pearls.” If a pearl is an oyster’s way of protecting itself, Chanel believed wearing pearls every day and with every kind of outfit, from beach pyjamas to evening gowns, was not only chic, but necessary: “Only pearls could capture the light, illuminate the face, embellish it like an invisible layer of make-up.” This January, let it snow pearls! @susanzelouf
1. I’M PARTYING in a pearl egg crossbody bag from www.simonerocha.com.
2. I’M ARMING myself in a bespoke pink gold, diamond and pearl Shawish Octopus mood bracelet, lit from within via light technology. @shawishofficial
3. I’M CLUTCHING my pearls in a satin Maud pearl clutch from www.eu.anyahindmarch.com.
4. I’M ROPING in admirers, a là Coco Chanel in cascades of pearls. Shop www.pearlperfect.ie in Rathgar, Dublin 6.
5. I’M SCRAPING back unruly curls in a Bailey pearl bow barrette from www.jenniferbehr.com.
6. I’M INVITING lovers to nibble my ear lobes in cluster pearl earrings by Irish jeweller www.angeladarcyjewellery.com.
7. I’M STRINGING my own pearls at a jewellery course given by www.beadsandcrystals.ie at Lexicon Library, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
8. I’M SCREAMING for ice cream in a whimsical gold and baroque pearl charm by www.pernillelauridsen.com.
9. I’M REIMAGINING classic pearls in an Ursula Muller rubber ring. www.designyard.com 25 Frederick Street, Dublin 2.
10. I’M EXTENDING my knowledge by reading Pearl Necklace by Assouline.
11. I’M GIFTING Étalon pearls to the men in my life. www.etalonbysc.com.
12. I’M FEASTING on aphrodisiacal Clarenbridge oysters at Moran’s Oyster Cottage, Co Galway.
13. I’M SOFTENING biker chic in Dior D-Strike ankle boots.
14. I’M FLIRTING in Chanel butterflyframe pearled sunnies at www.chanel.com.