"Richly encrusted with myth and legend and radiant with intrigue and romance, the pearl necklace is a universal icon like no other that has threaded its way not only through the history of jewelry but the evolution of fashion as well. Renaissance queens, maharajas, Hollywood starlets, and modern influencers have all made the pearl necklace part of their wardrobes, each wearing it after their own fancy. A symbol of feminine purity, a sign of status and power; an emblem of tradition, a quintessential heirloom, and opportunity for reinvention, the pearl necklace has adapted, chameleon-like, across centuries to become an expression of changing ideals of womanhood and of a woman's place in the world. In the most authoritative volume on the subject to date, The Pearl Necklace explores the legacy of these lustrous strands through fine art and fashion, with an introductory essay by award-winning journalist and jewelry historian Vivienne Becker that reminds us why the pearl necklace has long been the ultimate object of fascination and fantasy."--Page [2] of cover.