My congratulations to all fashionistas with the budget! Big and fake jewellery is in again!!!
But something like the pieces of work by Coco Chanel never did and never will go out of fashion.

Who was Coco, this magnificent woman? Before launching her fashion empire, Chanel was a lounge and cafe singer from 1905 to 1908. She adopted the name "Coco" during this short-lived career as a performer and entertainer. The rumor has it; she tried to become a famous singer, but could not succeed and decided to not persevere in something she could not be the best. And she was right - special people deserve only the best things in life. Like pearls!

Just check and you will see that on most of the pictures of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel she wears… pearls. Why not diamonds? She could definitely afford them… but, Coco always used to say that jewellery should be worn to decorate rather than to expose wealth. She was convinced that too much money killed luxury. (To be honest, it took more than just one Vogue magazine to convince me... I still do prefer real stones, but have a few absolutely gorgeous jewellery pieces now. Wooden, or with elements of enamel are my top choice.)

But let us come back to Chanel. Coco Chanel was one of the first designers who started to work with imitative jewellery on the radically new terms. Although there had been a market for the costume jewellery before her, it had been primarily reserved for those who could not afford buying the real luxury. Chanel brought the imitation to the state of art. Her simple dress designs and plain fabrics she used, were ideal for wearing jewellery. She was the first designer to gain the social acceptability of wearing fake jewels.

Chanel’s inspiration for creating her jewellery was widely diverse. Being Russian myself I am very proud that the Romanov jewels given to her by the Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia, gave her ideas to create long gilt chains with Baroque crosses.

Chanel loved creating jewellery with artificial pearls. In her younger years pearls had been one of the most precious stones, and the privilege of aristocracy. In her designs Coco Chanel made her costume jewellery pearls emphatically bigger and in other colours than natural. Her pearl jewellery consisting of rows of pearls arranged in chokers, brooches and pendants, became classics.

Coco Chanel used to mix genuine pearls with rope after rope of fake pearl necklaces. Wearing the real thing Coco was known to add a strand or two of fake pearls making it seem as though she was wearing lots and lots of genuine pearls. As she wore "opera length" pearl necklaces, the effect was stunning.

I love pearls myself and have a set (bracelet, earrings, pendant and necklace) made of artificially grown (cultured) pearls and surprisingly still have 10 years guarantee! I had them for about 5 years now and no sign of ageing has appeared yet. Now, I am going for a birthday party tomorrow and going to wear a long pearl necklace with a black dress… sure, Chanel would like it!