What is common between Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe? While they are all well-known celebrities, they were also fashion icons who set a whole new trend across the globe with their unique sense of style. More particularly, they also had a great fondness for pearls and influenced scores of women with their signature styles!

Here’s a tribute to some of these beautiful women whose fashion statements and signature styles remain to be conversation starters even to this day!

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly was an American movie star-turned-princess, who was obsessed with pearls. She’s admired by women around the world for her classic and glamorous style, including her pearl-centric jewelry wardrobe. She loved wearing pearl necklaces close to her neckline, often with an elegant matching pair of pearl earrings.Grace Kelly quit a successful acting career in Hollywood to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco, after which she became a princess. It is said that the pearl-and-diamond necklace and bracelet set which was gifted to her by the prince was one of her all-time favourites.

Princess Diana

Diana – the quintessential charming princess was a rare combination of classic style, charm and warm and loving demeanor. Her love affair with cultured pearls was known by everyone and anyone who had heard about her. Even as a school girl, Diana was seen with pearl stud earrings and a simple string of pearl necklace.

Her marriage to Prince Charles saw her jewellery collection grow exponentially. The Cambridge Tiara, designed in 1914, featuring 19 teardrop pearls with diamonds is said to be one of her favourites from her private collection. Even after her divorce, she continued to don her pearl accessories and flaunt them. One iconic image, features Diana in a multi-row pearl choker to which she had fastened a sapphire brooch

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was a film and fashion legend who was rarely seen without her pearls, even off-screen. Her trend of minimalistic fashion – pearl jewellery offset by monochrome dresses was described as classy and sophisticated and spawned off a whole new fashion trend across the world.In one of Hollywood’s most recognizable film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly is seen wearing elbow-length gloves, the legendary classic black dress, tiara, and fabulous pearls.

Jacqueline Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy, wife of America’s most charismatic president John Kennedy, was one of the greatest style icons of her generation. Always impeccably dressed with a unique sense of fashion, she inspired an entire generation of women. Her love for pearls was quite legendry. From state dinners at the White House to trips abroad, she was almost always in pearls. Most recognizable was her triple strand pearl necklace with 158 faux pearls which she had inherited from her mother. “Pearls are always appropriate,” remains a timeless quote.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe loved her pearls. The most prized possession among her collection was the pearl necklace given to her by her husband Joe DeMaggio, gifted to her during their honeymoon in Japan. Reports say, this piece had a special place in her heart and she was truly attached to it.While Marilyn’s glamour and fashion was unmatched, she had thousands of women followers who were in total awe of her chic, feminine style. She proposed an unusual way to wear long pearl necklaces – she would wrap the pearl string around a silk scarf. Imaginative, isn’t that?