miss b loves....pearls(Part 2)...... style icons and how they wear their pearls

Pearls symbolise understated elegance and class and have been strung around the necks of style icons over the decades. Screen goddesses in Hollywood movies and celebrities have certainly reinforced the glamour of pearls........

Coco Chanel, in the 1920s, gave pearls their iconic style status and she was rarely seen without her signature strings of pearls ..... 

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"A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls" Coco Chanel

In the 1950s Marilyn Monroe wore a strand of Mikimoto cultured pearls given to her by her husband Joe DiMaggio while on honeymoon in Japan (and she famously wore them at the divorce court a year later too!)

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miss b loves ........ pearls and a special exhibition

Tastes in jewellery certainly vary but pearls have fascinated people for thousands of years. Unlike other gems they need no enhancement, no cutting or polishing.

Just before Christmas I visited the Pearls Exhibition at the V&A Museum (in collaboration with the Qatar Museum Authority) to find out more about these objects of desire which have been associated with wealth, royalty and glamour through the ages.....

A portrait of Jeanne de Marigny, about 1650-1660 greeted visitors .....

Pearls were a sign of
 wealth and status

The tour began with X ray images and a video showing the formation of the pearl. Contrary to popular belief, pearls do not form when a grain of sand enters an oyster! A parasite (tapeworm) enters the shell and the mantle then covers the intruder with layers of nacre (mother of pearl) the same substance used to create the shell.

The 'Pearl Fishing in the Gulf' section brought back memories of our trip to Qatar last October. 

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The most beautiful natural pearls came from the Gulf and the pearl fishing trade was the mainstay of Qatar's economy until the discovery of oil and gas. Apparently only one pearl would be found in every 2000 oysters!

miss b loves .....a touch of France in Dubai!

Dubai has a huge expat population and is a truly multi-cultural city. All the major international brands are represented from Bloomingdales and Marks & Spencer to Pottery Barn and Zara ... not to mention all the designer brands. It's possible to eat just about every cuisine too!

As a true francophile, I'm drawn to all things French especially French cafés and there's no shortage in Dubai......Paul, Le Nôtre, Fauchon are a few of our favourites but I've been waiting for the opening of .......

miss b loves .........a festive Dubai and record-breaking fireworks.

After spending a traditional Christmas Day at home, we flew out to Dubai on Boxing Day to be greeted by blue skies and warm winter sunshine. What a treat and an escape from the UK storms!

Cayan Tower

Dubai is a city which embraces different cultures and faiths and this is particularly evident at Christmas time. Christmas trees adorn shopping malls, hotels and residential neighbourhoods. 

Le Royal Meridien Hotel had a range of different styles of trees with one thing in common - glamour! (I thought we had a lot of baubles on our tree until I saw these!!)