Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Celebrate International Women’s Day With This Pearl Jewelry Auction
“Powerful & Pretty: Pearls Online” will run from March 8-12 and feature 60 jewels from the 20th and 21st centuries.

New York—Pearls have long been used as a symbol of power and grace, donned by some of history’s most iconic women.
Think Vermeer’s famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” the classic three-strand necklace on Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” or England’s many royals choosing pearls for special occasions.
Pearls have also seen a resurgence of late, spurred along by Vice President Kamala Harris’s jewelry selection for Inauguration Day.
Now, Bonhams is honoring the connection between women and their pearls with an online-only auction of pearl jewelry to celebrate International Women’s Day.
“Powerful & Pretty: Pearls Online” will run from March 8-12, with the first day of the auction lining up with the holiday.
The jewelry auction comprises 60 classic and contemporary pearl jewels from the 20th and 21st centuries, from earrings, necklaces, and rings to brooches and bangles.
“Pearls have been valued for millennia for their beauty and luster, but also for the fantastic stories associated with the gem. They are symbols of Aphrodite, Eve, and Cleopatra,” said Emily Waterfall, head of jewelry for Bonhams Los Angeles.
“Historically, they were dangerous to acquire, needing to be brought up by hand from the depth of the sea. Both rare and costly, only the wealthiest royalty had access to pearls until the 20th century. Bonhams is pleased to be able to offer this unusual and timely sale of exquisite and affordable pearls.”
Click through the slideshow below to see highlights from the upcoming jewelry auction.
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