When Pearls Were Worth a Mansion Mabé Pearl Earrings

In 1917, Maisie Plant stopped before a Fifth Avenue window and saw something extraordinary: a double strand of 128 perfectly matched natural pearls.

This was before cultured pearls became widely available. Finding even a few large pearls of similar color, shape and luster was exceedingly difficult; assembling 128 of them was a triumph of patience and chance. The necklace was valued at approximately one million dollars, an astonishing sum at the time.

Pierre Cartier wanted the Plants’ Italian Renaissance mansion at 653 Fifth Avenue for his New York jewelry house. Morton and Maisie Plant wanted the pearls. And so, one of jewelry history’s most remarkable exchanges was arranged: the mansion for the necklace, with an additional $100 included to complete the transaction.

That legendary story reminds us how deeply pearls have captivated people throughout history. They possess no facets and need no cutting to reveal their beauty. They emerge from nature already luminous, seeming to hold their own quiet light.

These earrings celebrate that timeless fascination. Each creamy pearl rests at the center of sweeping polished 18k yellow gold. The gold curves around the pearls like a whirlpool of light, drawing the eye inward while allowing the soft luster to remain the true attraction.

They may not cost a Fifth Avenue mansion, but they carry something of that same irresistible magic, the kind that once persuaded a woman to trade one of New York’s finest homes for the pearls she could not forget.

Archival Price: $2,985.00

Replacement Value: $6,000.00

All photos are enlarged to show details.