Is pearl jewellery very old fashioned? Well, yes it is. There’s no denying that pearls were popular in a bygone age and that most women you see wearing them these days are in their 50s and 60s.

But wait! I’m told that pearls are making a comeback. Under the heading ‘retro-chic’ it’s now possible to wear your pearls with pride. The fashion for antiques has never been stronger, thanks to various tv programmes and the resurgence of auctions, both on and off-line, which have made these relics more readily available than ever before. But, no, I’m not suggesting you don a toby jug or whimsy in pursuit of an uber-trendy style. I’m just saying that pearls are joining Victoriana finery under the heading of antique jewels and have left their former category of fuddy-duddy officially behind.

It’s true that you won’t see many teenagers sporting pearls, but increasing numbers of women in their late twenties, thirties and forties are proud to be seen in them, and that’s as much about a revamping of the pearl’s image as it is about the way they actually look. Their well-known ability to lift the complexion (especially great for those in their thirties and beyond) and complement your face rather than competing with it, is just as desirable to todays’ women as it was to yesterdays’.