A smashing rope of pearls with a baroque pearl pendant caught my eye while perusing the news. It turned out to belong to a Romanov grand duchess, who escaped the Russian revolution with the help of her jewel box. According to a fascinating story in the National Post, Olga Alexandrovna, sister of Tsar Nicholas, lived out her last days in Canada, on an Ontario farm, courtesy of that string of pearls. (And many others like it, I’ll wager.)

Her pearls give the term investment dressing a whole new meaning.

I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again: pearls are the best buy when building a jewellery wardrobe. You’ll wear them over and over again, all your life: from your wedding, to your business meetings, to parties, to your children’s soccer game. And they’ll still look good on you at your great-grandchildren’s recitals. And let’s not forge that your heirs will be delighted to be reminded of you, generations from now, when the pearls’ timeless beauty will still be fashionable.

Bonus: if worst comes to worst, they’re easy to carry when you’re fleeing the country.