She was a runaway orphan, who sang in Parisian cafes and sold flowers before she ascended to diva status on the opera stage. She dabbled with princes and tycoons; she fastened herself into corsets the size of cannolis; and once, in a fit of passion, she is said to have grabbed Caruso onstage and kissed him violently for all of high society to see. But what we note about Lina is her choice of necklace: pearls. She had a particular penchant for a short choker mixed with longer strands.
When she was feeling virtuous, she wore pearls...
When she was feeling royal she wore pearls (with a diamond or two)....
And when she was feeling naughty, well, she wore pearls and pretty much nothing else...
It's sad that we've lost the notion of the pearl as the ultimate accoutrement to both ladies and tramps. These days it's all cubic zirconia and the fad of the moment. I like the certainty that Lina considered her strands of pearls to be her lifelong beauty marks, worn in whatever mood she happened to be in.
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