WhyteWing.com supports The Trevor Project with a portion of every sale made on this website. We are happy to be able to contribute in whatever measure we can to protect LGBTQIA+ youth. This is a population so young and so vulnerable that most can’t even defend themselves with their own vote yet.
With many thanks the the Wiki Community, this is the Trevor Project origin story:
1994 Academy Award–winning short film Trevor is a dramedy about Trevor, a gay thirteen-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life. When the film was scheduled to air on HBO television in 1998, the filmmakers realized that some of the program’s young viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor, and began to search for a support line to be broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such helpline existed, and decided to dedicate themselves to forming the resource: an organization to promote acceptance of LGBTQ youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.
The Trevor Lifeline was established with seed funds provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation and HBO’s license fee. As a result, it became the first nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. The project also provides online support to young people through the project’s website, as well as guidance and resources to educators and parents.
WhyteWing Contributions
A percentage (currently 8%) of each sale made on WhyteWing.com will be donated to The Trevor Project. Once per quarter (every 3 months), we will make the donation using The Trevor Project website donation page. The plan is to make a TikTok and/or YouTube video of the donation process so our customers can see the confirmation and feel secure that their support is actually reaching the community they want to help.
At the moment, we have many people using the links we provide to click through and make their purchase on Etsy. You are welcome to continue to do that if you’re more comfortable making your purchase on Etsy, but those sales will NOT generate donations for The Trevor Project. Only purchases made here on WhyteWing.com generate the donation.
Our reason for choosing to donate through WhyteWing.com is twofold. Obviously, we’re proud of our website and we want to encourage people to stay here to make their purchase. Hopefully, knowing that the same percentage that normally goes to Etsy for fees and commissions will go to The Trevor Project instead will be a powerful motivator to stay, and perhaps to come visit us again!
By choosing to donate through WhyteWing.com, but keeping the link to Etsy in each listing, anyone who prefers not to benefit LGBTQIA+ youth is free to follow the link to Etsy. The same items are available in our shop there.
It has taken a while to be able to post this blog (website learning curve) and even though it’s late, we want to say: From the bottom of our hearts and the top of our voices, WhyteWing wishes you Happy Pride, and the joy of every day to come!
What do you think of when Magnolia comes to mind? We think of delicate white that teeters on the edge of a pink kiss. We think of the warm blush and deep rose, and flowers shaped like petal-soft goblets. We think of Spring when the world is bursting with promise. But what does the Magnolia truly symbolize in art, in people whose faith connects them to nature, and to all of us in our daily lives?
With one quick search, you’ll find people trying to describe the meaning of Magnolia according to it’s color: Pink for innocence, red for passion, white for purity… Color association is all well and good, but the true meaning of Magnolia is so much deeper.
The fossil record shows Magnolia species are among the most ancient flowering plant families. They flourished before bees evolved as pollinators, depending on beetles for their bloom. Magnolias developed tough tepals in the place of petals to protect against their hard-winged and gnawing pollinators. It’s origin reflects it’s true nature: Deep and delicate beauty made of tough, enduring stuff. Magnolia is a symbol of beauty and strength united inextricably as one.
Magnolia: Symbol of Nobility in China
The Yulan Magnolia is native to central and eastern China. It has been cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. During the early Tang Dynasty, only the Emperor himself was allowed to grow magnolias. Later, cuttings and permission to grow were offered only to his closest confidants, which was an enormous honor to their households. The Yulan Magnolia blooms in late winter/early spring, and it’s pure white blossoms are symbols of nobility. Though once the symbol was applied as a matter of exclusivity, today it applies to nobility of spirit in us all.
Magnolia: Symbol of the Ordinarily Sacred
In 1829, President Andrew Jackson, brought a magnolia sprout from his home in Tennessee to the White House. He planted it in memory of his late wife. The magnificent thing about this tree is that over the course of 200 years, it went from being sacred to Andrew Jackson to being sacred to all of us.
It was a favorite place for President Truman, Jackie Kennedy, and other White House residents over the years. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill sat “underneath that old magnolia tree” the days before the world was plunged into war. The tree earned a place on the back of the 20 dollar bill from 1928 to 1978, and a place on the White House china pattern under First Lady Laura Bush. So well known and well loved is the Jackson Magnolia that President Obama gave cuttings from the tree as gifts of State to both Israel and Cuba.
The idea of the ordinarily sacred is that the object itself is not inherently sacred, but our experience of it makes it sacred to us. The Jackson Magnolia is just a tree, grown from a cutting from another tree. It is our experience of the strength and beauty found in a tribute from a grieving husband that lead us to care for it so tenderly. Our recognition of it’s noble spirit has helped it to dig its roots deep into our history. Even now, as the Jackson Magnolia nears the end of its life cycle, cuttings from the tree are tended by the White House gardening staff to ensure that a part of that actual magnolia will live on.
In the end, the most important question is: What does magnolia mean to you?
Worn by Harry Styles because… Pearls are for everyone!
Our love affair with pearls has lasted through the centuries and even now, our hearts are true. Each pearl is unique in shape and luster. The emperors of ancient Rome would be outraged by the egalitarian nature of modern day pearls but today more than ever, pearls really are for everyone.
Choosing pearls is as personal as choosing perfume, and the pearls that call to your heart may not be the strand or style you expected. Look around, take your time, and try on lots of colors, sizes and lengths, especially if you plan to make your final purchase online. You’ll want the experience of feeling the weight of the pearls against your skin and catching a glimpse of the length with your favorite blouse. That way you’ll know the right color and size of pearl, in the right shape and strung to the right length, when you find it. When you’ve met your match, save up, or splurge on the spot because pearls are timeless; If they speak to you now, they will speak to you in 20 years like the very best of dear old friends.
So your time, love and money are well invested in pearls, but it’s fair to wonder if the pearls you love are priced correctly. Oddly enough, artisans and retailers use the exact same collection of attributes to determine value that you considered while shopping.
Natural vs. Cultured vs. Costume
Back in the 1800s when pearls were first cultured, “natural” pearls referred to pearls that were found in the wild, as they had been for centuries. In the modern marketplace, terms have changed. Cultured pearls made a gem of organic design and infinite variety available to a vast community of artisans for a reasonable price. Accordingly, modern strands are all cultured pearls. The only strands of natural (or shall we say “wild”) pearls you’ll find will be at the antique auction. Antique matched wild pearls will be very, very expensive; Maybe not “Roman Emperor” expensive, but close.
Queen Elizabeth I, draped in pearls for the Armada Portrait
As natural (wild) pearls faded from the market place and costume pearls began to achieve finer quality, the term “natural” began to shift. Sometimes people mean “genuine” as opposed to “costume.” Other times people mean “baroque” or natural in shape as opposed to perfectly round. When in doubt, ask the speaker to clarify so you’re both on the same page. Both wild and cultured pearls are natural in the sense that the pearl came from a mollusk and the outer surface is nacre. Pearls have a luster that can never fully be captured in a costume piece.
Luster
Luster is a key factor in value. Luster is used as a descriptive term but in a practical sense, it’s a measure of how much light is reflected from the surface of the pearl. The tighter and more compact the layers of nacre, and the thicker the coating of nacre over the “seed” used to culture the pearl, the more intense the reflection of light.
Luster – the reflection – can be damaged over time by wear, exposure or improper cleaning. The luster can also be restored, but as with any gemstone, there is a cost. You can re-cut or re-polish the surface of ruby or sapphire to “remove” chips or surface wear, but what you are really doing is removing the area of stone around the chip to reveal a new, chip-free surface beneath. You spend a tiny portion of the stone to gain a “restored” surface. The same can be true of pearls, but at the same cost.
When choosing pearls that are perfect for you, examine your heart. When paying for pearls that are perfect for you, examine their luster. Luster is one of the attributes that determines value, and it will help you determine if you’re being charged a fair price.
Roundness, Shape and Size
Imagine you’re a Roman noble with a strand of wild pearls. Imagine that they are round in shape and matched in size and color. Now imagine how many pearl divers from around the world were needed to find that many pearls of the right size and shape. Imagine the trade routes needed to transport them, one by one, to the one artist who strung them. Now imagine what that artist would charge you for such a rare and exquisite adornment…
Pearls that are round in shape and matched in size are still the most popular and are considered the most valuable in the marketplace. It’s just a memory. In a world where pearls are for everyone, and everyone is unique, this parameter will evolve in time.
Pearls are measured by the grain (weight) or by the diameter at the narrowest point, in millimeters. One jewelers’ grain is roughly .25 carats. This specific weight is one way that professionals can verify an antique wild pearl vs. a modern cultured one even if all the other attributes are the same.
The 7mm-8mm round pearl is the most in demand, and pearls rise in value along with size. A string of matched round 10mm pearls with fine luster would be an investment. Going forward, I think we’ll see similar investment being made in baroque pearls where the nacre is deep and the luster is fine. Perhaps one day, even mother of pearl will receive it’s due appreciation.
Length of the Strand
The length of the strand is the easiest attribute to measure. If all the luster and size of the pearls are equal between two strands, the longer strand is more valuable. In this case, the value comes not just from the greater number of pearls, but also from the greater versatility offered by a matinee or opera length strand. The price for a rope of quality pearls (greater than 33 inches) can rise sharply as the length increases.
Strands
Knotty or Nice
One last thing to consider is construction. Pearls are generally strung on floss with knots used to space the pearls and secure them in case the necklace breaks. Finer quality pearls mean more frequent knots. The finest strands will have a knot between every pearl, and a knot between the pearl and any other element such as crystal or earth mined stone. There are exceptions, for example fine wire can make knots unnecessary but it’s much harder on the pearls themselves.
Over all, the knots and the clasp will tell the tale. A maker who knots each pearl and uses a gold or sterling silver clasp is telling you about the quality of the pearls they’ve used. If the maker shows you that their pearls aren’t worth knotting, you should probably believe them.
Pearls are for Everyone
With all of that said, the only real test of any strand of pearls – just as it is with any piece of art or craftsmanship – is you. Do you love it? Embrace your choice and know that true style will never go out of fashion!
