A Pearl Necklace is the compelling true story of Mi Xue's struggles and victories strung together throughout life, weaving sorrows and joys, fear and faith to create a beautiful Masterpiece of inspiration that shines like a precious jewel even throughout the darkest times. As a first generation Chinese American, Mi Xue strives to counter alienation with achievement only to discover the inadequacy of her own self-sufficiency to overcome the challenges of her failing marriage. She begins a lifelong search for a purpose and power greater than herself to transform the trials of marriage, three children in three and a half years, an autistic firstborn, job losses, dysfunctional codependency, family-career tug-of-wars, and over twenty relocations in three continents. Mi Xue reaches beyond the depths of her Chinese roots and the heights of the American dream to find her most profound identity and fulfillment beyond herself, connecting you with the lost wanderer yearning to return home in each of us.

Whether you prefer a classic single strand or a funky combination of pearls and semi-precious materials, Simply Pearls shows you how to create necklaces that are easy to make yet look both expensive and professionally made. No longer the extravagance they used to be, pearls come in a variety of types - from freshwater to faux - that make these beautiful gems an affordable and elegant option. With projects designed for beginners and intermediate crafters - with a few more challenging designs for good measure - Simply Pearls is a volume that people will consult again and again for basic stringing, knotting and wire-work techniques; to find inspiration and project ideas, including tips on refreshing heirloom jewellery; and as a materials reference. Whether your look is modern and edgy or classic Chanel, Simply Pearls offers great how-to-wear-it ideas and beautiful projects that will give you the Tiffany s look at budget prices.

"Richly encrusted with myth and legend and radiant with intrigue and romance, the pearl necklace is a universal icon like no other that has threaded its way not only through the history of jewelry but the evolution of fashion as well. Renaissance queens, maharajas, Hollywood starlets, and modern influencers have all made the pearl necklace part of their wardrobes, each wearing it after their own fancy. A symbol of feminine purity, a sign of status and power; an emblem of tradition, a quintessential heirloom, and opportunity for reinvention, the pearl necklace has adapted, chameleon-like, across centuries to become an expression of changing ideals of womanhood and of a woman's place in the world. In the most authoritative volume on the subject to date, The Pearl Necklace explores the legacy of these lustrous strands through fine art and fashion, with an introductory essay by award-winning journalist and jewelry historian Vivienne Becker that reminds us why the pearl necklace has long been the ultimate object of fascination and fantasy."--Page [2] of cover.

In February 1918, Lady Northcliffe, wife of the owner of The Daily Mail and The Times had the idea of raising funds for the Red Cross by asking women to give a pearl as a tribute to the dead and the wounded in the Great War. The plan was to create a necklace which would be auctioned at Christie's. However, the idea grew beyond her greatest expectations. It captured the public's imagination and over the next nine months nearly four thousand pearls poured in not just from Britain but from across the world. The pearls were discussed in drawing rooms, written about in The Times and even debated in Parliament. The story of the Red Cross Pearls is an historical gem which has never been told in detail before. Drawing on the archives of the Red Cross, Christie's and the Victoria and Albert Museum, this book traces the story of the Red Cross Pearl Appeal throughout the eventful year of 1918. Interweaving the story of the campaign with the personal stories behind individual pearls this book provides a snapshot of a world that was changed forever by the war

Imam Tirmidhi narrates that the Prophet ﷺ ordered people to 'Be modest before Allah, as is His due.' The Prophet ﷺ then explained that 'Modesty before Allah means protecting the head and all that is in it; and protecting the stomach and all that is inside it. Furthermore, you should remember death and decay, for one whose eyes are set on the Hereafter keeps away from worldliness. One who accomplishes all of this is one who is modest before Allah, as is His due.' This work is an elaborate commentary on the aforementioned hadith. It covers Divine and Prophetic injunctions, as well as scholarly discussions relating to a variety of subjects, such as having pure belief in Allah; the various facets of spiritual purification; how to use the bodily parts in a lawful manner; maintaining honest financial transactions; the rules of good social conduct; and the remembrance of death and rulings connected to it. The treatise ends with a detailed outline of the substantial events heralding the End of Time and the events of the life after death; in the grave and on the Day of Judgement, and a description of the final abodes of Heaven and Hell.