Tin Cup Necklace

Many jewelry trends seem to come and go, but the tin cup necklace remains a hot style year after year. There must be a reason why the floating pearl necklace is a perennial favorite when other styles fall from favor after only a season or two. I set out to discover why the tin cup necklace is so popular, and this is what I found.

The number one reason why women everywhere love pearl tin cup necklaces is their versatility. The delicate and feminine style is beloved by brides and bridesmaids, but it is seen in many, many more settings beyond weddings. Celebrities like First Lady Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Hillary Swank all adore the lustre of pearls, and they are often photographed wearing different pearl necklace designs, such as the tin cup, layered with additional necklaces for a truly high fashion look. The light and airy nature of a tin cup necklace also means that it works as well in everyday life as it does on the red carpet. After all, the iconic design was named after the 1996 golf movie “Tin Cup”, and Renee Russo wore the necklace to add style to her casual wardrobe. Many women love the floating pearl necklace to add an understated elegance to their office attire. It works beautifully with a blouse, giving the wearer all of the polish and sophistication that we associate with pearls without looking too heavy or formal for work.

Something else that women adore about tin cup necklaces is that they are so easy to personalize. Think about it: you can completely customize almost every aspect of the necklace, from the length of the chain to the diameter of the pearls to even the color of the pearls. If you love warm rich colors, a gold or gold filled chain can be paired with large golden colored pearls for a necklace with an incomparably rich glow. For drama, black pearls can be spaced along a glittering silver chain. Or simply choose the timeless original: white pearls floating along a delicate silver chain.

It turns out that there are as many reasons to love a tin cup necklace as there are gorgeous versions from which to choose. No wonder that year in and year out, when women are searching for that one perfect piece to add to their jewelry collection, they pick the necklace popularized by the film “Tin Cup”.

The tin cup necklace, which features pearls spaced along a fine chain, is one of the most beloved styles of jewelry. Have you ever wondered about the origins of the design, and why floating pearl necklaces became so popular? If so, you are in luck, because this is the history behind the iconic necklace.

One thing that puzzles many people about the tin cup necklace is how it got its name. What on earth does a tin cup have to do with a beautiful pearl necklace?, you may wonder. The answer is that the style was featured in the 1996 movie “Tin Cup” starring Kevin Costner and Renee Russo. The film is about the romance that develops between golf pro Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy (Costner) and psychologist Dr. Molly Griswold, played by Russo. The movie was generally well reviewed, but its enduring legacy is the white pearl illusion necklace worn by Russo.

The famous necklace was designed for the film by Wendy Brigode, a jewelry designer who got her start in Hollywood as a personal stylist to the stars. The pearl station necklace made famous by “Tin Cup” was originally created by Brigode as an alternative to the heavier look of traditional pearl strands. She designed the floating pearl piece to be a modern and ageless option for women who loved pearls, but not the high price tag or old-fashioned image associated with the classic strand. When Russo’s character wore the necklace on film, women everywhere became enamored of the versatile style, and the tin cup necklace became that rare thing: an instant modern classic.

Excitement for tin cup necklaces grew as Renee Russo wore another floating pearl necklace in the movie “Ransom”, which was released just a few months after “Tin Cup” in 1996. Ironically, costume designers for both films selected one of Brigode’s pearl illusion necklaces for Russo, without knowing that she was wearing one in another movie. I guess that if the timing had been slightly different, we would refer to the floating pearl necklace as the “ransom”, rather than the “tin cup”!

The stylish and collectible tin cup necklaces quickly became a hot accessory for television and print media. Appearances in chic magazines such as Town and Country and in the top television hits of the ’90s like “Seinfeld” and “Beverly Hills, 90210″ ensured that the pearl station necklace would soon be the must-have item for every stylish woman. Unlike other trends, this one proved to have enduring power, and before long, women were able to select from tin cup necklaces which were created not only from the 7-8mm white pearls used in the original, but in beautiful freshwater pearls, affordable Swarovski pearls, and luxurious Tahitian pearls. Over a decade later, the tin cup necklace remains a favorite for both special occasions and everyday wear of women around the world. And to think that it all started with a golf movie!