Silver Linings, a jeweler in Talbot County, Md., has awarded each female graduate of Easton and St. Michaels High Schools a hand-strung freshwater pearl necklace as part of the store’s “Pearls of Promise” initiative.
Aida Leisure, owner of Silver Linings, developed the program last spring, when she brought freshwater pearls back from the gem shows in Tucson, Ariz., and strung them to create some 200 necklaces for the 2011 graduates.
“Pearls are classic, timeless, and beautiful,” Leisure says. “The graduates are able to wear them for a special occasion, job interview, or college event.”
This year Silver Linings staff members volunteered about 200 hours of their time to help with the project. Each necklace is hand strung and knotted, and requires about an hour to create.
Next year, Leisure hopes to partner with a local business that will award a special gift to the male graduates as well. “We are hoping to create a tradition,” Leisure says. “It is important to give back to a community that has supported us over the years.”
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