CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- We asked readers to tell us how they got their first pearls. Here's what we heard back:

It was our 25th wedding anniversary. My husband went to the jeweler's to buy a strand of pearls.

"What length do you need?" the saleslady with long, blond hair asked. He didn't know, so she tried on several strands to demonstrate the various lengths.

While on our romantic mountain getaway, he surprised me with the pearls. As I held them up, there was long, blond hair wrapped around the pearls. My husband was mortified!

-- Jane Garnett

When I was single I had a roommate who every year on her birthday received a pearl to go on her "Add a Pearl" necklace.

I always thought that was a nice idea. So my husband, Gary, surprised me on our first anniversary with an "Add a Pearl" necklace with one pearl on it.

Well, we just celebrated our 32nd anniversary on June 4, and I still only have one pearl on my necklace. Some day I'll have to have him catch up on the pearls he owes me.

-- Christie Werkman

I will never forget when my father (of modest means) gave my mother a pearl necklace for her 40th birthday. Since their wedding, he was more inclined to buy her vacuum cleaners and slippers, and had never bought her anything as nice as jewelry. So to a teenager, it was a very special gift, showing so much appreciation and love from a husband to a wife.

The pearls were stolen with most of her jewelry 10 years ago. This past year, when I turned 40, he continued the tradition and gave both my mother and me a pearl necklace. They shall always remind me of the love our family shares.

-- Monika Hussell of Charleston

On June 15, 1986, after 20-plus hours of labor, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Lyndsi Nikol Crum. It was noon on Father's Day.

While in the recovery room, my wonderful, emotional husband, Ron, presented me with a beautiful pearl ring. What a wonderful Father's Day for him.

A pearl because it is one of June's birthstones, and a pearl because of the precious baby girl just delivered. My daughter was 23 on June 15, and I still have the ring, which I wear almost every day. When my daughter has her first child, or at a time when I think appropriate, she will be presented with that same pearl ring.

-- Phyllis Crum

My husband gave me a beautiful set of pearls on the anniversary of our first kiss. They are uniquely designed with a sapphire center. They are very special and I wear them for special occasions. Beautiful to look at and exciting to wear.

-- Lana Newhouse Taylor

My first strand of pearls were given to me by my mother, Katherine Giltinan, when I became engaged to my husband.

When she was a young lady, she was in Florida and had just won some money at the horse races. She saw the necklace in a jewelry store window and splurged! It is a 16-inch graduated pearl strand. I wore it for my wedding.

-- Lynn Payne of Charleston

Growing up in Marmet the youngest of five, I always enjoyed looking at my mother's jewelry, which she kept in a pretty blue velvet box. Among the pins and rings, the one item that stood out was her string of pearls. As a child, I imagined being a bride and wearing those pearls at my wedding.

My father, Vincent Hansford, gave those pearls to our mother, Lucille, as a gift after their first child was born. Mom wore them throughout the years on different occasions. In 1984, she wore them when she and Dad had their 50th wedding anniversary pictures made. My oldest sister, Emma Tucker, wore them for her senior portrait in 1955 at East Bank High School. My next-to-oldest sister, Mary Anne Wilder, wore them in 1960 for her senior portrait from EBHS. Then I proudly wore for my senior portrait in 1968 at EBHS, knowing I was following family tradition.

My childhood dream came true when I wore her pearls at my wedding in 1982 to my husband, Ron Williams. Hopefully, I will wear them at my 50th wedding anniversary. Mom's granddaughter, Erica Boggess, also wore them at her wedding.

Our mother passed on in 2003, leaving her pearl necklace to our family. Whoever wears them next will have over 70 years of memories of all the women who wore them around their neck. Thank you, Mom, for giving your children and future generations many wonderful memories and stories of your pearl necklace.

-- Cathy Hansford Williams of Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- We asked readers to tell us how they got their first pearls. Here's what we heard back:

It was our 25th wedding anniversary. My husband went to the jeweler's to buy a strand of pearls.

"What length do you need?" the saleslady with long, blond hair asked. He didn't know, so she tried on several strands to demonstrate the various lengths.

While on our romantic mountain getaway, he surprised me with the pearls. As I held them up, there was long, blond hair wrapped around the pearls. My husband was mortified!

-- Jane Garnett

When I was single I had a roommate who every year on her birthday received a pearl to go on her "Add a Pearl" necklace.

I always thought that was a nice idea. So my husband, Gary, surprised me on our first anniversary with an "Add a Pearl" necklace with one pearl on it.

Well, we just celebrated our 32nd anniversary on June 4, and I still only have one pearl on my necklace. Some day I'll have to have him catch up on the pearls he owes me.

-- Christie Werkman

I will never forget when my father (of modest means) gave my mother a pearl necklace for her 40th birthday. Since their wedding, he was more inclined to buy her vacuum cleaners and slippers, and had never bought her anything as nice as jewelry. So to a teenager, it was a very special gift, showing so much appreciation and love from a husband to a wife.

The pearls were stolen with most of her jewelry 10 years ago. This past year, when I turned 40, he continued the tradition and gave both my mother and me a pearl necklace. They shall always remind me of the love our family shares.

-- Monika Hussell of Charleston

On June 15, 1986, after 20-plus hours of labor, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Lyndsi Nikol Crum. It was noon on Father's Day.

While in the recovery room, my wonderful, emotional husband, Ron, presented me with a beautiful pearl ring. What a wonderful Father's Day for him.

A pearl because it is one of June's birthstones, and a pearl because of the precious baby girl just delivered. My daughter was 23 on June 15, and I still have the ring, which I wear almost every day. When my daughter has her first child, or at a time when I think appropriate, she will be presented with that same pearl ring.

-- Phyllis Crum

My husband gave me a beautiful set of pearls on the anniversary of our first kiss. They are uniquely designed with a sapphire center. They are very special and I wear them for special occasions. Beautiful to look at and exciting to wear.

-- Lana Newhouse Taylor

My first strand of pearls were given to me by my mother, Katherine Giltinan, when I became engaged to my husband.

When she was a young lady, she was in Florida and had just won some money at the horse races. She saw the necklace in a jewelry store window and splurged! It is a 16-inch graduated pearl strand. I wore it for my wedding.

-- Lynn Payne of Charleston

Growing up in Marmet the youngest of five, I always enjoyed looking at my mother's jewelry, which she kept in a pretty blue velvet box. Among the pins and rings, the one item that stood out was her string of pearls. As a child, I imagined being a bride and wearing those pearls at my wedding.

My father, Vincent Hansford, gave those pearls to our mother, Lucille, as a gift after their first child was born. Mom wore them throughout the years on different occasions. In 1984, she wore them when she and Dad had their 50th wedding anniversary pictures made. My oldest sister, Emma Tucker, wore them for her senior portrait in 1955 at East Bank High School. My next-to-oldest sister, Mary Anne Wilder, wore them in 1960 for her senior portrait from EBHS. Then I proudly wore for my senior portrait in 1968 at EBHS, knowing I was following family tradition.

My childhood dream came true when I wore her pearls at my wedding in 1982 to my husband, Ron Williams. Hopefully, I will wear them at my 50th wedding anniversary. Mom's granddaughter, Erica Boggess, also wore them at her wedding.

Our mother passed on in 2003, leaving her pearl necklace to our family. Whoever wears them next will have over 70 years of memories of all the women who wore them around their neck. Thank you, Mom, for giving your children and future generations many wonderful memories and stories of your pearl necklace.

-- Cathy Hansford Williams of Charleston

I have a beautiful set that my son bought in China in 2006 when he was there with WVU as part of the MBA program. I wore them for the first time to his wedding last July! I have no idea what he paid for them, or how valuable they might be, but to me they are priceless!

-- Mary Gregory of Hurricane

I have three nieces ages 10, 9 and 7. When the first one was born, I wanted to buy her a gift she could keep. I went to Calvin Broyles and they suggested the add-a-pearl necklace. The original necklace came with one cultured 6 mm pearl.

Since that time, I've added pearls for their birthdays, Christmas and a few other special occasions.

By the time the girls graduate from high school (or maybe college), their necklaces will be a full string of pearls.

The only downside is when an occasion calls for a gift from their Auntie Jane, they know what to expect. I've even tried to disguise the box to no avail.

-- Jane E. Adkins

I was promised a set of pearls on our 25th anniversary -- not just any pearls; only a strand of Mikimotos would do. My mother had been very ill that year, and I simply forgot about this and most other things.

However, my husband had not. He let me think we were celebrating our 24th anniversary because he knew what I had on my mind. My mother passed away on June 16, 2008; our anniversary is June 18, 1983.

This year on our 26th anniversary, I received the most beautiful strand of pearls and, yes, they are the Mikimotos that I was promised. I was able to fully appreciate the gift and the love that came with it. I am reminded each time I wear them of two very important people: my mother and my husband.

-- Robin Chapman of Ansted

I have a three-string pearl choker that was given to me by my wonderful husband of 56 years on my 16th birthday.

They are still lustrous and beautiful. They came from the "best" jewelry store in St. Albans at the time -- Bodies. Anything from Bodies was considered a treasure -- and for a 16-year-old, doubly so!

-- Patsy Young of St. Albans

It was the Christmas season of 1962 or 1963 at FMC Ordnance in South Charleston, and our accounts payable office exchanged names for gifts. My supervisor, Richard Mohr, got my name and to my complete surprise and delight, I received pearls. They were about 20 inches long and beautiful colors -- not real white, just a tint of beige. They are all the same size and rounded.

I have since received pearls that are probably more expensive, but I love these pearls (their size and color) and wear them a lot. They also have a sentimental value as I loved my job at FMC and my co-workers.

-- Judy Bowen Romano

My mom loved jewelry. She had wonderful costume jewelry and the "real stuff" -- silver, gold and semiprecious stones.

One day I was out with her, and she had on one of her coral ultra suede suits with a large strand of pearls. I looked at the pearls rather closely, and she said, "They're real."

After mom's passing, I began going through her jewelry and much to my surprise, I found not one, or two, but three strands of pearls wrapped individually in velvet packets.

Whenever I wear one of those strands of pearls, I think of my mom and all the beautiful memories we shared.

-- Dee Hill of Charleston

I was a senior at Hurricane High School in 1952. One day I went into a jewelry store on Main Street owned by Ira Tallman.

He asked who I was, and found out that he knew my grandmother when she was a young girl. He said be sure to come back to the store before I graduated.

When I went back, he gave me a choker style of pink pearls -- one strand on a springy wire. Just pull out the wire and they just clipped around my neck. I was so thrilled. I kept them for many years.

Mr. Tallman was a very nice man. He gave them to me because he knew my grandmother. Two years after than, my husband-to-be went to the same jewelry store and bought my engagement ring and wedding band. We were married 53 wonderful years before he passed away in 2007.

-- Mairlis Johnson Edwards of St. Albans