I think pearls are great looking and they could use long pearls or a triple strand. The style now is all sorts of odd beads. If you were doing black at a formal there are some great pieces like black beads with crystal mixed in, or limestone. Then if you didn't want to do pearls then go with gold. You don't want too many places for the eye to go because your eye would just bounce around the person. You don't want too many focal points. So, if the necklace is dangly with crystals then go with a much smaller simple black jade earring. If that looks good on the person then they could do a crystal, not a chandelier but just one single drop earring.
