Looking for a collection from my youth....

I thought it was called Very Grim (or Grimm) Tales, but I've been doing Internet searches on both of those, and cannot find anything. It was by one author, a woman, and it may have been her first book. The only story I can really recall from it - and perhaps the only one I read - was a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but it was simply stunning. The story was told by the prince after the mermaid's disappearance, and included some marital conflict between he and his wife. Especially striking to me was the scene in which she tried to fashion a necklace of various jewels, and he was enraged at the sight of pearls, which reminded him of his former love: "Another day you shall make a necklace of rubies and diamonds," he said, "but not pearls. Pearls are not for you."

Help?!!

I don't recognise this story, but I do have a lot of anthologies in my library if you want to have a browse.
This website may also help; http://www.surlalunefairytales.com
Can you remember anything else about the collection? were they for children, modernised, etc
I also tried this tag mash; http://www.librarything.com/tag/anthology,fairy%20tales%20retold It might help you remember the author at least.
Hope this helps, because I want to read this book too now:)

Could it be Truly Grim Tales by Priscilla Galloway? It contains the short story "The Voice of Love" which is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but I haven't read it so am not sure about the pearls.

That's it, kirstygm! I recognize the cover art. Thank you both for your help; now I just have to find a copy....

Hey, just wanted to shout out an extra thank-you to you both - I just read it and I still love the story I remembered, as well as two of the others. The others weren't as much to my taste, but I'm glad to have read it all the same. I mentioned you both in my review! http://www.librarything.com/work/227405/reviews/48782673

Thank you for providing a link, ncgraham. I read your review and I think I'll take a look at this book as soon as I can find a copy. Like you, I really don't care for gore, but this does sound interesting.

For some reason the touchstone for Truly Grim Tales directs me to another book by the same author so I'm just trying again to get it to point the right way - hope this does it. And it sounds like a great book - I'll be looking out for it.