Creative Pearl Jewellery for Modern Cool: The biogenic birthstone for June, modern pearls come in a wonderous selection of sizes shapes and colours. Inspired by an article in the Guardian this morning on how the pearl is having a resurgence as a symbol of stability and trustworthiness I thought I’d guide you round our favourites. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/feb/12/how-kamala-harris-made-wearing-pearls-cool
Keshi pearls have no nucleus so the are solid nacre. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but we look out for these flat cornflake looking pearls. As an organic product a consistent supply is never assured so all of our peal production is based on buying unusual strands that once sold are unlikely to be replaced exactly. the necklace is made from the largest keshi cornflakes that we have come across at 20mm diameter. they are string with a brushed silver 20mm magnetic ball catch and silver discs on strong tiger tail cord.
Keshi pearls also come in sizes upto 40mm and can have the most gorgeous baroque shapes. It takes a lots of sorting through piles of pearls to find a row that has the perfect balance of shape colour and nacre density but it is always worth it. The “Elephant” pearl necklace below shows off the subtle coloured lustres of these amazing swirling shapes.
Recently we’ve been coming across “foil” pearls. They are formed when the production of perfectly round large pearls goes awry but we love them. They have a surface texture of tin foil balls accompanied by beautiful smooth nacre and lustres. Again it is something that may not be around for long making each piece unique.
The baroque pearl is nucleated but has a lovely uneven organic shape
The mabe pearl has a flat back as it is formed on the shell of the oyster so is ideal for using as a set gemstone. This silver cuff and ring are good examples of this.
The freshwater pearl has improved massively in quality in recent years. Farmed mostly in China they provide a huge range of shapes and sizes for use in jewellery and clothing production.
We use Akoya pearls in our fine jewellery. They have a perfect roundness and high lustre in sizes up to 7.5mm. They are the original farmed pearl (it is illegal to take pearls from the wild) and come from a tiny salt water oyster off the coast of Japan.
The seed pearl makes beautiful wedding jewellery and we use it in our “Vintage” inspired ranges.
I hope this has inspired you to see the pearl outside of it’s “twinset and pearl” image. if you own some treasured pearls why not get them restrung in a contemporary style to give them a new lease of life? Email us in a photo of what you have to discuss it with our designer. https://prelive.prudenandsmith.com/product/book-a-design-appointment/
See more of our creative pearl jewellery here.