Pearls: Autumn Trend Alert
Autumn Trend Alert: Pearls are back this year, and for the foreseeable future. Discover more about this iridescent treasure.
Pearls have been a treasured staple in generations of jewellery boxes. The iridescent beauties are still as popular and it appears that they’re going to be a big Autumn trend for A/W16. Pearls have been seen on the pre-autumn catwalks in the form of necklaces, bracelets and earrings all the way to buttons. There are many variations of pearls and an endless amount of colours to choose from.
The history of pearls:
They are a beautiful gemstone and the way they are formed is amazing. Unlike other gemstones which must be mined, cut and polished, pearls are grown by oysters in the sea! They have a shimmering iridescence and lustre to them, so much so that if you look closely you should see your own face in them.
Now more than ever there has been an increased demand for them. Since the early 20th Century the pearl farming industry has grown to meet the demand in sales. It’s a fascinating part of the jewellery world to read up on, ahead of your own purchase.
Pearls and HK Bespoke Jewellery
At Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery we use a variety of pearls such as fresh water, seed, river, coin, Keshi and many more. Seed are beautiful and work really well when mixed with other pearls or gemstones. They are usually no more than 2mm in diameter so when they are strung together they form a beautifully delicate necklace. Coins are flatter, similar in shape to a button or coin, hence their name! They are mostly farmed in freshwater mussels which help to create the beautiful coin shape. The farmers insert a flat round nucleus made from shell to help the coin shape to form.
We have a wide pearl collection, which our designers have centred around wearability for every occasion. Day to night wear and even customisable!
It’s important to care for pearls properly, ensuring that they do not come into contact with products such as perfume. People don’t often realise that re-stringing is one of the most important parts of maintenance too! This is easily identifiable, or a professional can help- we have one in each of our studios and shops.