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Andrea Pawlyna

Jewellers would like to see more women enjoy this gift from the sea, a symbol of purity and innocence

RENOWNED FOR THEIR translucent beauty, pearls have a special place in the hearts of jewellery fanciers. Warm, organic, smooth and lustrous, they  have been highly valued  by many cultures for thousands of years.

In ancient times, pearls were associated with the moon and were thought to have magical powers. Long a symbol of purity and innocence, pearls have traditionally been worn by brides on their wedding day. Mother's Day is another high point for pearl jewellery.

Although pearl jewellery companies are happy that pearls have such a hallowed reputation, they would like to see women enjoy these gifts from the sea on many more occasions.

The result has been a strong trend towards more innovative pearl jewellery designs aimed at young, fashion conscious women. New designs are also attempting to explore a more sensuous, passionate side of pearls.

Classic strands of white pearls remain a perennial favourite, but even these are being given a fresh new look, with designs sometimes incorporating colourful gemstones such as sapphires and tourmaline.

Strands and jewellery that feature multicoloured pearls are gaining favour, along with combinations of pearls drawn from the full palette of freshwater, South Sea, black Tahitian and Akoya cultured pearls.

'In the past, people thought pearls were for more mature women. The designs had a lot of diamonds so the pieces looked older. But companies are moving away from that,' said Hanspeter Pieth, Hong Kong managing director of Golay, a Swiss-based company that specialises in pearls.

The typical new look for pearl jewellery is a small number of pearls and diamonds in simpler settings. 'Designers are playing with seasonal themes and flowers. The style is much more playful,' Mr Pieth said.

An example is Golay's new Mine, Mine, Mine 18-carat white gold pendant, earring and ring set from its Ready-To-Wear Collection. Each piece features a stylised rendering of a blossom with a black Tahitian centre pearl surrounded by diamond petals.

Mr Pieth sees the mixing of colours and pearl types as a positive development after a long tradition where the market only wanted perfectly round white pearls. 'There is such a wide variety of different pearls available that you have something for every taste and for every woman,' he said.

Large white South Sea and black Tahitian pearls, white cultured pearls and the many hues of freshwater pearls - white, orange, salmon, lavender and yellow - allow for endless mixing and matching.

Of the various types of pearl, freshwater pearl jewellery stands out as the most affordable. As a general guide, jewellery with a few freshwater pearls and a small number of accent diamonds could retail for less than  $1,000, Mr Pieth said. A similar item with one or two Akoya cultured pearls would cost  $800 to $1,500, while one with black Tahitian pearls  will cost $2,000 to $3,000 and South Sea pearls will cost $3,500 to $5,000.

Pearl jewellery is often segmented into two distinct types - daytime wear for the office and night-time for more formal occasions. Jewellery with freshwater and Akoya cultured pearls tends to be better suited for daytime wear. The glamour of larger black Tahitian and white South Sea pearls reaches its zenith in more elaborate pieces that complement evening wear

Multifunctional jewellery is a trend sweeping all types of jewellery, including pearl jewellery. Mikimoto's new Debuter pearl necklace includes a detachable 18-carat white gold infinity heart fitted with a single pearl.

'You can wear the necklace as a strand of pearls by itself or add the heart to make it dressier. Or you can wear the heart on a chain as a separate pendant,' said Toshiyuki Kumai, managing director of Mikimoto Pearl Jewellery (HK).

Rings in its Crossing Band collection can be mixed and matched, and worn singly or in pairs. The rings are set with a choice of black Tahitian, white South Sea pearls or pink sapphires.

'The trend is definitely towards more colour and more three-dimensional jewellery,' Mr Kumai said.

As with other pearl companies, Mikimoto is looking for ways to enhance its pearl jewellery with coloured gemstones.

'If we mix pearls and diamonds with coloured stones, it makes the piece much more interesting,' he said.

Swiss-owned pearl company Hodel (HK) is known for its range of Keshi pearl jewellery. Keshi pearls grow spontaneously in the soft tissue of pearl-bearing mollusks. Their unusual shapes are a source of inspiration for designer and company director Linda Hodel.

Unlike cultured pearls, which have an implanted shell bead over which a pearly or nacreous layer forms, Keshi pearls are all nacre or pure pearl. 'This makes the lustre of the pearl very deep,' Ms Hodel said. The company offers a line of 18-carat white gold medallion pendants mounted with several black Tahitian, golden or white South Sea Keshi pearls.

Ms Hodel likes to describe her company's design style as classically trendy. 'We have our classic line which stays in style forever and our couture line, which is more design intensive and younger looking,' she said. The company works with all types of pearls, usually combining them with diamonds in jewellery. But Ms Hodel's love of colour can be seen in pearl strands to which she adds sapphires or the electric blue of paraiba tourmalines.

When buying any type of pearl jewellery, she and other pearl experts rank lustre as the most important factor. Lustre refers to the surface brilliance of a pearl as well as to the light that is reflected off a pearl's internal layers. Other factors to bear in mind are size, shape, surface quality and colour.

Mr Pieth said that size, shape and colour were relative and based on personal preferences. Surface quality referred to flaws such as blemishes and other imperfections. Pearls should not be rejected simply because of tiny bumps or pits. 'It's okay to have slight spots because you won't see them if someone is wearing a pearl necklace,' he said.

Matching pearls to one's personality and skin tone are crucial. 'The older a woman is, the more she should stick with classic designs. Younger women can go for more playful designs or combine pearls with leather, not just gold,' Mr Pieth said.

Put a pearl necklace right next to your skin to see how it matches with your complexion. 'If you have darker skin, creamy or off-white pearl colours are good. European is whiter, so pearls with pinkish overtones look better,' he said. 'For a Chinese person, pearls with silver-white overtones are a good match.'



pearls magic in a shell