Pearl jewellery renaissance continues with updated designs
Given the difficulty of getting large, flawlessly round and smooth pearls of a high lustre, it is no wonder there has been a surge of interest in semi-baroque and baroque pearls
Pearls are getting bigger and brighter, with larger specimens being placed in bejewelled settings. The fine jewellery scene’s love affair with colour also seems to have made an impact on the crop of pearl pieces. The rich golden variant of the South Sea pearl appears in many high-end pieces, while white freshwater pearl items are infused with colour using precious and semi-precious gemstones. This year sees the continued renaissance in pearl jewellery in the updated designs that gamely rift on the classic string of pearls look.
Falling in line with the trend to embrace colour in fine-jewellery pieces, Mikimoto pairs its white Akoya cultured pearls with a cascade of fire opal, garnet and diamond in its new multistrand lariat necklace, Passion Fire.The five rows of white Akoya pearls loop around the wearer’s neck to intersect with a captivating arrangement comprising a 60.56ct fire opal, 14.52ct garnet, and more than 10ct of diamonds set in 18ct white gold. The stones create a splash of colour and form the centrepiece to the necklace. The beauty of the fire opals and garnets is highlighted by the quiet glow of the pearls against which they are set.
The sheer number of Akoya pearls in the Mikimoto piece is breathtaking since they belie the difficulty in assembling that many pearls of the same size, shape, shade, shine, and surface texture in one piece of jewellery. A simple string of just 20 pearls, roughly 18mm in size, is difficult enough to amass. Industry experts say that even among cultured pearls, every harvest might yield only six of such strings of pearls.
This is highlighted in Jewelmer’s April unveiling of its Palawan strand. This string of pearls celebrates the glorious golden hue of the South Sea pearl. It took the company
37 years to gather all 35 pearls for this golden dream. And with the pearl size 16mm to 18mm, The Palawan Strand is an impressive accomplishment.
Mikimoto launches “The Pearl Necklace” book in Hong Kong:
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Given the difficulty of getting large, flawlessly round and smooth pearls of a high lustre, it is no wonder there has been a surge of interest in semi-baroque and baroque pearls. Mikimoto’s Flora necklace and earring set features large, baroque golden South Sea cultured pearls alongside more than 110ct worth of diamonds set in 18ct white gold. The 17.5mm golden ovoid gemstones punctuate the dense filigree of glistening diamonds to create careful perches the observer’s eye can land on to take in the grandeur of the necklace.
Another stunning design from Mikimoto is the Baroque Golden South Sea Cultured Pearl Pavé Diamond Vine Necklace. This sumptuous revision of the classic string of pearls wraps each golden gemstone, roughly 13mm to 16mm in size, in tendrils of 18ct yellow gold dotted with pavé diamonds meant to simulate vines. The piece is a classic design even as the intricate metalwork and the use of baroque pearls gives it a modern twist.