Mention pearls and people think of expensive elegant strings associated with the older lady and wearers of the twinset in colours of creamy pink and white.



Think again! Pearls can be dyed all colours of the rainbow and can look simply sensational combined with semi precious stones and glass.

Cultivated from freshwater molluscs, they consist of multiple thin transparent layers of calcium carbonate, with protein as a binding agent that hold the layers together. Pearls come in eight basic shapes: round, semi round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque and circled. Perfectly round pearls are the rarest, and the most valuable shape. The drop and pear shaped pearls are sometimes referred to as teardrop - most often seen as pendants, earrings, or as the centrepiece in a necklace.

Be aware of the imitation pearl. Some of these are simply made of mother-of-pearl, coral or conch, while others are made from glass, and are coated with a solution containing fish scales called essence d'orient. Although imitation pearls look the part, they do not have the same weight or smoothness as real pearls, and their lustre will also dim greatly. The pearls most of us wear today are cultured pearls, made by a process of introducing a bead or other object into an oyster or clam. The clam coats the foreigner with nacre, the patina that gives pearls their unique appearance.

The depth of the nacre coating depends on the type of creature involved, the water it lives in, and how long the intruder is left in place before it is removed. As nacre thickness increases, so does the quality and durability of the pearl.

Costume jewellery is created with a combination of pearls and with beads and other products such as wood, amber, gemstones, pottery, ceramic, metals, horn, coral, ivory, and shell. Usually created with non-precious metals, (although we do use sterling silver wires and findings on some pieces) Intricate patterns in glass beads mean that pieces of Venetian glass costume jewellery are particularly collectable as well as being extremely popular for people to wear.

Now it's possible to have a string of pearls that are modern, match your outfit and look simply sensational. Our pearls are bought from the Far East according to lustre and colour and each piece is handmade for originality and attention to detail. Your pearls will stay cleaner if you put them on after you've applied your makeup and perfume. -Take care not to spray your pearls with hairspray or perfume. Pearls will absorb these things and lose their lustre.

Don't store your pearls with other jewellery, because they can be scratched easily when metal or gemstones rub against them. Do not store pearls in a sealed bag! Pearls need to breathe. Pearls can dry out, so the oils from your skin are beneficial to keeping them healthy.

Wear pearls - they're not just for fancy occasions anymore!