Happy Valentine's Day! Proenza Schouler's jacket oozes hip femininity when paired with J Brand crapped pants and our 18k Branch necklace & 14k Diamond 9mm Tahitian cultured pearl drop earrings.
Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- January 4th, 2011
Above: Angelina Jolie, Jada Pinkett Smith, January Jones, Joanne de Guardiola, Heidi Newton, Florence Welch, Designer Carolina Herrera, Janis Savitt
Outfit of the Day-- January 4th, 2011
Ring in the New Year with sensational style! We added our Silver Tahitian Pearl Strand and diamond earrings to this vibrant blue and black Matthew Williamson gown. Elevate this exquisite look with sleek Louboutin heels and a Silver Metallic Jimmy Choo clutch (Clothing at Net-A-Porter).
Celebrity Pearl Sightings --December 29th, 2010
Above: Danielle Hope, Cindy McCain, Christiane Amanpour, Daniela Iavarone, Claudia Gerini, Daniela Lavender, Demi Moore, Dina Manzo
Photo Credit: A&P, Zircondia
Chopard Gala at Art Style.uz 2010
Chopard Jewelry featuring South Sea Pearls and gemstones. The reception was hosted by Chopard vice-president Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele during Art Style.uz 2010 at Palace of International Forums on October 14, 2010 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Katie Homes wears the pearls as Jackie
Katie Holmes is portraying Jacqueline Kennedy in the History Channel's first scripted miniseries, The Kennedys. The series is set to run 8 hours long and air in 2011. Here are some behind the scenes pics while filming was taking place in New York City.
Spotlight on: Sea of Cortez Pearls
Sea of Cortez Pearls are saltwater cultured pearls from the rainbow-lipped Pteria sterna oyster, native to Mexico's Sea of Cortez. This oyster is also known as the Western Winged Pearl Oyster and Concha Nácar. Mexican Pearls display two features: an unusually compact structure of its aragonite crystals –seen at 500 nanometers- and the display of “spiraled” sub-patterns like a fingerprint, which are unique to these pearls.
Spanish captain Fortun Jimenez marveled at the pearls he saw on the locals when he visited what he termed the “Sea of Pearls” , later christened as the "Mare Bermejo de Cortés" (loosely translated as the "Red Sea of Cortez" and now officially known as the Gulf of California), in 1533. Natural pearls were harvested for the next 300 years, becoming an important export. Unfortunately, the construction of the Hoover Dam depleted nutrients in the Gulf of California, diminishing natural pearl production in the area. To protect the oysters, the government banned harvesting of natural oyster beds in 1939. The Monterrey Technical Institute in Guaymas began studying pearl culturing in 1993, producing the first experimental round pearls in 1996. Only 4,000 pearls are cultured in these waters each year, making them the rarest of cultured pearls. Only 30 percent of the production is round.
The average size of the Sea of Cortez pearl is 8.9 mm, ranging in size from 8.3 to 9.8 mm, but they can get as large as 14.3 mm. Sizes above 10 mm in diameter account for only 5% of a pearl harvest. The pearls are completely untreated; no polishing, bleaching, irradiation, coating or artificial dyeing is performed on them. The Sea of Cortez Pearl is the only pearl in the gem industry that completely qualifies under the Fair Trade Gems protocols.
Photos courtesy of Perlas del Mar Cortez
Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- July 24th, 2010
Above: Bethenny Frankel, Amber Keating, Annika Falkengren, Mrs. Rudd, Hillary Clinton, Isabel Preysler, Michelle Obama, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- July 7th, 2010
Above: Danielle Spencer, A Freda Wang model, Singer Kelis, Holly Branson, Roberta Armani, Dame Vera Lynn, Sandra Ibarra, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Above: Christine Ebersole, Ann-Kathrin Bauknecht, Helen Mirren, Barbara Eden, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Lizzie Lovett
Outfit of the Day-- June 30th, 2010
Ahhhhhhh! Effortless, breezy summer style comes easy with this gorgeous DVF sundress. We dressed it up with sky high heels, our 11 x 13mm Seafoam Tahitian Pearl Strand and matching Tahitian Pearl Studs with it.
Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- June 28th, 2010
Above: Scarlett Johanssan, Kelly Monaco, Julie Pinson, Kathryn Le, Tina Sloan, Christel Khahil, Elvera Roussel, Brenda Dickson
Above: Grazia Rota, Kimberly Matula, Megan Napier, Jeanne Cooper, Robin Riker, Sharon Case, Lucilla Bonaccorsi
Outfit of the Day -- June 23, 2010
Anchors away! You'll feel fun and flirty in this Parisian artist-inspired frock ($168) and our diamond anchor charm necklace and diamond three-stone earrings.
Outfit of the Day--June 16, 2010
The retailer keenly observes that "short and sweet, Shay Todd's periwinkle-blue ruffled twill playsuit is the perfect addition to your vacation wardrobe." We agree! We suggest accessorizing with our South Sea pearl & London blue topaz necklace and South Sea pearl & London blue topaz earrings.
Outfit of the Day--June 9, 2010
Working in the summer can be a drag, but dressing for work in the summer certainly doesn't need to be, as is evidenced by this gorgeous mimeo blouse with lavender and lilac ruffles ($98). We accessorized with our stunning silver- blue Tahitian pearl strand and complementary silver-blue Tahitian pearl and diamond earrings.
Pearl Farmers recognize the benefits of satoumi.
(From the Japan Times)
Ago Bay, Japan For decades, pearl farming took a toll on the local environment in Japan. Overproduction and pollution had destroyed many of the local marine inhabitants.
"There used to be all kinds of things in the bay-- swimming crabs, clams, sea bass, mozuku seaweed, and sea cucumbers," recalls 75 year old Akira Harajo. "But for 30 years now there have been almost no eels, and for 10 or 15 years there have been no Japanese littleneck clams. And it was us pearl farmers who polluted the bay."
Farmers have realized the detrimental effects caused by raw sewage piped directly into the waters. They can see the consequences in the depletion of marine life and in the direct impact it has to the pearl quality.
In theory pearl production is beneficial to the marine environment, except in the case of the farms in Ago Bay where the overproduction of oysters led to farmers growing too many oysters. Droppings and debris covered the sea floor and benthic organisms devoured this waste. The organisms used a huge amount of oxygen and caused hypoxia that killed many fish and other sea creatures.
In 2008, Japan embraced the national policy of satoumi, a term that refers to the coastal landscapes where humans play a beneficial role in the environment. Satoumi stems from 'sato' which means village and 'umi' which means sea.
"Coastal seas must have high biodiversity and productivity. The most important thing is to consider the sea a habitat." said Tetsuo Yanagi, who coined the term 'satoumi' in 1997.
To read more... http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/fe20100530a1.html
Outfit of the Day--May 28, 2010
Look like you just stepped off the beach in Nantucket in this darling strapless cotton frock and our gold and diamond starfish necklace and our diamond and South Sea pearl starfish earrings.
Outfit of the Day--May 24, 2010
If Vionnet's red crepe drape-back top ($1,170) doesn't stop admirers in their tracks, our breathtaking silver-gray Tahitian cultured pearl strand with a slight pink overtone and silver-magenta Tahitian cultured pearl earrings will!
Outfit of the Day--May 19, 2010
Elegance in blue began with a ruffled skirt by Odille and a white silk-chiffon blouse by Narciso Rodriguez and ended with our silver-blue Tahitian pearl strand and Tahitian pearl and Tanzanite drop earrings.
Outfit of the Day--May 17, 2010
Who says you have to leave the pearls home just because you're in the mood for casual attire? We paired these Splendid shorts ($95) and Helmut Lang top ($115) with our emerald green pearl strand and diamond & green pearl drop earrings.
Gold Rises to a Record High for the second consecutive day....
May 12 (Bloomberg) -- Gold futures rose to a record for the second straight day as financial turmoil in Europe spurred demand for an alternative to currencies.
“Gold is expensive, but people in the euro zone are moving out of their currencies and forcing themselves into gold,” said Adam Klopfenstein, a senior market strategist at Lind-Waldock in Chicago. “There’s a lot of fear on the part of the Europeans that moves to mitigate their debt crisis will only lead to more problems. People want to be in the currency of last resort.”
Outfit of the Day--May 13, 2010
Feeling flirty? Well, then, this Ottoman Empire waist dress ($80) is just the thing! We accessorized with contrasting and complementary jewelry, namely our silver-magenta earring studs and multicolor pearl strand featuring silver-magenta pearls.
What to wear to a Supreme Court nomination? Pearls!
How classy!
When she took the stage with U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for the announcement of her nomination to the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Elena Kagan wore one of her trademark pearl strands.
Kagan is the president's nominee to become the 112th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the first woman solicitor general, having been nominated by President Obama on January 26, 2009, and confirmed by the Senate on March 19, 2009.
If confirmed, she would become the fourth female justice in the Supreme Court's history, and the third on the current bench. She would also become the eighth Jewish justice in the Supreme Court's history, and the third on the current bench.
If you admire her style, you too can pull it off! Here, she's sporting dark gray Tahitian pearls, similar to our round black Tahitian pearl strand and matching Tahitian pearl studs.
She's also been spotted in a long pearl strand. We carry an ultra-long white freshwater pearl strand and matching freshwater pearl studs.
Finally, the pearl strand in which she is most often photographed is the simple single white pearl strand. Check out our gorgeous high-luster South Sea pearl strand and coordinating South Sea pearl drop earrings.
Rockstar Chic
Embrace your inner rocker with spray-on tight, gem-encrusted mini dresses and edgy cut away detailed frocks. We paired some of our sexier jewelry pieces with a handful of sleek dresses. Platinum Art Deco 1ctw Earrings ,8.1 x 12.6mm Silver Tahitian Pearl Strand, .50ctw Diamond Ring, 1ctw Diamond Pave Hoops.
Indonesia dominates pearl market - yet wants to improve
VIVA News reports: Indonesia's Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Fadel Muhammad, has announced that Indonesia is now the No. 1 pearl producer worldwide, reaching 53 percent of the market.
Therefore, to improve the pearl's quality, the government will invite pearl experts to the country in an attempt to farm better even pearls.
Already, "the biggest pearl species found in the Philippines and Australia is from Lombok," Muhammad told VIVA News.
*****
Lombok is famous in the pearl community for its gorgeous golden pearls. We have a few examples of South Sea golden pearls in stock:
Outfit of the Day--May 5, 2010
It's prom season, and that inspired us to feature this knock-out metallic jersey asymmetric dress by Halston ($1,995). We accented it with our diamond and green Tahitian pearl earrings and our multicolor Tahitian pearl strand.
A new Item of the Day is on sale!
Check out our new Item of the Day, which is 30% off through May 8!
Outfit of the Day--May 3, 2010
Be a blushing beauty in this Whether You Lilac It or Not Dress ($100)and our Tahitian & Akoya Pearl and diamond rope necklace and our diamond and Tahitian pearl drop earrings.
Item of the Day sale!
We're offering 30% off our Item of the Day in a sale good through May 8!
Our guide to wearing bold and contrasting pearl strands
A bold look for a powerful, confidant woman that is often seen on very successful women like Oprah, Nancy Pelosi and Cindy McCain: bold or contrasting pearl strands - or bold and contrasting strands! - that people would have to be blind to miss.
We've compiled some examples of the eye-catching use of big, colorful, complementary pearls by celebrities, including First Lady Michelle Obama - who naturally doesn't settle for simply bold or merely contrasting, but embraces both!
Outfit of the Day--April 28, 2010
Never assume that going casual means you can't wear your pearls! We paired a lovely ruffled magenta cardigan by Tabitha ($98) with jeans and sandals and accessorized with our diamond and aubergine Tahitian pearl earrings and our aubergine Tahitian pearl strand, both with magenta overtones.
It's sale time!
Check out our red-hot sale on select Tahitian pearl strands!
Outfit of the Day--April 26, 2010
Be the blushing beauty and turn heads in this $70 Rose Quartz Dress, which we paired with our arresting black Tahitian pearl strand and black Tahitian pearl earrings.
Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- April 26th, 2010
Top Row: Mary Alice Haney, Elizabeth Reeser, Martha Stewart, Gerard Malone,
2nd Row: Jane Rosenthal, Perrey Reeves from HBO's Entourage, Gai Waterhouse, Zoe Naylor
Bring a little color to your wedding
Pearl jewelry has always been a favorite among brides - and for good reason! The luminous glow of pearls is a perfect accessory for the vibrant bride adorned in dazzling white. But white isn't the only color brides are wearing these days - and pearls remain a perfect accessory, thanks to the vast spectrum of colors in which they come!
We paired some gorgeous gowns of the season, by designers Claire Pettibone and Suzanne Ermann, with some of our favorite pieces, which you can find at FutureFashionista.com.
Outfit of the Day--April 20, 2010
Who says dressing professionally has to be boring? Certainly not with this stunning teal silk-jersey wrap-front top with a self-tie belt and plunging V-neck by Issa for $305. We complemented it with a pair of our equally stunning silver-blue Tahitian pearl and diamond earrings and a silver-blue Tahitian pearl strand.
Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- April 20th, 2010
Cornelia Guest, Ann Souder, Alison Arngrim, America Ferrera
Gai Waterhouse, Kelly LeBrock, Tess Daly, Heather Leeds
Outfit of the Day--April 16, 2010
The Spun Berry Sugar Dress, which we coupled with Pink Champagne Peep Toe Wedges, makes for delightful spring attire. We would accessorize with our dreamy silver blue Akoya cultured pearl strand, with hints of rose, and our rose quartz and South Sea pearl earrings.
The Art of Nucleation
A grafter cuts mantle tissue from a donor Tahitian oyster (P.margaritifera). The tissue graft will be implanted with a bead nucleus into the new oyster. Donor oysters are often meticulously picked out based on their past history of producing especially vivid colored pearls. Farmers believe the donor tissue may have a lot to do with determining the color the mollusk will produce.
Outfit of the Day--April 13, 2010
The perfect casual Friday or "martinis with the girls" outfit. We paired this gorgeous jacket with a high luster Silver-gray Tahitian pearl strand and Diamond & Tahitian pearl earrings.
Outfit of the Day-- April 9, 2010
We are in love with bows... so feminine and tailored. We paired our gorgeousAubergine Tahitian Pearl Strand and matching Diamond Aubergine Tahitian Pearl Earrings with this fab outfit.
Outfit of the Day-- April 6th, 2010
A tidal-wave of tie-dye in this dress by Helmut Lang. Perfect for spring events and versatile enough to work as a day or evening piece. We matched it with our 1.5ctw Diamond Hoops and our Diamond Crossover ring. Dress, Shoes and Bag at Net-a-porter, Jewelry at FutureFashionista.com
Outfit of the Day-- April 3rd, 2010
We fell in love with this killer jacket by Donna Karan because of the exquisite detailing. We paired it with South Sea earring jackets and our Star & Moon Diamond Necklace. Clothing, heels and bag at Net-a-porter.com. Jewelry from FutureFashionista.com
Anniversary Sale!
Enjoy 30% off with Coupon Code: 10th
We're swimming in pearls....
Lots of new strands! We've only posted about 1/4 of the beautiful strands we recently finished drilling so keep your eye out for new strands being posted.
Tiny Helper
My two year old son, Elijah, helping me take pictures of strands.
Outfit of the Day-- March 22nd, 2010
We officially welcome spring in with a mind-blowing floral dress by Matthew Williamson. Pair it with a high luster AAA Silver-Blue Tahitian strand & studs and you will be the belle of the ball. Clothing and accessories from Saks.com
Celebrity pearl sightings, March 14, 2010
Maggie Tabberer, Naomi Simson, Melanie Brown, Nora Efron, Lisa Wilkinson, Liz Mohn, Marilynne Paspaley, Christine-Baranski, Nancy Del'Olio
Trend Watch: A Touch of Gray
Move over Black, Gray is the hottest new classic! It's been making its way onto the runways as the go-to neutral. We've put together several clothing items from Modcloth.com that flirtatiously play with shades in the gray palette.
Pair them with our 4ctw Diamond Hoops, a Silver-Gray Metallic Tahitian pearl necklace and earrings, or Diamond Bracelets.
Pearls in Spring/Summer Catalogs
Pearls adorn the models in many of the Spring/Summer 2010 catalogs this year. Below are examples from Saks Fifth Avenue and Brooks Brothers. These also offer excellent ideas on ways to wear your pearls.
Recent Posts
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- Feb 14th, 2011
- Outfit of the Day-- Feb 14th, 2011
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- February 1st, 2011
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- January 31, 2011
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- January 6th, 2011
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- January 5th, 2011
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- January 4th, 2011
- Outfit of the Day-- January 4th, 2011
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings --December 29th, 2010
- Celebrity Pearl Sightings-- December 2nd, 2010
