Fashion

The sun is shining, the sky is blue and the mood relaxed. Let's hope so, as the summer holidays are finally here!

Packing a bag for a holiday can be quite a headache though. How do you fit so many favourite fashion essentials into a small travel bag? Versatility is the name of the game and pearl jewellery is perhaps the perfect holiday fashion accessory. Here are our top three tips:

1. Simple yet pretty Akoya pearl earrings will match nearly any wardrobe item in your bag, be it a pair of jeans or a colourful beach dress, and can be worn every day.

2. If you are in the city for some casual shopping, a long pastel-coloured freshwater pearl necklace worn in layers is a understated style, but can later in the day transform most outfits.

3. For the evening, why not also sneak in a pair of Tahitian pearl earrings or a pearl pendant in the corner of your handbag to wear on a romantic night out.

Remember to take care of pearls when you are on holiday. Don’t forget to remove your pearl jewellery if you go for a swim or play sport. The nacre that gives pearls their characteristic shine will be damaged by acid and chemicals. Giving them a simple wipe with a damp cloth is the best method for cleaning pearls.

Finally, pack your pearl jewellery in a soft pouch, separated from sharp metal jewellery that may scratch the surface of your pearls. Our Winterson pouch is ideal for protecting your loved pearl jewellery.

Have fun!

One of the highlights of the summer season is the English horseracing calendar and, on a sunny day, Ascot is surely one of its most celebrated events.

What to wear for the races? Ascot is known for its strict dress code, for which Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle famously wore her signature ivory ribbon embroidery lace dress and hat in the film My Fair Lady.

Outside of June's Royal Ascot week the fashion stakes at the racecourse are more relaxed but smart, with hats and pearls still the winning bet.

Winterson went to Ascot in support of the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, the largest dedicated brain tumour charity in the UK. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under 40 in the UK, with diagnosis times falling short of international standards.

The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust recently launched its HeadSmart campaign, to promote awareness of tumour symptoms amongst parents and health professionals as improving diagnosis times can significantly help reduce life-limiting disabilities.

To find out more about the symptoms to be aware of in your child and to support this important initiative, visit HeadSmart here.

Jewellers have worked with diamonds and pearls for hundreds of years and even today this is an adored combination of gems.

 

There is an astonishing choice of gemstones available to designers, including precious stones such as sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and semi-precious stones such as amethyst, topaz and peridot, so why is it that diamonds and pearls continue to be two of a girl’s best friends?

 

Diamonds have a remarkable appearance. They appear pure, translucid, nearly colourless and reflect incredible sparkles of light. Pearls are made with an equally exquisite material called nacre. They appear silky to the touch and smooth with a dazzling iridescence and overtones of colour. The unique synergy of diamonds and pearls creates a captivating elegance that is quite unrivalled.

 

Depending on the culture and the period in time, there are many traditional symbols associated with the matching of diamonds with pearls. Diamonds represent strength, purity, love and eternity, whilst pearls are symbols of good luck, chastity, innocence and friendship. With this symbolic history, it is easy to understand why diamonds and pearls are a perfect choice for bridal jewellery or wedding .

 

A white Freshwater pearl necklace  can also be finished with a clasp set with diamond pave, and is versatile enough to be worn either for evening or business occasions. For a more relaxed every day look, pearl pendants and earrings can be mounted with sparkling diamonds for a twist of glamour.

 

If you love this combination of gems, view a selection from our Diamonds and Pearls collection.

There are many ways to wear pearls and choosing the right length of necklace for your intended look is one of the first decisions to make.

The sautoir necklace, also known as a pearl rope necklace, is usually 95 cm in length or more. Worn as a single strand, the pearl sautoir can reach the waist and has a vintage style reminiscent of the 1920s, swinging round the necks of girls dancing the Charleston.

But the sautoir is also one of the most versatile rope pearl necklaces as it can be looped around the neck up to three times or can be worn knotted at the front. Recently the pearl sautoir has seen a revival with the trend for layering jewellery, perhaps worn with freshwater pearls of a different shape and colour, semi-precious stones or chains.

Certain clasp designs will also allow a sautoir to be twisted and worn like a short thicker necklace.

One of the most popular items at Winterson, the pearl rope necklace is a lasting addition to any jewellery box.

A truly stunning 19th century natural pearl and diamond tiara comes to auction next month at Christie's, in London, with an estimated price of £1-1.5 million. With the strength of interest in natural pearls in recent years, and of course the royal wedding, expectations are high for this unique sale.

The Rosebury Tiara is the centrepiece of an evening of rare, historical and opulent jewels. Being sold from a private collection, the tiara was originally created for the Countess of Rosebury, who upon her father's death in 1874 became the richest woman in Britain.

The bridal tiara itself boasts 13 natural saltwater button and drop-shaped pearls, ringed with diamond clusters and florettes. It is believed to have been acquired as a piece of bridal jewellery for the wedding of the Countess, perhaps making it the ultimate statement in bridal accessories. A matching pearl brooch and bracelet is also being sold as a separate lot, with an estimated price of £300-400,000.

The auction is being held at 2pm on 8th June at Christie's, King Street, London.

UPDATE

In June 2011, it was announced that the Rosebury Tiara had been sold for a dazzling £1,161,250 at auction at Christies.

She chose not to wear a necklace yesterday but, with an iconic dress designed by Sarah Burton for the British House of Alexander McQueen that beautifully referenced the elegance of Grace Kelly, there was surely no need.

Instead Kate Middleton chose to wear the diamond Halo Tiara, given to the Queen on her 18th birthday by her father King George VI, and a pair of stunning bespoke oak leaf and acorn motif diamond drop earrings by Robinson Pelham in London.

 

With an event as symbolic as a Royal Wedding, family members and guests alike chose a selection of historic and contemporary jewellery and accessories. We loved Samantha Cameron's statement costume necklace by Erickson Beamon and even the couple's Aston Martin. But our clear favourite was the Queen with her choice of a beautiful pearl necklace, pearl drop earrings and the Queen Mary’s True Lovers Knot brooch that matched the occasion in royal fashion.

 

Many congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

A pearl necklace is one of the finest pieces of jewellery that a woman can own. The diversity of pearls available today can inspire many different looks, both classic and contemporary. Customers often ask us how to buy a pearl necklace and what to consider.

PEARL COLOUR, SHAPE AND SIZE

The choice of pearl colours available today, with white, gold, silver, grey, black, pink, peacock and natural multi-coloured pearls, is simply dazzling. Different pearl colours will match and reflect skin tone or colourful clothes and accessories.

Pearls can be cultured in a variety of shapes, including the classic round pearl, the informality of an oval shape or the individual complexity of a baroque pearl.

Pearl size is also an important factor. Smaller pearls with diameters up to 9 mm typically make more discreet and classical jewellery, whilst larger pearls above 9 mm will be more eye-catching and luxurious. As pearls increase in size to more than 10mm diameter, their rarity and price also increases.

THE NECKLACE LENGTH

One way to choose the length of a pearl necklace is to consider the occasion when it will be worn. In general the shorter the necklace the more formal it may appear.

A choker pearl necklace that nestles at the base of the neck is really best suited for evening wear, a long sautoir may be worn fashionably loose, knotted or long around the neck and the traditional princess length pearl necklace will sit elegantly below the collarbone for a classic and versatile look.

Read more about the different lengths in our article on pearl necklace lengths.

THE CLASP

The clasp is not typically the centrepiece of a pearl necklace, however it is an important aspect to consider when buying a pearl necklace. A difficult clasp can be awkward to take on and off.

A good clasp will be secure, robust and with a smooth finish. The lobster clasp, fish hook and spring ring clasps are most commonly used with strings of pearls. There are many more clasps available, including designer clasps with diamonds. Consider the choice of materials used such as gold, coated gold vermeil, silver and gemstones.

Read more about our experience with different necklace clasps.

IF YOU HAVE TO COMPROMISE

The price of a pearl necklace will vary from a few pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. Unless your budget is unlimited, you may need to compromise on certain qualities of the necklace.

Consider an off-round pearl shape or reduce the pearl size as a way to reduce the price of the necklace. In our experience the allure of a pearl necklace is the iridescent shine of its pearls, so we would recommend selecting pearls that have the best lustre that will match your budget.

PEARL NECKLACES AT WINTERSON

The Winterson range of pearl necklaces and long rope necklaces offers a beautiful selection of luxury jewellery that is suitable for all occasions. Our standards of quality are set high and we hand select our pearls, in particular looking for good lustre.

Discover our necklace collections here, with luxurious South Sea pearl necklaces, exotic Tahitian pearl necklaces, iconic Akoya pearl necklaces and versatile Freshwater pearl pearl necklaces.

In 1917 enthusiastic New-Yorkers gawped at a double string necklace of natural pearls valued at $1 million, and said to be the finest in the Western world, that were being exhibited by jeweller Pierre Cartier.

A natural pearl is a pearl that has been formed entirely accidentally and with no intervention from humans at all.

Falling in love with the necklace, entrepreneurial Maisie Plant offered Cartier a swap of her 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue townhouse for the item. For an additional $100 in cash, Cartier bought the landmark building that it still occupies today.

Two years later, Kokichi Mikimoto, an innovative entrepreneur from Japan that was widely credited with developing a patented method for producing the cultured pearl, launched his products onto the London market at a 25% discount to the price of natural pearls.

By the time Mrs Plant died in 1956 the Cartier necklace of pearls was auctioned off for just $150,000 as cheaper cultured pearls emerged and prices of natural pearls fell. In recent times, however, natural pearls have seen a resurgence of desirability, with the famed Baroda Pearls, a double strand of 68 natural pearls, being sold at auction at Christies in 2007 for a record $7.1 million.

All the pearls that Winterson sells are cultured pearls. We take very great care in selecting the best available for use in our jewellery.