Jewellery
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What is my Birthstone?
What is my Birthstone?
Birthstones are enduringly popular when choosing and giving jewellery. The gemstones that are aligned with particular months of the year now also appear more frequently in all types of jewellery, particularly in those types that sit close to the body such as rings, pendants and earrings. In this article we look at their history and how to identify 'what is my birthstone'?
Finding Your Birthstone
There are a number of different versions of the birthstone guide. At Winterson we draw from the British National Association of Goldsmiths list, created in 1937, with some of the more contemporary American additions, from the later 20th century.
To discover your individual birthstone, our Gemstone Guide is full of information on individual types of gems, as well as explaining their unique characteristics, composition and heritage.
The History of the Birthstone
The concept of the birthstone, or the notion that certain gems associated with months of the year can have positive benefits, is believed to have started with the first century historian Josephus.
Josephus attributed mythological importance to the twelve stones embedded in the breastplate of Moses’ brother Aaron. The number, he believed, signified the tribes of Israel, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac. The breastplate was believed to have held emerald, sapphire, diamond, topaz, carbuncle, sardius, agate, amethyst, onyx, jasper, beryl and ligure (argued by some to have been a form of amber, and by others, lapis).
Image: Gemstone stud earrings, Lief collection at Winterson
Josephus suggested that people should own all 12 birthstones and wear each gem in its corresponding month. This concept has similarities to the Eastern navratna, or nine stones, which many Hindus believe combine to protect individuals from harmful influences and support the wearer through life’s challenges.
The contemporary Birthstone is born
Renowned gemologist George Kunz believed that the modern variation of the birthstone concept that we follow today was established in 18th century Poland. Gem traders were thought to have used the idea of the birthstone as a form of early marketing, although the Gemological Institute of America locates the birth of this practice in 1560s Germany.
Image 1: George Frederick Kunz, gemologist, circa 1900
Image 2: Table of UK birthstones, Winterson birthstones by month
The concept, Kunz believed, was aimed at increasing sales of a wider range of stones, broadening the choice for consumers and at the same time opening up a new avenue for increased sales of the jewels that contain them.
Defining the list of Birthstones
In 1912 the American National Association of Jewelers gave the practice a formal grounding, producing a list of twelve birthstones that has largely remained the standard ever since.
Additions were been made in 1952, when the Jewelry Industry Council of America made Alexandrite another gemstone for June. Pink tourmaline was added for October, citrine for November, and lapis replaced zircon as the birthstone for December. More recently, Tanzanite was added to December’s birthstones by the American Gem Trade Association, which also added spinel to August in 2016.
Image: The iconic pearl
The British National Association of Goldsmiths created its own list in 1937, drawing largely on the 1912 version, and this forms the foundation of our own Buying Guide to Birthstones, which features a table that outlines the relationship between birth months and their specific gems.
The Birthstone for June
For Winterson, June is one of our favorite months! The beginning of summer, it is also the traditional birthstone month of the pearl.
Image 1: Classic Akoya Pearl Necklace and Earrings Set in White Gold
Image 2: Mythologie Akoya Pearl and Diamond Pendant in Rose Gold
The pearl is also considered lucky for the astrological signs Cancer and Gemini. The pearl is associated with loyalty, love and generosity, as well as innocence. Many Eastern cultures also believe the pearl can help to counter anger and increase creativity. -
Winterson Prize 2018: Meet the Designers Part II
Winterson Prize 2018: Meet the Designers Part II
Each year we work with the student jewellery designers at Central Saint Martins in London, giving them an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year collections.
We will be awarding the Winterson Prize 2018 to one of the students for ‘The Best Use of Pearls’ at the CSM Jewellery Awards Evening on 21st June. The BA Jewellery graduate collections are exhibited at CSM and open to the public from June 20th - 24th.
Here we feature the first part in a series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2018 show, including in this article - Geraldine Wu, Hannah Cochrane, Isla Gilham, Yayun Fang and Yichen Dong.
Read about the other designers in Part I and Aidan Madden, the winner of this year's prize.
Geraldine Wu
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am from Hong Kong and have lived in London for 4 years now. Being immersed in such busy and diverse places my whole life, I can’t be away from the city for too long. I love living in a place where I can experience the past and the present all at once.
What was the inspiration for the 'Ocean Archives' collection?
I was inspired by illuminated manuscripts and their purpose of being visually decorative to ornament text, painting a fuller picture of the story. I wanted to create jewellery that would emulate a similar effect, with the narrative that the collection is a rediscovered treasure hoard. Hence there is an archaic, medieval influence within the designs.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
I find pearls very poetic. They are quieter and more understated than faceted stones, they allow their soft lustre to speak for themselves. In a sense, they are not competitive for attention, but know their worth. Also given that they originate from bodies of water, they are very fitting within my collection.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I discovered that laser engraving them results in an iridescent powdery finish. My favourites were the dark baroque pearls, as the silvery/golden finish stands out most against the dark surface. I love that it looks like the text is stuck within the pearls, suspended in time.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Renaissance painters such as Raphael and Botticelli, I’m always in awe of the juxtaposition of dynamism and restraint in Renaissance paintings.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Anyone expressive and likes to curate their own story or character through their dressing.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
A design that withstands the test of time, something that people always return to.
What’s next for you after CSM?
To learn within the industry and develop my skills as a jewellery designer.
Hannah CochraneTell us a little bit about yourself?
I have always been fascinated by jewellery, from the child who eagerly inspected the fine jewellery adverts plastered around Geneva airport, to the adult who spends far too much time staring at other people’s jewellery on the tube.
What was the inspiration for the 'A Sharper Image' collection?
Inspired by concepts put forward by the field of neuroaesthetics, I researched visual elements and design techniques that would re-occur again and again within jewellery from different countries and cultural backgrounds. An example of this was threading teeth and bone structures together to form cohesive strands. Through analysing different threads of aesthetic preference, I condensed these into a visual style that aligned with my own.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
To me, the pearl echoes of the first instances of jewellery making: the gathering of beautiful natural objects and using them as adornment.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I wanted the otherworldly colour shifts found in some pearls I acquired to be displayed in the best way possible. I found the best way to do this was to find said pearls and then design around them, specifically tailoring the original metal design around it.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Too many to count, but currently transfixed by Fernando Jorge's alluring designs.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Quite honestly? Myself.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
A piece that people remember, not necessarily because it might be unique or groundbreaking, but because it lingers on the mind, long after first seeing it.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I plan to look for experience and work within the field of jewellery.
View more of Hannah's work here.
Isla Gilham
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Five years ago, I came across a jewellery workshop on the isle of Iona. The pieces reflected and told stories of the island; Celtic patterns, Serpentine pebbles, coastlines and simplistic beauty; It was at this moment, that I knew I wanted to create jewellery too.
What was the inspiration for the 'Temptation' collection?
The cherished family story of my Great-Grandad’s Jelly Tot tiara.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
That they embody the idea of beauty in an unexpected place; inside a mollusc’s shell. A concept I have taken for my chewing gum, usually seen to be disgusting, adorning the streets.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
The beauty of laser engraving their surface! It reveals more beautiful tones and has an almost holographic quality.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Many, however, this year, I’ve really admired and taken inspiration from Dutch Golden Age paintings which ‘shout’ indulgence and opulence. The paint captures the deliciousness of food in still lives as I try to with precious materials.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Anyone who loves the concept of beautiful, elegant materials but with a playful twist.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I think a piece that captures the imagination whilst reflecting and ‘centre staging’ the materials used.
What’s next for you after CSM?
To keep designing, making and being excited by jewellery!
Yayun Fang
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Yayun. As a jewellery designer, I love working with different materials and exploring the traditional craftsmanship practices in my jewellery. One of my biggest pleasures is seeing people wear a piece of jewellery I made and feeling good wearing it.
What was the inspiration for the 'Hip-Hop Lace' collection?
A combination of delicate lace from old master paintings and bold hip-hop jewellery styles are the main inspiration for this collection.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
I love the alluring shine and elegant colour. I never get tired of looking at pearls or mother-of-pearl as they always have different shades, colour and shine.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Pearl accessories always appear along with lace pieces in old master portraits, they both share the same language of delicacy and elegance. In my final collection I wanted to design pieces with both boldness and delicacy. Mother-of-pearl as a material offers me the biggest surface to apply the lace patterns with the way I join them together, which allows me to create a bold yet elegant feel.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Andrew Grima.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Confident and fearless people.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Highlight the best characteristics of a material and approach it in an unexpected and unique way.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I would like to further my career as a jeweller and aim to join the design department of a jewellery company.
View more of Yayun's work here.
Yichen Dong
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am from China. I like witty and unexpected contemporary designs, and to think conceptually.
What was the inspiration for the 'Be who you want to be’ collection?
I was inspired by stereotypes around transgender, transvestism, LGBT and roles of each gender. I admire those people who are brave enough to express their true identity.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
To use pearl as a metaphor and a response. I found pearls necklace represent purity and elegance in commonsense, and I am interested in creating contrasts and bring the pearl out of this ‘stereotype’.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
The single pearl can be a jewellery piece with many possibilities. The colour, its glow and shape can tell lots of stories.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Akiko Kurihara. Her works are witty, clever and unexpected with a great sense of humour.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
People who need encouragement to express identity and to find who they are.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
The relationship between materials and the story behind the jewellery makes a piece classic and unique.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I’ve got offer and will continue jewellery study in RCA.
View more of Yichens's work here. -
Winterson Prize 2018: Meet the Designers Part I
Winterson Prize 2018: Meet the Designers Part I
Each year we work with the student jewellery designers at Central Saint Martins in London, giving them an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year collections.
We will be awarding the Winterson Prize 2018 to one of the students for ‘The Best Use of Pearls’ at the CSM Jewellery Awards Evening on 21st June. The BA Jewellery graduate collections are exhibited at CSM and open to the public from June 20th - 24th.
Here we feature the first part in a series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2018 show, including in this article - Aidan Madden, Bam Jansanjai, Beichen Guan, Biying Chen and Gabriella Goldsmith.
Read Part II of this series and about Aidan Madden, the winner of this year's prize.
Aidan Madden
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I sit somewhere between contempory and fine jewelry. I appreciate tradition, but like to turn it on its head.
What was the inspiration for the 'Pearl Culture' collection?
Initially, I had no interest in pearls. This was a good starting point, as I hadn't any preconceptions of how they should be represented. This pushed me to change them significantly through unconventional methods.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
I find there is much more potential as a material rather an embelishment. Once you begin to cut and join them they have infinite potential.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Exposing the pearls' nucleus is what drew my attention, prompting the series of ‘pearl faces’ and pearl tubes.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Taffin and Hemmerle; they do things differently and have an experimental way of working with materials.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
My collection is playful and diverse so I feel it will reach out to a broad spectrum of people.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
A design that transcends the current trends.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I would like to continue working with pearls and expanding on my collection.
Bam Jansanjai
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I like working in positive, playful and unique designs with different materials creating jewellery with stories. So my jewellery is the way that I express myself to other people.
What was the inspiration for the 'How to Wear Good Luck' collection?
I think it is very interesting how people give objects the meaning and value that represent something spiritual and how one object can mean something to someone. So I wanted to explore a context of jewellery that is more than just an adornment, a jewellery that brings luck to the wearers or at least brings a positive energy to them. This collection is inspired by 13 old good luck superstitions that are converted into a wearable jewellery in modern context.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
One of the pieces in my collection is called “Magic Mole”. People believe that moles indicate luck so I made pearl moles that ones can stick on their faces in the position where they want to enhance the luck. So I want to add value to the mole and to emphasize their specialness with pearl.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Pearls are very fragile. Working with them required a lot of patience but it somehow gave me calmness.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Alessandro Michele.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Everyone. Basically, anyone who wants to brighten up their day with a little help from good luck jewellery.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
The concept and a good design that capture everyone’s attention.
What’s next for you after CSM?
For me, being successful in competitive world of design requires a lot more than just design skills. So I have decided to do MA in Luxury Brand Management.
View more of Bam's work here.
Beichen Guan (Esther)
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a Chinese student who has studied in Central Saints Martin BA Jewelry Design for 3 years. I am super interested about Architectural design and Installation art, it also can be a skill in several artistic mediums.
What was the inspiration for the 'Ultra Sparking Smiles' collection?
For this collection, inspired from the star pattern of “emoji ” that people easily can understand, into those teeth whitening products and tools. In a entertaining way to show people just like me who try so hard to whiten their teeth because of the aesthetic feeling pressures from society.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Lots of people adore the pearly whitened teeth that those Hollywood stars have after 2000. I am trying to find the way to showing my feeling of teeth whitening industry as jewelry designer. The variety of a pearl’s shape and color make a really good figure of human teeth.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I try to used mother of pearl carving skills to cut out a rhombus shinning pattern that describes the message of dental teeth whitening. Also I using graduated color to represent the different aesthetic varieties of subcultures related to the teeth whitening.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
I find such designers brand as Ambush, Dubellier and Schield to be highly inspiring and contemporary.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
This collection is quite personal as it's my point of view. It's talking about the people who like me, wish to whiten their teeth to have the pearly shining teeth like those stars have.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Probably just like Melvyn Kirtley, Tiffany chief gemologist said, “ always pushing the boundaries of innovation, and doing things that we’ve never done before.”
What’s next for you after CSM?
I will try to do some internship jobs after I graduate, to learn more things outside of college.
View more of Beichen's work here.
Biying Chen
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Biying and I am from China. My jewellery always has a strong interaction with the wearer.
What was the inspiration for the 'Jewellery Shop' collection?
I found customers’ and salesperson’s attitude to display items were entirely different during my work experience in 2016, which led me think about the value of display props.The comparison of the shop window in the day and night was my direct inspiration. At night, jewellery pieces are often removed and stored for safety. It seems that the display props become the protagonist in the showcase.In this collection, I used the preciousness of pearls to question and highlight the value of display props.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Pearls are not as aggressive as other gemstones. With their natural, random lustre and general relatively smooth edges, for me, pearls can reflect the softness of femininity.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Although not all the pearls are exactly the same size when I ask a specific size in the shop, I find it even more natural which gives a contrast to the precise machine work.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Otto Künzli and Giorgio Morandi.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Energetic and playful people.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
The particular concept behind a piece is the most crucial factor.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I woud like to learn more about the jewellery industry and start to set up my own business.
Gabriella Mika Goldsmith
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in Denmark. With an American dad and a Danish mom, I always felt the need of travelling which eventually led me to move to London to continue my further education. I have found that studying jewellery and living in London has given me the insight to a world of wonderful odd eccentrics and charismas.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
The collection reflects on my inner sub-conscious that allows to dream away by presenting identity’s different from the one you see in real life thus the facial features presented throughout the work. I was inspired by the thoughts behind surrealism and therefor the bubbles have become an instrument to allow one to sooth away by recapturing childhood moments disturbing the rational.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Each cultured pearl is unique, and I find it fascinating how we can use these water-made species in our jewellery. They are subtle but have a beautiful glaze with their skin like colours.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
That they are extremely fragile, that there are so many different types of “real” pearls, and that they shouldn’t be regarded as a conservative jewel!
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Tone Vigeland and Alexander McQueen – and so many others!
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Anyone who are willing to challenge conventional jewellery and has an appreciation for the craft.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
A design that everyone can appreciate, is timeless with the highest level of craftsmanship.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I have just been accepted for an MA at Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam.
View more of Gabriella's work here. -
The Speed and Style of the Ocean Liners
The Speed and Style of the Ocean Liners
This spring, the V&A Museum in London celebrates the magnificence of the legendary Ocean Liners. Symbols of the technological advancement and celebration of luxury that defined the early 20th century, the Ocean Liners also gained notoriety for tales of human tragedy.
The exhibition takes its audience on a journey from the Belle Epoque to Art Deco, illustrating the way in which these monumental feats of engineering facilitated waves of entrepreneurship and the global movement of wealth during these periods.
The era was defined by its innovation, glamour and audacity, providing a canvas for highly crafted, extravagant interiors and for the ostentatious glamour of their upper class travelers.
Image 1: Duke and Duchess of Windsor's luggage, Goyard, about 1950
Image 2: Paquebot, Paris, Charles Demuth, United States 1921-22
The exhibition showcases objects from the emotive deckchairs of the downed Titanic, to the iconic graphics that the industry supported, the legendary luggage of Goyard and glittering flapper dresses of the 1920s.
The Cartier Tiara
One of the most famous jewels displayed in this current exhibition is the Allen Tiara, commissioned from the legendary house of Cartier in 1909 by the Canadian banker and shipping magnate Sir Hugh Allan, as a gift for his wife Marguerite.
As with the Ocean Liners themselves, Cartier’s graphic combination of platinum, white diamonds and pearls came to symbolise the jewellery fashions of this generation.
The Allen Tiara was designed as an open work band in the Greek key style, millegrain-set with round faceted diamonds, inside an outer border of natural pearls, and framing an old mine-cut diamond at the centre.
Image: Diamond and pearl tiara saved from the Lusitania, Cartier, Paris 1909
The Cartier diamond tiara was fatefully taken by Lady Allen on board the Lusitania, travelling from New York to Liverpool, where she was accompanied by two of her three daughters, Anna and Gwendolyn, two maids, and a host of luggage.
The Sinking of the Lusitania
Cunard’s Lusitania began operational service in 1907, the largest and certainly one of the fastest ocean liners crossing the North Atlantic. Although the Lusitania was considered for requisition by the British Government at the start of the First World War, the liner was ruled out due to the immense quantities of coal that such a large ship would consume, at a time when endurance rather than speed was becoming important.
The Lusitania continued to operate as a commercial liner, carrying thousands of passengers back and forth from Europe to America.
Early in 1915, Germany declared the sea around Britain to be a war zone. Although, the German Embassy placed a warning on an advertisement for the Lusitania’s May 1915 voyage that Lady Allen was destined to board, many felt that the ship’s speed made her safe.
Image 1: Marlene Dietrich onboard the Queen Elizabeth, arriving in New York, 21 December 1950
Image 2: Detail of silk georgette and glass beaded Salambo dress, Jeanne Lanvin, Paris 1925
Perhaps Sir Hugh Allen’s long family association with the shipping industry gave his wife the encouragement to continue with her voyage? It was to prove a tragic decision; Lady Allen lost both of the daughters as the Lusitania was struck by a German torpedo.
Sinking within 18 minutes, the liner’s celebrated speed was one of the very factors that contributed to the significant loss of life as many of the lifeboats were dragged under water - only 791 of the 1,989 who travelled that day survived. Heartbreakingly, the tiara itself was rescued from the wreckage by one of the Allen’s maids.
The Plant Mansion and Necklace
Pierre Cartier was symbolic of an era of global travel and international business. Establishing the American office of his father’s Parisian jewellery business on Fifth Avenue in 1908, it was from New York that he built the company into the legendary brand name that it is today.
Cartier’s current flagship store in the city was originally built in 1905 for Morton F Plant, a wealthy railroad magnate, by architect Robert W. Gibson. Morton Plant’s wife Maisie encountered Cartier in 1917, becoming enamoured by a double-strand necklace of 128 flawless natural pearls.
Image: Wooden wall panel from the Beauvais deluxe suite on the Île de France, 1927
Cartier offered her husband a trade—the $1 million rare necklace plus $100 for the 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue mansion which would become his new boutique. At the time of the deal, the Plant’s home was valued at $925,000.
The End of an Era
It was not to prove a good deal for the Plants. Only a few short years later, the value of Mrs Plant’s pearls would dramatically decrease. Across the seas in Japan, Kokichi Mikimoto began to take his cultured pearls beyond Tokyo to international markets. Mikimoto launched his first overseas store in London in 1915, transforming the market for pearls as we know it today.
Image: Titanic in dry dock, c1911
As cultured pearl technology and farming overtook the natural pearl, and greatly broadened the market for these gems, so too would ocean travel for the super rich be superseded by the aeroplane. On 1st January 1914, the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became the world's first scheduled passenger airline service, marking the beginning of the end of the era of seaborne glamour.
An unique opportunity to revisit this sophisticated form of travel, the V&A exhibition 'Ocean Liners: Speed and Style' continues until 17th June 2018. -
Introducing the new Mythologie collection
Introducing the new Mythologie collection
Introducing the Mythologie collection, inspired by the myths and legends of the fabled pearl. The wonderful shape of the pearl, and its associations with water, has reached across many cultures and celebrated as a symbol of purity, love and wisdom.
This legend of the drop shaped pearl is the basis of our inspiration for Mythologie. Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, was born from the sea, and the Greeks believed that pearls were created from the drops of water that cascaded from her body as she rose from the ocean. Hindu folklore also speaks of pearls as dewdrops that have tumbled out of the night, into the moonlit sea. Shafts of light from the moon drew oysters to the surface of the water, glistening with heavenly dew.
Image 1: Classic Leverbacks with Mythologie Amethyst Drops in White Gold
Image 2: Mythologie Akoya Pearl and Diamond Pendant in White Gold
Chinese legends suggest that pearls were the thoughts formed inside the mind of the dragon, and brought into the world as the drops of mist of the dragon’s breath. Arabian myths suggest pearls are hardened moon drops. The ancient Japanese believed they were created from the tears of fantastical creatures, such as mermaids, nymphs, and angels.
The collection features earrings and pendants created from amethyst, green amethyst, rose quartz, London blue topaz, aquamarine and citrine – and of course the pearl – all complemented with a delicate pave of diamonds, like drops of dew.
Image 1: Mythologie Akoya Pearl and Diamond Pendant in Yellow Gold
Image 2: Classic Leverbacks with Mythologie London Blue Topaz Drops in Yellow Gold
The Mythologie earring drops have also been specially created as a complement to our classic Diamond Leverbacks. The leverbacks are already a versatile addition to any jewellery wardrobe, with a range of interchangeable pearls in Akoya, freshwater drops, Tahitian pearls in tones of grey, black and peacock, and stunning golden and white South Sea pearls. The new Mythologie drops extends this flexibility further, with colour or tone, whatever your outfit.
For the Mythologie collection, we are also introducing a new blue diamond leverback earring in white gold, and a pink diamond leverback in yellow gold. These two new earrings offer a dramatic complement to the new gemstone drops, creating a stunning way to change the style of your jewellery.
Image 1: Classic Leverbacks with Mythologie Rose Quartz Drops in Rose Gold
Image 2: Mythologie Green Amethyst and Diamond Pendant in Rose Gold
To match the leverback fittings, the Mythologie pendants are available in the same gemstone combinations and are suspended below a special drop-shaped white diamond pendant, finished in 18 carat white gold.
The pearl’s long association with love is captured in the fable of Krishna, the Hindu god of love, who dived to the bottom of the ocean to capture the finest pearl drop to give as a gift on the marriage of his daughter. In the Ramayana, the elements of earth, fire, air and water offer up gifts to the gods; the sea offers the pearl, and the gods wear them next to their hearts.
Give the gift of love with a piece of jewellery from Mythologie collection. -
Introducing the stellar Astral collection
Introducing the stellar Astral collection
Astral is our new collection of jewellery, inspired by the stars, and captures the night sky's brilliance in radiant diamonds and heavenly combinations of colourful sapphires.
Grouping three round faceted gemstones as the central motif, the collection also references the occurrence of the number three in nature – from the triangular patterns within major constellations, to the classical trefoil of petals and leaves. The number 3 was believed by ancient cultures to convey good fortune, representing wholeness and the unity of harmony, wisdom and understanding.
Image: Astral Cluster Pendant and Astral Cluster Earrings in Yellow Gold
Taking as our starting point the mirrored configuration of the Summer and Winter Triangles, groupings of major stars that are visible in the height of summer and depth of winter, Astral draws on spectacular celestial events from the Aurora Borealis to the Red Nova, to inspire a selection of gems that are as bold and clear in their colours as they are radiant in their fire.
Astral Cluster showcases its white diamonds to recreate stellar constellations, the groupings of radiant stars that are visible on Earth under clear skies. Comprising a pendant and stud earrings set with 2.5mm or 3mm diamonds, Astral Cluster is available both in 18ct yellow and white gold.
Image 1: Astral Dawn Earrings in White Gold
Image 2: Astral Blaze Earrings in Yellow Gold
Three additional colourways are similarly inspired by spectacular moments in the night sky.
Astral Blaze resembles the sumptuous fire of a magical sunset, with six faceted sapphires in tones of apricot, deep pink and fiery orange hand-set in 18 carat yellow gold. Astral Lagoon captures the opulent reflection of the night skies in ocean water, studded with blue diamonds, tanzanites and deep hued amethysts, hand-set in 18 carat white gold. And Astral Dawn evokes the exquisite break of dawn, as the first rays of sun merge with the stars, captured by six faceted sapphires in tones of purple, pink and rose, hand-set in 18 carat white gold.
Image: The Astral collection
The coloured gemstone series comprises a matching pendant and earrings, hand-set with 3mm gems in 18 carat gold. The Astral studs also form an additional complement to our selection of interchangeable pearls that can be purchased independently. These pearl fittings can already be worn with earrings from the pretty gemstones of our Lief collection to the pave diamond leaves of the Enchanted range.
With the new collection, the Astral Blaze earrings provide a spectacular contrast to the stunning dark hues of the Tahitian pearl, the Astral Lagoon studs are the perfect partner for our peacock Tahitian pearls and the Astral Dawn gems will draw out the rose blush overtones of the white Akoya pearls.
In early December, a stunning leverback drop earring to complement our classic diamond leverback earrings will also feature the Blaze and Lagoon gems set against citrines in rich honey tones and imperial purple amethysts.
View the Astral collection here. -
What are the classic jewellery designs for pearls?
What are the classic jewellery designs for pearls?
It has long been known that the pearl has played a central role in jewellery, with some of the earliest recorded fragments of a pearl necklace being dated to the 4th century BC. What are the most popular and successful designs of classic jewellery that pearls have been used with - and how are they being updated today?
The pearl was believed by numerous cultures to symbolize purity and to offer protection, as well as being indicative of their owner’s social position. Their beauty and rarity meant that the gems held an almost mythological, and certainly significant financial status.
The Timeless Classic
There are many examples through the ages of how our love for the pearl has influenced the wearing, adornment and design of the classic jewellery that we love today.
In China as early as 2300 BC, pearls were considered appropriate gifts for royalty, representing not just the integrity and loyalty of the giver but also the wisdom and virtue of the wearer. Julius Caesar passed a law in the 1st century BC, which determined that pearls should only be worn by the ruling classes.
In India, it is still believed that the pearl confers calm on its wearer, attracting wealth and good luck. The gem was a favourite of Indian royalty, most notably the Mahraja Khande Rao Gaekwad of Baroda, whose seven-strand necklace was legendary even within a culture where extraordinary gems were plentiful – so much so that the famed necklace gained a name of its own: the Baroda Pearls.
Image: A Winterson South Sea pearl and pave diamond clasp necklace
Their extravagant value lead to the pearl playing an important role in trade, which only increased once they were discovered in Central and South America in the 15th century, a discovery which led to the so called Pearl Age.
As a visible symbol of wealth, the demand for pearls escalated, particularly in Western Europe, where royals and aristocrats increasingly emulated their peers in China, India and the Arab states, commissioning elaborate pearl necklaces, earrings, bracelets and brooches.
By the 19th century, demand for pearl jewellery was so high that the supply of natural pearls began to dwindle to the point today where historic pieces of natural pearl jewellery are so rare they can fetch high six or seven figure sums at auction.
The Pearl Necklace
As a result of the way that they reflect light to the face, strands of pearls have become the most popular form of classic jewellery over the ages. The more strands in a necklace, the greater that the necklace reflected the wealth of its owner.
Image 1: Blush Sunrise Necklace
Image 2: A portrait miniature of Emma Ostaszewska née Countess Załuska, ca. 1850s
The lustre of the gems was often preserved by having Victorian maids wear the necklaces during the day to keep the pearls warm and radiant for their mistresses.
With the arrival of the cultured pearl, the status of the gem has shifted over the 20th century, becoming more widely accessible. The multi strand pearl necklace remains an enduring piece of classic jewellery that actresses, society ladies, designers and jewelers such as Winterson prize winner Bella Mung continue to revisit.
Our pearl specialists individually select and grade each strand that makes up a Winterson necklace, often viewing and reviewing pearls throughout the day to be aware of the impact of shifting light on the overtones and lustre of the pearl. Our necklaces are available in multiple lengths, colours, and different types of pearls, including Akoya, Freshwater, South Sea and Tahitian. Read our Buying Guide to choosing a necklace to learn more.
The Pearl Stud
After the pearl necklace, pearl studs form another cornerstone of a woman’s classic jewellery wardrobe. The legendary Coco Chanel was well known for her enduring love of these beautiful gems,which she wore prodigiously (real and fake together).
Although she favoured the monochrome white pearl necklace, once famously declaring “a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls", her single pearl clip earrings were almost as significant a part of her iconic image.
Image 1: Pocket watch of gold, with enamel and oriental pearls, 1800
Image 2: Green Grey Tahitian Pearl Stud Earrings in Rose Gold
The pearl studs at Winterson are available in a wide choice of colours, sizes from 6-12mm , types of pearls and finished with 18 carat white, yellow and rose gold earring posts and butterflies.
The Pearl Drop Earring
In an era where natural pearls, with all their unique forms and qualities, were the stones that were used in classic jewellery, the popularity of the drop shape is unsurprising. Vermeer’s famous Girl with a Pearl Earring provides the archetypal blueprint for the freshwater drop earring, a classic style that has most recently been adopted by the current Duchess of Cambridge.
Image 1: Yellow Gold Diamond Leverback And Freshwater Pearl Drop Earrings
Image 2: The Girl With The Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer, 1665
Natural pearl drops continue to fetch high sums at auction, as the sale of a pair of earrings owned by Empress Eugenie of France, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, amply demonstrated. Fetching $3.3 million, the drops were then promptly reset for their new owners by American high jeweler Lee Sieglson, reflecting that the value was paid for the pearls rather than their original setting.
The Seed Pearl Ring
Seed pearls gained popularity in Georgian and Victorian jewellery, where they often accented the frame of rings and earrings in the same way that diamond pave does today.
Image 1: Funeral Ring, Landscape and Temples, 18th Century
Image 2: Beau Seed Pearl and Enamel Ring with Yellow Gold
Often seen as part of mourning jewellery, set around painted portraits or landscapes or offset by washes of enamel, this era of jewellery formed the basis of inspiration for Alice Cicolini’s Beau collection for Winterson.
The Pearl Brooch
Seed pearl pave, where lines of these wonderful tiny pearls are set in single or multiple rows, also offered a stylish way for jewellers to incorporate the pearl in brooches. This form of jewellery became highly popular in the 19th century as a decorative jewel, rather than as a functional object which was the original purpose of the brooch.
Although their popularity has waxed and waned over the years, it appears as if the brooch may be increasing in popularity again as fashion brands and jewellers alike seek new surfaces for jewels to come alive.
Perhaps pearls may also find their way onto these new generation designs. The Duchess of Cambridge might have recently signalled the reinvention of this classic jewellery design at a recent state visit, wearing the Queen’s triple pearl and diamond leaf pearl brooch with the stunning Collingwood Pearl and Diamond drop earrings which she often favours. -
The spectacular rise and style of Rose Gold
The spectacular rise and style of Rose Gold
What do Apple, Birkenstock, Beats and Hervé Léger all have in common? They have all succumbed to the appeal of a material that jewelers have long celebrated – rose gold.
Now a major colour trend across homeware, technology and accessories, rose gold adorns products that are as diverse as Wet N Wild lip gloss and the iPhone. Recognising its popularity, in 2016 the Pantone Institute chose a blend of warm Rose Quartz with a more tranquil Serenity blue as its Colour of the Year, influencing product design and direction.
What is rose gold?
Rose gold is a composite gold alloy of 75% yellow gold, 22.25% copper and 2.75% silver. It finds its purest form as Crown Gold, a 22 carat mix of 91.667% yellow gold and 8.333% copper. This alloy has been used to mint British Sovereign coins since Henry VIII introduced it in 1526.
Image 1: Zigzag Diamond Pendant
Image 2: Pair of Zigzag Diamond Earrings with Akoya Pearls
Variations such as pink and red gold arise from modifications to the amount of copper and silver that are added to the mix, either amplifying or lightening the dusky rose tones.
What are its origins?
The history of rose gold also finds an echo in its last golden age: in Imperial Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. Royal jeweler, Carl Fabergé, popularized the metal as a royal favourite, creating some of his most ornamental pieces in delicate blush tones.
Most famously, the “Moscow Kremlin” egg was commissioned by Emperor Nicholas II as a gift for his wife. The gold and white enamel egg was housed within a miniature replica of Red Square’s fifteenth century Spasskaya Tower and, at 11,800 rubles, was one of Fabergé’s highest value commissions.
Rose gold rising
Symbolism is undergoing a significant and seemingly unstoppable popular revival, particularly in jewellery. The emotional impact of its colour, with all its myriad interpretations and meaning, is widely studied by designers and marketeers alike.
Image 1: Grey Tahitian Pearls with Diamond Leverback Earrings
Image 2: Classic 0.10ct Diamond Pendant
“When we get to the rose family,” says Leatrice Eiseman, the Pantone Institutes’ executive director, “we get ‘compassion, composure, warmth’, something that draws you in.”
One of the reasons for rose's popularity today is that, for consumer goods companies, this warmth has huge potential in attracting new customers. In growth markets such as China, the luxury connotations of gold and the “sense of mindfulness” that Eiseman identifies with its rose-hued cousin has significant appeal.
On trend for the autumn
In jewellery, Dior, Piaget and Van Cleef & Arpels have led the trend towards rose gold’s revival as a high jewellery material. Rose gold is a natural canvas for coloured stones, and brings delicacy as well as warmth to the traditional combination of white pearls with diamonds.
At Winterson, our Classics collection includes some of our most popular jewellery designs, that have been finished with 18 carat rose gold, white diamonds and pearls.
Image 1: Classic 0.12ct Diamond Bracelet
Image 2: Classic White Akoya Pearl Stud Earrings
There are many ways to wear this beautiful style of gold. We love the femininity of the rose gold and white diamonds of our new triple diamond bracelets and the elegant addition of light grey Tahitian pearls to our rose gold and diamond leverback earrings. The lovely combination of rose gold with the blush overtones of a white saltwater pearl in our Classic Akoya pearl studs might be the simplest and also the best.
Already a fan? Wholeheartedly embrace the trend with our striking Luna Moss ring in rose gold, green sapphire and a stunning peacock green Tahitian pearl. -
Rock Star – The Impressionist Jewels of Andrew Grima
Rock Star – The Impressionist Jewels of Andrew Grima
The largest private collection of Andrew Grima jewellery to appear at auction goes on sale at Bonhams, London this autumn. In this article, we take an admiring look at his work.
Andrew Grima is recognized as one of the great modernist jewellery designers of the 20th century, perhaps the most influential post-war British jeweller.
Such was his influence that Grima jewellery remains highly prized, attracting collectors such as Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, design talents who themselves have defined their generations. In this, he is the designer’s designer - one of the 20th century’s most daring and imaginative.
Image 1: Opal Boulder Pendant
Image 2: Portrait of Andrew Grima
As a result, expect to see a wave of excitement in London this September as one of the largest private collections of jewels by this extraordinary designer ever to appear at auction goes under the hammer at Bonhams.
One of a handful of designers who revolutionized British jewellery in the early 1960s, Grima didn't learn his trade at art school, being entirely self-taught and never trained at the jeweller’s bench. He considered being a pure designer to be an advantage – his imaginative ideas were never confined by technicalities or ingrained concepts of what constituted fine jewellery.
Image 1: Amethyst Earrings
Image 2: Citrine Diamond Bracelet
Grima’s groundbreaking designs, which drew inspiration from art, sculpture and the natural world, injected desperately needed originality and glamour into what had become a stagnant jewellery scene in post-war Britain. He created bold and unusual jewels whose value lay in their aesthetic composition rather than just in the carat weight of expensive diamonds and precious gems.
His journey began, appropriately, with a large cache of natural Brazilian stones - aquamarines, citrines, tourmalines and rough amethysts – that became a trademark for the young designer. Scouring the natural world for textures – bark, shell, moss – he created abstract shapes with rough stones at a scale that was distinctly different even from that of Jean Schlumberger and Fulco de Vedura, both bold and radical designers in their day.
Image 1: Pearl Ring
Image 2: Pearl Earclips
He also perfected direct casts from nature in what became one of his most distinctive styles, famously capturing in gold some lichen for HM Princess Margaret, covering the results – and similar temporal fragments – with a scattering of diamonds.
The 1960s saw the charismatic Anglo-Italian emerge as the go-to society jeweller for royals, celebrities, socialites and artists and his earliest clients included HM The Queen, the Princess Margaret, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Bond Girl Ursula Andress. He won the De Beers Diamonds International Award (the Oscars of jewellery design) a record 12 times and, in 1969, was commissioned by Omega to create one of the most outrageous and daring watch collections ever made. In 1970 he was also granted a Royal Warrant from HM The Queen.
Image: Amethyst Ring
His interest in natural forms extended to a love of both opals and pearls, which featured regularly in his work. Each of the gems is defined by individual uniqueness in the way that they are formed – no one piece looks quite like another in terms of fire or, in the case of pearls, lustre and overtone.
The Bonhams sale features a gold, boulder opal and diamond pendant/necklace from 1972, alongside a selection of 55 pieces from his legendary collection for watchmaker Omega, and an additional 30 jewels, featuring his trademark palette of citrines, amethysts and aquamarines.
“Andrew Grima’s work is distinct in terms of its design, quality and originality,” says Emily Barber, Director of Bonhams Jewellery. “He was essentially an artist whose medium happened to be jewellery. His designs capture the spirit of each era in which he worked yet are still immensely wearable and contemporary today.”
Image 1: Pearl Oyster Necklace
Image 2: Pearl Earclips
The current owner of the collection, who wishes to remain anonymous, commented: “When you look at a piece of Grima jewellery you are moved by exquisite artistry in much the same way that you would be moved standing in front of a beautiful painting. In fact, for me, Andrew Grima is the great impressionist of jewellers.”
The Bonhams sale of Fine Jewellery, including a Private Collection of Jewels by Grima, will be held on 20th September 2017. Learn more about Andrew Grima, and the continuation of his work by his wife Jojo and daughter Francesca, here. -
Interview with Melanie Georgacopoulos
Interview with Melanie Georgacopoulos
Melanie Georgacopoulos is renowned for her work reinventing the pearl for a younger 21st century audience. Today’s renewed fascination with the gemstone owes much to this young designer, a graduate from London’s famous Royal College of Art. The Winterson Journal talks to Melanie about her new avenue of exploration with the pearl.
Without inhibition, Melanie Georgacopoulos has sliced, drilled, quartered, caged and wrapped pearls in illusions of knots in her mission to bring this extraordinary gemstone to a new generation of jewellery buyers.
Her most recent collection, MOP Shell, directs her inventive energies to Mother of Pearl. Otherwise known as the material nacre, it is produced by mollusks as an inner shell layer as well as forming the outer coating of the pearls themselves.
What drew you to mother of pearl?
Natural Mother of Pearl has been used by many cultures all over the world, to create both expensive and inexpensive items. It is a strong, resilient and iridescent material that has been used for thousands of years, mainly in the form of inlay, which you see a lot in East Asian and Islamic religious art.
Image 1: MOP Emerald Earrings - Peacock
Image 2: MOP Diamond Dress Earrings - Peacock
At the same time, it was a popular material for more common Victorian household items such as knife handles and buttons, as well as Chinese gaming counters and delicate caviar spoons. I think it’s this heritage as a material that can move from high to low that originally sparked my interest.
You often look for the subversive angle in your design; what was the twist with mother of pearl?
As a material it is more widely used than pearls, but despite its popularity, it has never reached the pearl’s symbolic status. I felt that mother of pearl was ready for a reassessment, in the same way as the pearl felt for me back in 2007 when I first started to play with them in the studio at the RCA.
Pearls were so associated with the twin-set on one hand, and the ostentatious fakes of Coco Chanel on the other, that the gemstone felt like a really rich place to mine deeply for inspiration. Mother of pearl is in the same place really. One rarely sees it used in fine jewellery today and I wanted to explore whether it was possible to challenge those perceptions.
Your pearl collections tend to focus on the monochrome beauty of the gem, where MOP Shell really plays with the fabulous colours of the material. How did it feel to play more with colour?
The collection really aims to celebrate mother of pearl’s qualities as a material, and showcase its various beautiful, rich colors. It comes in soft pink, crème, white, peacock and golden yellow with many variations.
Image 1: MOP Emerald Ring - Multicolour
Image 2: MOP Emerald Earrings - Lavender
It was actually really refreshing to work with a flat material that has such striking colours and work out how to combine them. I’ve enjoyed this so much in fact, that my next collection focuses even more on these diverse colour combinations and how they change depending on the light.
You enjoy exploring the meaning of value in jewellery by playing with the forms of other classic precious gemstones – diamonds and emeralds – and that theme re-emerges here. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
When mother of pearl is used in jewellery, it's mainly seen flat and as an inlaid form. By taking this flat material and creating seamless three dimensional diamond and emerald shapes, I felt I could really push further my exploration into the relationship between gemstones and pearls in contemporary jewellery.
The pearl has moved on and off lists of precious stones over the centuries – from being the height of luxury and value in the time of Cleopatra to being close to worthless in the late 20th century due to overfarming. I think I have always been interested in playing with perceptions of value, asking questions in particular about the value of design and how people perceive that.
Image 1: MOP Emerald Ring - White
Image 2: MOP Emerald Earrings - White
These pieces are strikingly simple, made of relatively poorly perceived materials, and yet the high craftsmanship and labour intensive production that each piece requires elevates the material far beyond any financial worth one might place on the components.
What drew you to jewellery originally and what’s the Melanie Georgacopoulos design philosophy?
I first studied sculpture and my love of jewellery comes from the fact that it relates to the body. I’m also fascinated by the connection that people have to the jewellery they pass on one generation to another.
One of the reasons I think I may have been subliminally drawn to pearls is that my grandmother wore a pearl necklace every day, and that idea of creating something that is worthy of becoming so intimately connected with a person’s identity really interests me. Good design, for me, is innovation, longevity, and has to represent its time. I strive for this with every piece.
View more jewellery by Melanie Georgacopoulos here.