Tagged with 'Giving pearls'

One of the earliest forms of adornment by women, the ring has taken many forms since its ancient beginnings as a simple band of silver or gold. Today the ring is one of our most precious pieces of jewellery, with the symbolism of a wedding ring or the fashionable drama of an eye-catching cocktail ring.

Before diamonds became forever associated with engagement rings, rings made with natural freshwater and saltwater pearls were also the romantic and popular choice of gemstone for a new bride.

The inspiration for the designs of the first pieces in this collection of pearl rings was to celebrate this heritage with a simple classic, and contemporary design. Each ring is crafted in Britain from 18 carat white or yellow gold, with the band of the metal having a angular sharpness to its outside edge whilst being rounded on the inside for comfort.

Set into the beautifully proportioned shoulders of the gold ring are two types of saltwater pearls. The first is a round white Akoya pearl, a classic pearl that is much admired for the quality of its lustre and shine. The second type of pearl chosen for the collection is a Tahitian pearl, which has a naturally grey colour with overtones of light green and pink.

Set into yellow gold, with a sparkling trio of white round brilliant cut diamonds on either side, the Tahitian Pearl and Diamond Yellow Gold Ring is already a firm favourite at Winterson.

All the rings are now available for order in a standard UK size M, which is a standard 6¼ size in the United States. It is possible for each ring design to be be resized to accommodate most ring sizes. Please contact us for more details if you would like some more information about ring sizes.

With their shining, lustrous surface and pretty shapes, pearls have inspired ancient myths of gods, angels and mermaids and been revered as fallen teardrops. Loved today by women, royalty, brides and fashion icons, the beautiful styling of pearl drop earrings may echo these enchanting images.

THE PEARL

As the central element, pearls are a foremost consideration in any design of pearl drop earrings. Round, near-round, oval or drop shaped pearls are favoured by designers as their symmetrical shapes allow the jewellery to be admired from every angle. We would recommend selecting exceptional pearls with a high lustre and clean surface, as well as larger sizes of between 8 and 12 millimetres in diameter.

All types of pearls are suitable for pearl drop earrings and the design choice depends on the direction of the styling and budget. Freshwater pearls can be beautiful and offer excellent value, Akoya pearls are perfect for their high lustre and pink overtones, Tahitian pearls for their contemporary, cooler hues and South Sea pearls for their luxurious silvery white and golden colours. Whichever the pearl type, both the pearls used in pearl drops should be matched carefully for comparable grading.

THE DESIGN

The classic design of a pearl drop earring is that of a pearl attached to a stud or a hook, composed of silver or gold. The pearl may sit just below the stud or hook, or may hang below between two to four centimetres in length. Longer pearl drops today are fashionable, easy to wear and very popular.

The attachment of the pearl to the drop may be rigid or supple with a chain that creates a pleasing movement in the form of the jewellery. Designs may also include multiple pearls on each earring, amplifying the elegance of the movement.

Amongst our contemporary designs, Sophie Breitmeyer has created a collection of Akoya pearl drop earrings with sparkling and colourful gems of blue sapphires, green tsavorite garnets and pink rubies.

THE OCCASION

Pearl drop earrings are very versatile, suiting women of all complexions and hair styling. Completed with sparkling diamonds or gemstones, pearl drop earrings are a perfect choice of fine jewellery for smart evening wear.

Pearl stud earrings are perhaps the simplest, and yet prettiest, of all earrings and should be an essential item of any jewellery box. At quick glance, pearl earring studs may appear all the same. Before looking at our new collection of pearl stud earrings, here is our short guide to choosing and buying the perfect pearl studs.

THE LUSTRE OF A PEARL

The magic of a pearl lies hidden within its surface, where layers of a mother-of-pearl material called nacre gives this unique gem its characteristic shine or lustre. The stronger the lustre of a pearl, the more beautiful it will be. Above all else, choose a pearl stud earring that has excellent lustre.

THE SIZE OF THE PEARL

Pearls vary in size considerably and this does alter the style of the earring itself. The size of a round pearl is measured in millimetres across its diameter. Smaller pearls up to 8mm in diameter are easily worn every day and tend to be favoured by women with more petite features. Earring studs with pearls over 8mm in diameter can be ideal for evening wear and for special occasions.

If in doubt, we recommend choosing pearl earring studs around 7.5-9 mm in diameter, which are most likely to suit all styles and are sufficiently versatile to be able to dress up or down with.

PEARL SHAPE AND SURFACE

A pearl earring should have a clean surface, with very few visible marks, unless the pearl is asymmetrical or baroque shaped. The majority of pearls used for stud earrings are round or button shaped. Button shaped Freshwater pearls can give an attractive twist to the classic pearl earring stud as they can also easily be worn in larger sizes.

With our jewellery, we love the lustre, quality and round shape of the Akoya pearl as a perfect choice for pearl stud earrings. If you would like to learn more, read about Choosing and Wearing Pearl Earrings and Choosing Pearl Earring Backs in our Journal.

 

Discover our new collection of stud earrings for women here.

FOR HER

Many women will wear classic white pearls, usually Freshwater or Akoya, on her wedding day. One choice of gift for a pearl wedding anniversary would be to match the style of her wedding jewellery, perhaps with a pendant or bracelet. Consider the size and type of the pearls, their colour (white or cream) and the metal of the setting to be sure that the old and new pearls will be a good match together.

An alternative would be to choose a piece of pearl jewellery, that has perhaps been set with gemstones. Diamonds are a lovely partner for pearls, but other gems such as the rubies pictured above can lift a design and bring a hint of colour to the jewellery. Further colour can also be introduced through the type of pearl chosen. Freshwater pearls can be found in a variety of pastel shades as well as white, Tahitian pearls in a range of grey hues and South Sea pearls can be found in luxurious gold.

A final suggestion would be an elegant cocktail ring, finished in gold with a diamond or other precious stones. We will be introducing a range of pearl rings this Autumn at Winterson, which would make a stunning pearl wedding anniversary gift.

FOR HIM

If you are thinking about a pearl gift for a man, the cool metallic greys and silvers of Tahitian pearls are an excellent choice. These can be designed to make an classic pair of cufflinks or can be hung casually, Hawaiian surfer-style, with high quality leather around the neck. We do not yet offer a range of pearls for men at Winterson, but may introduce this in 2013. Please do contact us if you would like more information.

"This was the first time that I have ordered jewellery online". Online shopping for luxury goods continues to grow in the UK as customers embrace choice and convenience, but this comment from one of our recent happy customers is perhaps a good reminder of just how personal choosing a piece of jewellery can be.

We are always thinking about how we can improve the experience of buying pearls online at Winterson. Over the next months, we will be introducing a number of exciting changes to our website including high definition video of our favourite pieces of pearl jewellery. We love the way that these images show off the subtle beauty of the different types of pearls.

Here is a short guide to some of the other key questions that you may wish to consider before buying jewellery online.

WILL I RECEIVE WHAT I ORDER?

Whilst beautiful photography can help showcase a piece of jewellery, a good description is also worth seeking out. Pearls, in particular, are an organic gem formed in a mollusc and their quality can vary considerably. We believe strongly in disclosing the quality grading of all our pearl jewellery, including a pearl's size, its lustre and whether it has been treated for colour. If you have a question regarding our pearls, please do contact us and we would be delighted to help.

IS A WEBSITE SAFE TO USE?

Shopping online is generally safe and many online sellers today, including Winterson, do not store their customer's credit card details. Instead most online retailers use a secure online payment service to process the transaction. Always check to see if:

• the website uses an organisation such as Sagepay to process their card transactions


• that the address at the top of your browser window shows a padlock or https:// to indicate that a secure, encrypted connection has been established

CAN I RETURN THE JEWELLERY?

We understand that sometimes the jewellery may not be suitable or, if given as a gift, may wish to be exchanged. By law in the UK, shoppers buying goods online have 7 days from taking delivery to return the goods to the seller. This includes earrings. At Winterson, we offer our customers 14 days from the date of delivery to return your jewellery to us for any reason, excluding any items of a bespoke nature. This is a free service for our customers in the UK.

WHAT DO OTHERS THINK?

Finding out what others think of an online retailer is a sensible question to ask, but not every review site online is able to guarantee that the reviews displayed there are from genuine customers. Every customer at Winterson receives a follow-up email from Feefo, an independent organisation that allows our customers an opportunity to let us know how we are doing. These independent reviews can be found here. If you purchase jewellery online from us and receive one of these emails, please do give us your feedback on our pearl jewellery and our customer service.

To help with any other decisions or general questions that you may have regarding jewellery online, we recently introduced a Frequently Asked Questions page to the website. If you also missed our earlier Journal article on the ten questions to ask when buying pearl jewellery, then you can find it here.

This Sunday 18th March in the UK is Mothers Day, a day to be unreservedly sentimental about a mother's love.

There can be few better reminders of the wonderful relationship between a mother and her children than Scottish novelist J.M. Barrie's classic description from Peter Pan:

Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie (1860-1937)

Barrie was born as the ninth of 10 children in a weaver's family in Kirriemuir, Scotland. His grateful relationship with his mother was a close one that continued to inspire his writing throughout his life.

Celebrate your own unique relationship this Mother's Day with a gift of a classic pearl, a gem that is loved for its captivating beauty and elegance.

Buying plans for individuals to purchase loose cultured pearls over a lengthy period of time used to be quite popular. There are still several examples that can be found on the internet today for buying single Akoya pearls.

As the increased availability of freshwater pearls from China has made pearls more widely affordable, these collecting schemes have been in less demand.

Also, one other concern is that when making a piece of jewellery, it is important to choose pearls that match each other, for example in size, shape or colour. You would need to be confident that all of the pearls bought each year would match when the time came for the necklace to be strung.

Instead of buying a series of individual pearls, our advice would be to:

1. Buy a finished pearl necklace or piece of jewellery and keep it safely until the time of the 18th or 21st birthday. If you were to think of doing this, then you could be confident that the pearls matched. You would need to make sure that the pearls were stored properly and also that you had purchased pearls that had not been treated for colour as these might change gradually over time.


2. Buy a strand of unstrung pearls and give a pearl from this strand annually. This would mean that you would need to have the necklace strung at the time of her 21st birthday, but you would have a complete, matched necklace. You would also at that stage have to choose or have made an appropriate clasp for the necklace.


3. Finally, and more practically, would be to wait until an 18th or 21st birthday and purchase a new piece of jewellery at that stage. That does not solve the immediate problem of what to buy for an important 1st birthday however!

Whatever the decision, there is a lovely sentiment in buying a pearl as a gift each year, but there are also good reasons not to do this. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like some help or advice.

The fascinating Venus of Hohle Fels is perhaps the oldest sculpture of a human figure found today. It is a six-centimeter tall figurine of a voluptuous woman, dating back to about 35,000 years ago. Carved from mammoth ivory with a delicately carved ring in place of a head, it may also be the oldest known pendant found in Europe.

Whilst experts continue to decipher the meaning of the Venus of Hohle Fels, there is no doubt that pendants have become one of the most loved forms of jewellery. Pendants are worn today by both women and men as symbols of identity, religion, love or an elegant fashion accessory.

Among the wide choice of classic and contemporary pendant designs, real pearl pendants are highly versatile and can be worn on almost any occasion, from everyday wear to a wedding day. To help you choose an perfect pearl pendant for yourself or someone you love, here is a short guide.

THE PEARL

The pearl is typically the central focus of a pearl pendant and for this reason the highest quality grading of pearls are often selected for luxury pearl pendants. These pearls should have a strong lustre, a thick nacre, a clean surface and beautiful natural colours.

PEARL SHAPE

The most popular shapes of pearls that are used in pendants are round, tear drop or button shaped pearls. All of these shapes will lie elegantly around the neck and have a pleasing symmetry.

SIZE

The size of the pearl in a pearl pendant will impact the price of the pendant, particularly as larger Tahitian and South Sea pearls become more expensive. In a classic single pearl pendant design, the more popular pearl sizes are between 8-11mm in diameter.

GEMSTONES

Pearls are a beautiful match with diamonds, that might be set as a solitaire just above the pearl. For a more contemporary twist, pearls can also be matched with colourful gemstones such as sparkling blue sapphires or eye catching garnets.

THE CHAIN

Pearl pendants can also be hung from a necklace, called an enhancer, but today are more often worn from a simple silver or gold chain. The weight and finish of the chain should hold the pendant safely and be beautiful without distracting from the pearl and its setting. The standard length of a pearl pendant chain is typically 42 cm or 45 cm, which would be similar to a long choker or princess length necklace. For a luxury pearl pendant, 18 carat gold or platinum is a preferable choice.

At Winterson, our most popular pearl pendants are the single pearl pendant, perhaps with a lustrous white freshwater pearl and a sparkling solitaire diamond. More exotic Tahitian pearl pendants, with their shimmering grey, silver and black colours, or with a designer twist, Sophie Breitmeyer's colourful designer pendants with Akoya pearls are strong favourites too.

Valentine’s Day has its origins rooted in Roman and Christian history, but we do not really know its true meaning or history. Perhaps the most enchanting story is that of Saint Valentine, who whilst held in confinement, fell in love with a young lady that legend says was his jailor’s daughter. Before he died, it is said that Saint Valentine wrote her a farewell note of love that he signed ‘From Your Valentine”.

During the Middle Ages, lovers mostly spoke or sung their feelings. The oldest written Valentine’s love letter today is held at the British Library and dates to 1415. It was ‘A Farewell to Love’ written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife as he was held captive in the Tower of London. His wife Bonne of Armagnac tragically passed away before his release from his twenty-four years of imprisonment.

Written greetings became popular in the 18th century and spread further afield in the 19th century as postage services became cheaper. Initially these greetings were handwritten notes and letters that promised love and affection. With improved printing techniques, printed cards and postcards also became available and later even telegrams were exchanged. The British Postal Museum has an online exhibition of items from their collection that relate to Valentine’s Day. A beautiful folded letter called a Rebus, dating from 1790, slowly reveals its romantic verses and small illustrations as the letter is unfolded.

Throughout its history, Valentine’s Day has continued to grow in popularity, with yet another turn in modern times. With the development of the internet, the traditional love letter has been giving way to email and online e-cards. The most romantic amongst us may lament this drift away from the personal meaning of a handwritten note. But who wouldn't also appreciate a carefully chosen Valentine Gift?

Pearls are one of the the best loved gems in any jewellery collection. Simple yet effortlessly elegant, pearl jewellery can combine a gorgeous old world charm with contemporary styling from many of the most interesting fashion and jewellery designers today.  If you are in search of some inspiration this winter, here are our suggestions of some perfect jewellery gift ideas that are sure to be special.

Our best-selling piece from Sophie Breitmeyer's exclusive collection for Winterson, is this pair of Ruby and Akoya Pearl Stud Earrings. The combination of a pretty circle of pink rubies with an iconic Akoya pearl is a subtle updating of a classic pearl earring. Finished in 18 carat white gold, these earrings are only available in limited quantities this Christmas...

Pearls can be fun too and this bracelet is one of our firm favourites. Creamy freshwater pearls and colourful stones of rose agate and amethyst are a delight when wrapped around on this silver chain.

Naturally dark pearls are from saltwater oysters that are farmed in remote and exotic locations, mostly in French Polynesia. Distinctive, contemporary in style and ideal for the evening, these Tahitian pearl pendants are complemented by the sparkle of a diamond and an 18 carat glittering white gold chain.

For the ultimate statement in luxury, these white South Sea pearls have a beautiful lustre and silky feel to them. Renowned for their magnificent quality and large size, each Australian South Sea pearl can take around 2 to 3 years to grow in its oyster. This earring design features a stunning curve of pave diamonds and allows the pearl to be careful detached and replaced by another, for example, with a silvery grey Tahitian pearl colour.

There are many more pearl colours, shapes and styles of jewellery at Winterson. View our other suggestions of jewellery gift ideas in this selection of Pearl Gifts here.