Tagged with 'South Sea pearls'

Malaysian-born Vicky Lew started her creative life in her father's footsteps, excited by the gemstones and decorative elements that he used to create his footwear designs.

After realising that jewellery offered her greater opportunity to explore these sparkling gemstones - and across all of the the body, not just the feet - Lew travelled to London to study on the famous BA Jewellery course at Central St Martins.

Since graduating, she has gone on to secure the attention of Swarovski and Cartier, where she worked as a graduate, as well as winning a place on the prestigious Goldsmiths Kickstarter programme.



Vicky Lew refuses to be bound by traditional jewellery concepts, combining aluminium with gold, creating visual illusions with diamonds and sapphires as hidden flashes, and juxtaposing organic materials such as pearls next to geometric settings. The Winterson Journal explores Vicky’s design inspiration in this first interview in a series that will explore the love that contemporary designers have for pearls.

What are the main themes in your work?
My inspirations and ideas came from my own experiences, I like to reflect in what I have seen and some of these thoughts and ideas are often developed with the combinations of repeated forms.

The idea of accuracy and consistency in handcrafted jewellery resonates with me and highlights important characteristics of what I value in great craftsmanship. It takes skill and effort to produce and the result I think is both visually appealing and deeply comforting.



Image 1: Vicky Lew Chrysolampis Mosquitus Earrings
Image 2: Vicky Lew Yellow Chrysolampis Mosquitus Ring

Can you tell us a bit about the inspirations behind the Flight collection?
One morning like any other, I was out searching for inspiration in the parks of London when one of the photos I took happened to capture a moment in time I hadn’t previously paid much attention to - that short interval between a swan idling and flying off.

I thought that what if I could extend that moment somehow, maybe even capture in the way my camera could but with more care and effort, in metal and stone. And so Flight was born.

How has it evolved over the last few years?
My early research began with a study of the bird itself, before re-establishing my focus on the moment of take-off and theme of transience, in which the bird plays a supporting role. The primary sources of my inspiration for capturing these ephemeral moments were Felice Varini and his work in perspective-localized paintings and the graffiti duo Zebrating. Ultimately, Zebrating’s artworks allowed me to draw direct parallels between street railings, their choice of medium, and the linear and repetitive lines of bird feathers.



Image: Zebrating

The non-solid forms of the pieces present images of birds in perspective-localized angles. Employing a traditional pavé-setting method, the instantaneous moment of take-off is alluded to through the use of perspective-localized angles, whereby the birds are only revealed to the audience from certain angles. As a result, a fleeting moment is afforded to the audience, giving the gem-set birds movement as the wearer moves.

Material considerations were another important factor; the initial Flight pieces were made in aluminium, set with cubic zirconia. These designs were then refined further and made in precious metals and gemstones, after taking many considerations in weight and wearability.

The relationship between the geometry of the forms, the sparkling natural imagery and the organic quality of the pearl is really interesting.



Image 1: Vicky Lew Thalurania Colombica Earrings
Image 2: Vicky Lew Thalurania Colombica Brooch

Can you tell us more about this?
I always love strong and structural forms, however the lines can be quite harsh. By adding organic elements such as a figure of the hummingbird in gemstones and pearls soften the overall look. I also like the contrasting elements gives the pieces an unclassifiable and distinctive quality.

What drew you towards working with pearls?
There is something about pearls, they have an incandescent glow that is unlike any other gemstones. They are also historically significant, women of power were always adorned in strands and strand of pearls, and hence I associate pearls as regal and luxurious.

You've used golden south sea pearls in your work, is there something in particular about these that you find inspiring?
I have always thought that golden pearls have a mythical quality to them that it is almost fictional. I had a dream once about hummingbirds and they laid golden pearls as eggs, so it seems appropriate to use them in my work to project and giving them a fantastical quality.

Tell us a little about what's coming up for you in the next few months.
I will be presenting a capsule collection at Goldsmiths’ Fair this September.

View more of Vicky's work here.

Introducing the latest addition to the Winterson range of exquisite pearl jewellery. The Luna Ice South Sea Pearl Ring, a timeless piece of jewellery with an irresistibly modern twist. A stunning addition to any Christmas wish list.

Capturing the spirit of winter time with its highly polished 18 carat white gold setting, ice-clear diamond and stunning South Sea pearl in purest, silvery white, the new Luna Ice ring is the product of our design work with up-and-coming British jewellery talent Alice Cicolini.

Cultured in ocean waters off the coasts of Australia and Indonesia, South Sea pearls are notable for their silky lustre. The perfectly round 8.5 mm pearl in the Luna Ice ring is perfectly complemented here by the subtle sparkle of the art-deco style baguette-cut diamond set beside it.

A new contemporary design to treasure.

The world of the cultured pearl is always changing, with each year bringing a new set of pearl trends to discover as pearl farmers adapt their production and develop new techniques.

Our buying team recently returned from Asia with a stunning selection of the highest quality pearls for our collections of jewellery at Winterson, being carefully chosen for their lustre, colour and beauty.

But there were a few surprises too.

Here are our reflections from the visit and a prediction of pearl trends for the coming year:

SMALL SIZES…

Pearls above 11mm in diameter command a significant premium for their rarity, particularly for the highest quality South Sea and Tahitian pearls.

But this year more than ever before, we noticed that pearl sizes smaller than 7-8mm diameter, for the Akoya pearl and even seed pearls as small as 1-2mm, are very much in demand for necklaces, earrings and other types of jewellery.

Comfortable to wear and elegantly proportioned, these are the classic pearl sizes for a jewellery designer to work with.

THE EVER CHANGING FRESHWATER PEARL…

The shift in production and demand for Freshwater pearls over the past thirty years has been significant, with small cereal shaped pearls being steadily replaced by the introduction of rounder shapes, and more recently by larger nucleated pearls.

This year really is no exception. Round nucleated Freshwater pearls are now widely available in sizes above 12mm. The trend of the last few years towards large oversized baroque shapes in contemporary jewellery seems to be falling out of fashion.

Perhaps more concerning was the apparent level of processing treatment of some of the larger pearl sizes. Although designed to achieve a whiter colour, these pearls might lose their lustre over time. If in doubt, always buy from a retailer that specialises in pearls.

We only select the highest quality Freshwater pearls that we can find and we loved the dazzling metallic colours of the pearl drops above!

THE NEW WHITE IS…GOLDEN?

The boutiques and shops of Hong Kong are filled with many of the world’s luxury and fashion brands.

The Chinese home market of shoppers loves pearls and prices for high quality pearls are increasing with the growth in Asian markets.

Classic pearls that have a natural-looking white colour are the most favoured style, but it is the luxurious golden South Sea pearl, with its rich tones of champagne, gold and burnt orange, that is the most highly sought after pearl this year.

PREDICTION FOR 2014

The world of pearls is so varied that it is difficult, almost impossible, to summarise one single prediction for this organic gem next year.

Perhaps the most exciting trend is the popularity of small sizes - we are going to see more jewellery designers working with classic white pearls in many subtle, intricate and intriguing ways in 2014.

Here is a simple question. How many freshwater pearls are there in this image ?

Pearls have fascinated us for hundreds of years with their colours, shapes and diversity. Despite our long love story with pearls, our general knowledge of these pretty and precious gems is still relatively poor. A simple test of our understanding is whether we can explain the difference between a freshwater and a saltwater pearl…

Saltwater pearls include Akoya pearls historically from Japan, Tahitian pearls from French Polynesia and South Sea pearls from Australia and Indonesia, whilst Freshwater pearls today originate mainly from China. The difference between saltwater and freshwater pearls is not their geographic origin, however, but in the mollusks in which they originate.

Saltwater pearls are found in oysters that live in saltwater oceans and seas, whilst freshwater pearls are found in mussels that live in freshwater rivers, lakes and ponds.

Both saltwater and freshwater pearls are formed with a similar process. All pearls are formed as the mollusk secretes layers of a protective iridescent substance called nacre around an irritant. In natural pearls an irritant such as a parasite enters the mollusk, whereas with cultured pearls, this irritant is introduced intentionally by man. Experts define both saltwater and freshwater pearls as ‘pearls’ for they have concentric layers of nacre.

Both freshwater and saltwater pearls make beautiful jewellery. Their unique characteristics of each variety make it not too difficult to distinguish a freshwater pearl from a saltwater pearl by looking at its natural colour, its shape, its size and whether the pearl has a bead nucleus inside. Metallic pastel colours, for example, are a clear sign that a pearl is of freshwater origin. A knowledgeable eye might look at the drill hole of the pearl to determine if there is a shell bead nucleus inside.

Continual advances in pearl farming techniques, for example with the introduction of round beaded nuclei to help make larger round freshwater pearls, are making some of these differences harder to identify. With some significant differences in price between freshwater and saltwater pearls, it is always advisable to purchase pearls from a reputable jeweller.

PS The answer above is that there are 5 cultured freshwater pearls in the image above, the rest are all cultured saltwater pearls.

Biologists may tell us about warning colours in nature and how we are all programmed from birth to be frightened of stripey snakes or red spiders. But have you noticed how we also universally love the warm, rich colours of yellow gold, autumn, honey, sunset and these golden pearls?

Pearls are traditionally white in colour, often being a symbol of purity and worn by royalty and in wedding jewellery. Any fortunate person who has seen a golden South Sea pearl though is sure to remember it.  By some miracle or natural sleight of hand, the soft satiny lustre and enchanting orangey yellow tones of these pearls closely resembles the world's favourite and increasingly valuable precious metal.

Golden South Sea pearls are mainly cultured in the gold-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster, named for the honey coloured mother of pearl lining inside its shell. These oysters produce the highest proportion of golden pearls, though some light golden pearls can also be found in the silver-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster. The majority of golden pearls today come from pearl farms in the Philippines and Indonesia, although deeper "burnt gold' colour pearls have also been farmed in Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.

A special, sheltered environment is required for culturing South Sea pearls as it can take up to 18 to 30 months to grow each pearl. The best pearl farms are located in remote locations where the water is pristine and there are rich, fresh sources of plankton for the mollusks to feed on. The delicate oysters also need to be protected from other hazards such as typhoons and abrupt changes in water temperature. One of the specialist farmers of golden South Sea pearls is Jewelmer, which has been a leader in the non-extractive, environmentally sound production of golden South Sea cultured pearls since 1979.

The unique opulent and warm colour of golden South Sea pearls is perfectly suited for fine jewellery. Amongst the treasure hoard of designs, the classic pearl necklace remains our most popular, either in monochrome with golden pearls or in multi-colour with white, champagne and golden pearls. Our South Sea pearl necklaces are carefully matched with the glint of yellow gold and pave diamonds.

Naturally golden South Sea pearls should not be treated for colour, however it is possible that pearls found on the market may be dyed. If you fall in love with a golden South Sea pearl, we would recommend that you check that the colour is natural and only buy from a reputable specialist jeweller.

The historic Star Ferry has ploughed its way across Hong Kong harbour since the late 1880s. The crossing is named by National Geographic Traveler as one of their 50 Places of a Lifetime.

When the sun is shining, the sea turns a petrol green colour and with that magnificent skyline, there can be few better ways to get to work in the morning or places for buying pearls.

For the last four days, Hong Kong has been host to the largest Spring Jewellery Show in Asia, with more than 30,000 buyers and suppliers attending from around the world – a record attendance despite recent times.

In pearl terms, Hong Kong has grown to be one of the most important pearl trading centres in the world and this is one of the key dates in the annual calendar for buying pearls. It is hard to comprehend the size of the pearl industry until confronted by more than 10,000 square metres of pearls for sale at this Jewellery Show.

The new season’s freshwater pearls from China are available to the market for the first time and prestigious pearl famers such as Robert Wan from Tahiti and Paspaley from Australia offer their pearls at auction to a select specialist group of buyers.

Pearl prices are beginning to rise again. Demand for these incredible gems is increasing, particularly from customers in India and China, whilst production over the last two years has been reduced as pearl farmers have weathered the global crisis.

This is particularly true of larger Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls and higher grade quality pearls are in much shorter supply now. With minimum lead times of 18 months to over 3 years for farmers to increase their pearl harvest, it is likely that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, especially for the premium grade pearls.

It is a good time to buy pearls and we will have many beautiful pieces of pearl jewellery to show you at Winterson over the coming months.

Naturally occurring South Sea pearls are virtually unknown today on the world market. Although experiments in culturing South Sea pearls began as early as 1912, it was not until 1954 that the first successful operation began in Burma.

The size and quality of the pearls produced since then have been sensational, with cultured South Sea pearls being regarded as the most luxurious types of pearls today.

 

The oyster used by growers is the large Pinctada maxima oyster, which can be found in two varieties, the silver-lipped and yellow-lipped oysters. The Pinctada maxima oyster can be as large as 30cm in diameter and up to 3 years in age before grafting operations begin.

 

The most popular colour of South Sea pearls has been white, combined with delicate overtones of silvers and pinks, and is produced by the silver-lipped oyster found in ocean waters mainly off the coasts of Australia and Indonesia.

 

The yellow-lipped oyster, found off the coast of the Philippines and Indonesia, produces highly  fashionable golden pearls with overtone colours of peach and even red. The best quality golden pearls can command significant prices today at auction.

 

The thickness of nacre on a South Sea pearl contributes to a rich depth of lustre and shine unmatched by many other pearls. These are the largest pearls being cultured today, typically being found in sizes between 8mm and 16mm and sometimes even exceeding 20mm in diameter.

 

Available at Winterson in a number of contemporary and classic South Sea pearl necklaces, pendants and South Sea pearl earrings, these stunning designer pearls really make a unique and beautiful gift.