Tagged with 'Treat yourself'

Launching three new ranges of jewellery this Autumn is Sophie Breitmeyer, an award-winning designer that we were delighted to be able to collaborate with last year. It has been a busy year for Sophie, with a move to a studio at the Goldsmiths Centre, her bespoke jewellery business, and being nominated for Retail Jeweller's Catwalk Jeweller of the Year 2012 for her collaboration with design house Fyodor Golan.

Sophie tells us about her new collections for next Spring/Summer 2013.

What was the inspiration for the new Serpentina range?

The collection was inspired by The Rainbow Portrait, a historic painting of Elizabeth I, in which Elizabeth's dress is heavily embellished with pearls and a serpent knotted around her arm. This English Heritage inspired collection combines snake like twists with classic freshwater pearls to show two different angles of the jewellery. With a selection of earrings, necklaces and entwined rings, the collection is traditional with an empowered modern style.

 

What makes a piece of jewellery unique?

Whilst designing, I try to accomplish three things in the jewellery: to make it classic, unique and desirable. I believe that these three things are essential to women when buying jewellery for longevity. Unique to me means being original and different, for example manipulating the shape of fabric into an intricately handmade piece of metal, as with my Miniature Ruffle collection.

 

What style direction is jewellery moving in at the moment?

There are so many trends with jewellery at the moment, with one being the use of alternate materials such as palladium and colourful semi-precious stones to make fine jewellery more affordable. I try to design with classic looks in mind, to make a piece that will be timeless and will always stay in fashion. Of course these need to be desirable....what girl isn't happy when her friends want her clothes and jewellery?

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

I have a lot of exciting plans for next year, including new collections and making these available through my new website and other stockists.

Launching this Autumn at Winterson, our new collection of Pearl Rings celebrates the enchanting beauty and subtle luxury of the pearl.

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.

A stunning kaleidoscope of colour, gems and jewellery awaited visitors to this year's International Jewellery London exhibition. As well as catching up with some of the new trends for the Winter season to come, one of the highlights of London's leading annual jewellery event is in finding some creative and innovative collections by new designers.

IJL's Bright Young Gems initiative is now in its 8th year and gives a selection of exciting new designers a unique opportunity to showcase their work. Previous winners include Sophie Breitmeyer, with whom we launched a collection of Akoya pearl earrings and pendants last Autumn.

Chosen by a leading panel of judges, the winners of the award this year included watch-maker Sophie E Ellis, an original and playful collection by Neil Marlow and Swarovski award scholar Stephanie Bila. Impressively, three of the four winners recently graduated in Jewellery Design from the renowned Central Saint Martins design school in London.

Perhaps the most eye-catching of all was Katie Jamieson's Hidden collection, a beautifully series of architectural rings, pendants and earrings inspired by the secret garden inside the Serpentine Gallery's 2011 Summer Pavilion. These polished silver earrings (pictured) create a sparkling riot of colour with their central gemstones of tsavorite garnet and tanzanite, being surrounded by pink rubies, orange sapphires, yellow diamonds and more tsavorite garnets. Other pieces hid their gems away, to be revealed only with a movement of the hand or by sound. Designed with surprises, Katie Jamieson's jewellery succeeds in creating a collection to explore.

Elsewhere in the show, traditional design mixed with the contemporary and it was a great chance to catch up with new pieces from some favourite and established designers. Andrew Geoghegan's vibrant Chocolate Box Ring, set with baguette cut gems of aquamarine, amethyst and citrine was a perfect way to finish off the colour theme.

One of the largest and most vibrant capital cities in the world, London is filled with brilliant jewellery ideas and destinations for culture lovers and shoppers alike. To help you navigate some of the treasures dotted around the city, here is a short jewellery guide to the city with five favourite places to visit.

FOR THE HISTORY LOVER

The Tower of London and Buckingham Palace are two of the most popular royal palaces for visitors to the city. In time for the Jubilee and the Olympics, a recent new exhibit at The Tower of London explores the role of the Crown Jewels and the story of the Tower in protecting these treasures.

The Imperial State Crown is an undisputed highlight of the extraordinary jewels on display and is worn by the Queen at the annual State Opening of Parliament. Set with sapphires, rubies and pearls, the crown also features one of the most famous diamonds in the world. If you are visiting Buckingham Palace in 2012, do not miss the story of the Cullinan Diamond in the new exhibition there.

FOR THE BUDDING GEMOLOGIST

The Vault at the Natural History Museum is a treasure trove for anyone interested in gems and gemmology. Discover its gallery of celestial meteorites, the 1,383.93 carat Devonshire Emerald, pure gold crystals and a diamond the size of an egg.

FOR THE ROMANTIC

The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active biological society and, situated away from the bustle of Piccadilly, quietly hides a secret for pearl lovers. Founded in 1788, the Society takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who produced the world's first spherical cultured pearl.

Linnaeus grew his spherical pearls in freshwater mussels by drilling a small hole in the shell and inserted a tiny granule of limestone between the mantle and the shell of the mussel. The mussels were returned to their river and over six years covered the implanted material with nacre to make a cultured pearl. A set of these experimental ‘Linnaean pearls’ is held by the Society amongst the Linnean Shell collection.

FOR THE SHOPPER

If you are interested in browsing the best of jewellery design, London has so much to offer.

Historically Hatton Garden has been the main district of the jewellery trade in London. The area is now undergoing a resurgence as a home to independent designers and the new Goldsmith's Centre, a purpose built facility for promoting the best in creativity and craftsmanship.

Setting the fashion trend, Liberty’s may be the ultimate destination, offering contemporary jewellery from designers in a iconically British building fashioned from the timbers of two Royal Navy warships.

For luxury brands such as Asprey, Boodles, Bvlgari, Cartier, Mikimoto, Tiffany and others, the streets of Mayfair, and in particular Bond Street, Mount Street, South Molton Street and the Burlington Arcade, are the place to be seen.

That was an enthralling and nerve-racking fortnight of tennis. Congratulations to both Jonathan Marray and Andy Murray on their outstanding performances this year!

Tennis at Wimbledon has certainly changed since the game was played a century ago. Just look at this image of two gentlemen players from 1910. What a difference a new roof has made to the play and atmosphere of the 2012 championship.

It was lovely to see also that pearl sets were still very much in fashion in the Centre Court stands. Around the same time as when this image of a very different Wimbledon was taken, new techniques for culturing pearls were being developed in Japan. Today the beauty of these classic gems has become more affordable, with their colours and shapes being loved by contemporary jewellery designers.

Having been asked by a number of our customers for matching pieces of pearl jewellery, we have launched our first collections of Pearl Sets at Winterson and we will be adding more over the coming weeks.

Matching pearls together takes patience, experience and access to a large number of pearls to ensure that the quality, size and colour of each set is appropriate. Even a colour described as white can have cooler silvery or warmer cream hues that should be considered so as to be able to match pearls well. Matching is one of the value factors that we use to grade pearls and can be found as part of the detailed description of each piece of pearl jewellery at Winterson.

Most pearl sets combine a necklace or pendant with a pair of earrings, and perhaps a bracelet. Our Pearl Sets combine some of our best loved pieces of pearl jewellery and have a combination to suit almost every occasion! If you do need any help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact one of our team.

New pearls please...

"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.

The steady rise in the price of gold over the last five years shows an enduring fascination with this precious metal. Tutankhamun's mask, King Midas, our coinage systems, Eldorado, the Californian gold rush and even James Bond's arch rival Goldfinger are some of the icons of wealth and greed that this noble metal has helped create throughout history. What is the lasting allure of gold and its use in gold jewellery today?

Gold is a metal with remarkable properties for use in jewellery. It is a dense and durable metal being resistant to corrosion and oxidation, yet can be soft and malleable for the making of jewellery. Gold also conducts heat well and rapidly warms to our body temperature. In its purest form, gold has a bright mesmerizing yellow colour that has a sensual beauty next to the skin.

The purity of gold is defined in units of carats, which is believed to be derived from a Roman coin called a solidus that was introduced by the Emperor Diocletian around 300AD. Each coin struck had around 24 carats of gold and this sub-division continues today.

24 carat gold is the purest form of gold, with 999 parts per thousand of gold, and is generally regarded as being too soft for jewellery. To increase the metal's hardness, gold is combined with other metals to form an alloy. 18 carat gold, for example, is composed of 18 parts of pure gold and 6 parts of another metal. 14 carat and 9 carat gold have decreasing parts of pure gold and therefore are less valuable.

The alloying process also allows a jeweller to introduce other metals to influence the final colour of the alloy. The colour of pure gold is yellow, but with the addition of a metal such as palladium, the alloy will turn a silvery white that is sold with the finesse of 18 carat white gold. Alloys made with nickel and gold have been phased out in Europe since 2000 to help prevent the incidence of allergies. Other colour golds such as rose gold can be achieved with a gold alloy containing copper.

Gold is very resistant to wear and it will retain its shape and colour for generations. Most white gold jewellery sold today is also plated with rhodium, a platinum-like metal that gives white gold an additional gleam. This will start to wear within 2 to 3 years, but can be easily replaced at most jewellers.

To care for your gold jewellery, clean the gold with a soft cleaning cloth with a good quality cleaning liquid. Polish the metal with gentle, circular movements and dry off any excess liquid. Be careful however not to damage any more sensitive gems such as pearls and, if in doubt, simply clean and polish your gold jewellery with water.

As gold prices have increased, more jewellery with a lower gold finesse or silver has become popular. At Winterson, we favour 18 carat gold for its lasting value, quality and durability and all our gold jewellery is hallmarked at the London Assay office to verify its gold content. We design with either yellow or white gold to match with our Freshwater, Akoya and South Sea pearls, whilst Tahitian pearls with their dark colours have a more contemporary partnership with 18 carat white gold.

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.

The melancholy of autumn seeps in as clouds gather over Paris, temperatures start to fall and the trees turn a rich brown. Fortunately Paris is still the most romantic city in the world, with a fashion for wearing pearls. If you are lucky enough to be in the French capital this Autumn, and are wondering where to go beyond the usual tourist spots, here is a lazy weekend walk through the 6th and 7th arrondissements.

Early Sunday morning is the best time to visit the organic food market on Boulevard Raspail, which is bursting into life. The market is located on Boulevard Raspail between Rue de Cherche-Midi and Rue de Rennes. Be sure to sample one of the galette potato pancakes at the top of the market and immerse yourself in the local Rive Gauche life. Match the fun atmosphere with one of our pearl bracelets.

 

Next turn into the Rue du Cherche-Midi, Rue Saint-Placide and Rue du Bac to discover a string of exclusive fashion boutiques and of course Le Bon Marché. The building of this grand department store was designed by Gustave Eiffel in the middle of the 19th century. Open at the weekends on Saturday only, it is now the home to luxury brands, jewellery, French designers and other essentials for the local French fashionistas. Don't miss La Grand Épicerie with its delicious selection of artisanal groceries, pastries and gifts. It's the perfect place for wearing pearls, perhaps in layers of white Freshwater pearl rope necklaces in the style of Coco Chanel?

 

The world famous Musée Rodin is only a stone's throw away at the end of Rue de Varenne. As its name suggests, the museum is home to a collection of the most significant works by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Wander through the extensive grounds and stop to admire some of Rodin's most famous pieces including ‘The Kiss’ and 'The Thinker'.

 

To finish off your afternoon, amongst the landmarks of the Rive Gauche is the Café Les Deux Magots on the Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés. For centuries this café has been a cultural hotspot for writers and poets from the world of arts, fashion and literature. Wear something eye-catching like a lustrous pink Freshwater pearl necklace. On a crisp autumn afternoon, find a corner of the glassed-in terrace and sip on a reinvigorating coffee whilst enjoying Parisian life pass slowly by.

 

For dinner there is so much choice in this part of Paris, but Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy's bistrot Les Bouquinistes is renowned for its sophisticated food and relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is named after the book-sellers that have been lining the quais of the Seine for over 150 years and today attracts a local clientele of art lovers from the antique shops and galleries nearby. Its location at Quai des Grands Augustins also has a wonderful view at night overlooking the Cathédrale Notre Dame and the Pont-Neuf, a perfect Parisian end to the day.