Tagged with 'Winterson'

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 use of seed pearls in fine jewellery throughout the latter part of the 19th century was immensely popular. Elaborately decorated brooches, tiaras, pins and earrings were very representative of Victorian fashion at the time. In this article, we look at what are seed pearls?

A Fashionable Pearl

Seed pearls have long been admired by jewellers for their elegance and traditional style.

The example above of an exquisite Fabergé Egg, made for Nicholas II of Russia in 1901, stands just 12cm tall and is adorned with seed pearls. The famous French jeweller to the Tsars was known for crafting his jewelled masterpieces with precious metals, enamel, gems and delicate pearls.

Prestigious jewellers such as Tiffany, Cartier and Boucheron also studded their designs with these tiny gems to match the sensual decadence of La Belle Époque fashion.

The Formation of Seed Pearls

A seed pearl is a small natural pearl, formed in either a saltwater oyster or freshwater mussel, that is usually less than 2mm in diameter.

These pearls would have been found when divers searched for natural pearls in the Persian Gulf and Asia, or closer to home in streams and rivers of the USA, Europe and the British Isles.

Today the term "seed pearl" is more widely used to describe a small pearl that has been created as a result of a pearl farmer trying to stimulate the formation of a cultured pearl in a mollusc.

These cultured seed pearls are formed with the accidental help of a loose piece of tissue in the mollusc, perhaps when the implanted bead has been separated from the pearl sac or has been expelled by the oyster.

Traditionally, the first cultured seed pearls would have been formed in Akoya oysters or Lake Biwa freshwater mussels in Japan.

Learn about the different Types of Pearls in our Buying Guide here.

Seed Pearls in Jewellery

Preparing such a tiny seed pearl for use in jewellery requires precision and a careful eye, particularly if the pearl is to be individually drilled and strung in a necklace or tassel earrings.

The famous Baroda Pearl Carpet, sold at auction by Sotheby's in 2009 for $5.5m, was covered with around 1.4 million seed pearls, all drilled by hand and sewn decoratively onto the fabric.

Beau, our collection of pearl jewellery and pearl rings, inspired by the Georgian fashion for using seed pearls in jewellery, was designed by Alice Cicolini in 2013. The collection juxtaposes the delicate seed pearl with enamel and white diamonds, and uses the bow as its central motif.

We hope you will agree that Small is most certainly Beautiful!

Baselworld started as a watch fair and, now in its 40th year, is the premier luxury show for European retailers and brands alike. Over 100,000 exhibitors, visitors and press attended this year to announce new products and discover new trends. With nine Maserati sports cars parked enviably last week in a row outside the luxury watch Hall, our expectations were set high.

For any visitor to Baselworld, the show can remain a daunting one. Cavernous halls are filled with temporary structures of glass and marble that in some instances reach three stories high. Luxury watch brands such as Patek Phillipe, Rolex, Breguet and Chopard showcase their newest timepieces alongside jewellery creations from Fabergé, De Grisogono, and Mikimoto. The atmosphere is busy, but serious and hushed too. The success of the event here sets the tone for many in the watch and jewellery calendar.

If you are interested in the latest developments in jewellery then the prestige jewellers of Hall 2 or the specialist gemstone and pearl merchants of Hall 3 should be your first stop. The UK representation was low-key, with the stand-out for us being the characteristically edgy and spectacular designs of Stephen Webster.

Amongst the displays of the specialist pearl dealers, there were the first signs of the new larger nucleated Freshwater Edison pearls that are starting to emerge from China. This new type of pearl represents a real advancement in culturing technology, with Freshwater pearls starting to reach a size of as much as 15mm in diameter. There were a number of vivid pink strands on display, an amazing natural colour that is oddly striking when first seen. We will cover this type of pearl later in our Journal, but it will be very interesting to see how they are received over the coming year, particularly as their quality improves further.

Baselworld is scheduled slightly later next year from April 25 to May 2, 2013, due to the exhibition area being expanded, and is open to luxury-loving members of the public as well as retailers.

One surprising aspect of working with such a beautiful gem as a pearl is that there is not yet a widely accepted system for pearl grading. An ongoing challenge for retailers and customers alike is to understand the quality of this organic gem, which can vary significantly in its colour, origins and treatments.

There have been a number of initiatives to describe the quality of pearls and to earn the public's trust when buying pearls and pearl jewellery. The most widely accepted system today is the Gemological Institute of America's GIA Pearl Description System for grading natural and cultured pearls.

In the 1950s the GIA created the International Diamond Grading System with its famous 4Cs of diamond value - Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. Today this diamond grading system is adopted universally and allows buyers to judge the quality of every diamond according to a standardized system.

The GIA Pearl Description System similarly requires a balanced and honest appraisal of each pearl according to 7 individual value factors. These are:

1. Size. A round pearl is measured across its diameter in millimetres. For non-spherical and other shapes of pearls, both the length and width of the pearl should be measured.

2. Shape. There are three main categories of pearl shapes: spherical (round, near round), symmetrical (oval, button, drop) or baroque (semi-baroque, baroque)

3. Colour. The main bodycolour of a pearl should be accurately described. This can be one of the difficult value factors to evaluate. A note should also be made if the pearl has an overtone colour or has a rainbow-like iridescent effect.

4. Lustre. Lustre, or luster, describes the light reflected from the surface of the pearl. It is described by its intensity and sharpness

5. Surface. Most pearls have surface characteristics or irregulatiries. Surface condition is judged by the size, number, location, visibility and types of blemishes.

6. Nacre Quality. Nacre quality is determined by its thickness and layering. The best possible grading is 'Acceptable'. If the nucleus is visible, the nacre is too thin. A chalky appearance may result from thin or poor layering of nacre.

7. Matching. Matching describes the uniformity of pearls in jewellery and depends on the consistency of the other six factors.

The pearl grading system of the Japanese cultured pearl industry historically has used the quality classification A, AA to AAA whilst the Tahitian cultured pearl industry typically uses its own A to D grading system.

It is also relatively easy to find pearls online at cheap prices that that are described as having a AAA+ or AAAAA grade of quality. With shops and online boutiques offering customers a freshwater pearl necklace that might range from a few pounds to hundreds of pounds, the difference in value can be both significant and confusing.

We believe in a transparent and consistent assessment of the quality of our jewellery, whilst upholding the highest standards of integrity. All the members of our team are trained in pearl grading at the GIA. We disclose the grading of our pearls, based on the GIA Pearl Description System, in the online information on all our jewellery at Winterson.

If you would like to know more about our pearls, please Contact Us.

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.

Winterson, the online luxury brand specialising in pearl jewellery, and Sophie Breitmeyer, the award-winning young British jewellery designer, announce the launch of a colourful new collection of contemporary pearl earrings and pendants for 2011/12. The unique collection brings together two key trends with the combination of vibrant block gemstone colours and classic pearls.

Sophie Breitmeyer, a graduate of Central St Martins, was recently described by Vogue Italia as "a new talent to watch" and was previously a winner of the Bright Young Gems award in 2010. Since graduating, she has developed a strong following for her creative approach to design and her combinations of unusual stones and different coloured golds. Sophie recently collaborated on a catwalk collection with design duo Fyodor Golan, winners of the Fashion Fringe award at London Fashion Week this September, and has worked with Amber Le Bon on her collections.

The collection for Winterson is designed to be highly wearable for the daytime and for the evening. Three new jewellery designs for a pearl stud earring, a pearl drop earring and a pearl pendant combine colourful circles of gemstones such as pink rubies, blue sapphires and green tsavorite garnets to create nine individual pieces.

At the centre of each design is a classic Akoya Pearl, a white saltwater pearl that was one of the very first pearls to be cultured in Japan and is widely admired for its quality and lustre. The pearls are hand selected by Winterson for this collection, which is finished in 18 carat white gold and manufactured to the highest standards in Britain.

Starting at retail prices from £945, this new collection designed by Sophie Breitmeyer is exclusively available today from Winterson online.

Sophie graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and, after having won a Goldsmiths Bursary in 2009, won a Bright Young Gems award in 2010, judged by Hilary Alexander of the Daily Telegraph, Vivienne Becker of FT's How to Spend it and Jessica Diamond of Wallpaper magazine. Since then her work has been featured in GQ and Vogue, as well as working with a number of established jewellery designers and brand names in the UK.

The inspiration behind Sophie Breitmeyer's own beautiful collections is drawn from looking at surface patterns and shapes within architecture and the flow and structure in dresses from fashion. With a great-grandfather who once was a diamond dealer at DeBeers, and later opened his own business in Hatton Garden in London, jewellery is part of the family heritage. Sophie complements each piece of her own designs with exotic precious stones. We love her signature ruffle style seen pictured above.

As well as her own work as a jewellery designer  Sophie, happily for us, has a keen interest in pearls:

"To make these new pieces for Winterson to be timeless meant not only being inspired by the new but also the old. Therefore as well as being influenced by current fashions for the use of block colour, the pearls that we have chosen for this collection are Japanese Akoya Pearls. These pearls are traditionally known for their fine quality and lustre and are a beautiful match for the gemstones that we have chosen: rubies, sapphires and tsavorite garnets.

In recent years the use of these iconic Japanese pearls has also been surpassed by the availability of Freshwater pearls from China. A lot of my influence with this collection was derived from the idea of bringing Akoya Pearls back to the forefront of jewellery design.

For this collection, which is made for Winterson in the UK, we have used the latest in design and jewellery manufacturing processes to ensure the highest quality finish possible for each piece."

Sophie Breitmeyer's collection of earrings and pendants will be available at Winterson early this Autumn.  Which one will be your favourite ?

We are very excited that the first of these ranges is now underway with Sophie Breitmeyer, who recently graduated from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Jewellery design.

Her creative approach to combining unusual stones and different coloured gold led Sophie to be short listed for the 2010 Bright Young Gems competition judged by Hilary Alexander of the Daily Telegraph, Vivienne Becker of FT's How To Spend It and Jessica Diamond of Wallpaper magazine.

We asked Sophie about her inspiration, working with pearls and the new Winterson collection:

"As a jewellery designer I am inspired by the world around us and the way in which we have built and designed it. Both fashion and architecture have always interested me, in both the modern and traditional aspects. I often use these influences to inspire my collections' shape and form. Having been lucky enough to travel when I am not working, I find that a lot of influence and inspiration can come from the culture and craft that I have seen in other countries around the world.

Pearls are a very underrated precious stone, yet can often be one of the most exciting and dynamic. I have designed this collection as I design all of my work, with three things in mind, the finished piece must be unique, classic and desirable. These are what I believe every woman looks for when she buys or is bought a piece of jewellery.

I have taken my influences for this designer jewellery collection for Winterson from the current fashion season's use of block colour, being simple yet elegant. To make these pieces timeless meant not only being inspired by the new, but also the old."

We can't wait to show you the collection by Sophie Breitmeyer for Winterson in the Autumn.

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

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

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

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

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