Tagged with 'Treat yourself'
The very latest news, musings and opinions from the world of Winterson. Quite simply, a celebration of a jewellery, fashion, culture and the business behind luxury.
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Introducing the Mythologie Dewdrops
Introducing the Mythologie Dewdrops
New to the Mythologie collection is the refined simplicity of the Dewdrop earrings and pendants.
The Mythologie collection is inspired by the legends of the teardrop pearl throughout history. A symbol of new beginnings, pearls make a perfect gift for Christmas and the new year to come.
Celebrating the pearl's history as a symbol of purity, love and wisdom, the elongated drop shape of the design captures the sparkle of morning dew, which some ancient cultures believed was crystallised into a pearl.
Image 1: Mythologie Dewdrop Akoya Pearl Earrings in White Gold
Image 2: Mythologie Dewdrop Akoya Pearl Pendant in White Gold
The Ancient Greeks believed that pearls were the tears of the Gods, and that wearing pearls for a wedding would protect the bride from tears and sorrow. Over generations the pearl’s connections with innocence, beauty and purity have made it the perfect gemstone for a bride.
Image 1: Mythologie Dewdrop Akoya Pearl Earrings in Rose Gold
Image 2: Mythologie Dewdrop Akoya Pearl Pendant in Rose Gold
Hindu folklore refers to the pearl as a dewdrop, falling from the night sky into the moonlit sea, where Krishna, the god of love, plucks it from the ocean floor as a bridal gift for his daughter. Show your love for that special someone with a stunning new Mythologie Dewdrop set this Christmas.
Image 1: Mythologie Dewdrop Akoya Pearl Earrings in Yellow Gold
Image 2: Mythologie Dewdrop Akoya Pearl Pendant in Yellow Gold
Each elegant Dewdrop is crafted with a beautiful Akoya pearl, topped by a pave of brilliant cut diamonds, and hand finished in 18 carat white, yellow or rose gold.
A special Dark Dewdrop design is now also available, with the natural tones of Tahitian pearls that are perfect for the evening. -
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. -
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. -
Interview with Designer Vicky Lew
Interview with Designer Vicky Lew
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. -
Win The Drowned Detective And A Winterson Pearl Necklace
Win The Drowned Detective And A Winterson Pearl Necklace
A unique opportunity to win one of our stunning strands of pearls with celebrated publisher Bloomsbury.
To mark the release of The Drowned Detective, the latest book by Oscar-winning writer and novelist Neil Jordan, Bloomsbury are giving away one of our beautiful freshwater pearl necklaces to reflect the gem’s prominent role in this haunting love story.
For details of how to enter and more about The Drowned Detective, read more here.
The competition closes on 24th March. Good luck!
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Meet the Colourful New Additions to the Lief collection
Meet the Colourful New Additions to the Lief collection
Following the success of the enchanting Lief earrings, designed by Winterson’s Creative Director Alice Cicolini, a series of irresistible gemstone rings and pendants are now joining the collection.
Hand-crafted in the UK and finished to perfection in 18 carat gold, the six new striking pieces continue the theme of colourful gemstones and the wild leaves of Winterson’s signature flower emblem.
Four bright blue sapphires, shouldered with eight supporting diamonds, the Lief Ring with Blue Sapphires and Diamonds combines the unforgettable timeless appeal of these precious stones with a stylish modern design.
Reminiscent of pretty peonies in bud, the petal-like tones of pink sapphires shine bright in the Lief Ring with Pink Sapphires and Diamonds.
Considered to be an ancient symbol of honesty, loyalty and trust, sapphires make a unique and elegant choice of engagement ring and these rings are the precious gift for a loved one to cherish whatever the occasion.
Perfectly suited to more everyday wear, two additional new delicately crafted three stone rings also join the Lief Collection this autumn.
Beautiful hues of blue are the theme of the first which showcases stunning Aquamarine and Tanzanite, while a spectrum of soft pinks sparkle in the Winterson Lief Ring with Pink Tourmaline and Morganite.
These gemstones are also the stars of the new Lief pendants, with a choice of sparkling Aquamarine or Pink Tourmaline set in place with two delicate flower leaves fashioned from 18 carat gold.
The Lief Collection offers elegant femininity amid the delicate colours of an alpine meadow. A perfect gift for someone special. Including you.
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How to Choose Pearls For Your Wedding Jewellery
How to Choose Pearls For Your Wedding Jewellery
The timeless beauty and versatility of pearls make them an ideal choice of wedding jewellery, with a classic style that can complement any dress.
Not only will you have a beautiful and wearable reminder of your big day, but as pearls photograph so well, you are guaranteed some incredible pictures to cherish too.
There are several factors you may wish to consider when selecting your pearls to ensure they provide the perfect finishing touch.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Unless you have a heritage piece that you are determined to wear, it is best to select your dress and any headpiece or veil you might wear, before looking at your jewellery options.
As your dress should be the main event, a ‘less is more’ approach such as with a classic Akoya pearl necklace would be wise to follow when it comes to your jewels.
There are some simple rules that are best to keep in mind. If you are wearing an elaborate headpiece, you may need to forgo wearing a necklace. But if your dress has a simply cut style, then you can be a little more daring with your jewellery.
YOUR NECKLINE
Before deciding on the type of pearl to wear, you need to establish which pieces of jewellery will work best with your dress.
Sweetheart
A short pendant or string of pearls will complement a sweetheart neckline. And while there is plenty of bare skin to play with, it is best to avoid longer chains which may lessen the impact of this stunning bridal shape. Choose a necklace of between 42 and 45cm in length.
Combine with matching earrings, or if you decide against a necklace entirely, go for more striking statement pearls for your ears, such as the Lief Enchanted Earrings in White Gold and Freshwater Pearls, designed by Alice Cicolini.
Strapless
Arguably the most versatile of necklines, strapless dresses can carry almost any type of jewellery.
While you can keep things simple with a subtle pearl choker, this neckline also offer the opportunity to go for bolder earrings or a chunkier necklace.
V-neck
This neckline is perfect for pendants. Choosing a freshwater pearl combined with a diamond will see you exuding bridal chic.
Alternatively, this shape also lends itself to the classic charm of a double strand or looped long pearl necklace.
CHOOSING THE TYPE OF PEARLS
It’s also important to consider the shade of your dress when choosing your gems.
Freshwater pearls are a dream match for ivory and cream wedding dresses, while Akoya pearls will complement a white gown.
Ivory and cream dresses can also be lifted by the golden tones of South Sea pearls.
MATCH YOUR METALS
If your dress is of a bright white hue there’s a chance gold embellishments will clash, so go for pearls set on white gold or platinum.
Off-whites work with both gold and silver tones, while gold jewellery can make the most of yellow undertones in ivory and cream gowns.
SOMETHING BLUE?
Depending on your colour scheme, your jewellery offers a perfect opportunity to elegantly work in your ‘something blue’.
Blue Sapphire Stud Earrings in White Gold with Akoya Pearls offer the perfect lift to a stunning bright white dress, while Sophie Breitmeyer’s Blue Sapphire and Akoya Pearl Pendant could add an ideal modern twist to a vintage inspired dress.
Discover more about buying pearls and choosing jewellery by reading our expert guides, or view the wedding collection here.