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We are delighted to announce that the winner of the Winterson Prize for Best Use of Pearls this year is Felicia Swartling, showcasing a collection that combined imaginative sculptural elements with the freeform shapes of baroque pearls.

The CSM Jewellery Degree Show Awards took place on Thursday 19th June at Central Saint Martins. Each year this exclusive awards ceremony celebrates the new and exciting creations submitted by graduates of the influential London arts institute.

This year’s judging panel comprised Winterson Director Andrew Fraser, Caroline Broadhead, Programme Director at CSM, Maia Adams, Director and Founder at Adorn Insight, and British jewellery designer, Alice Cicolini, herself an MA graduate of Central Saint Martins.

The judges also commended Ruiyin Lin for work that drew parallels between how pearls take their form and modern materials that are constructed using 3D printing.

Commenting on the award, Winterson Director, Andrew Fraser said: ‘Felicia's work showed a well-judged appreciation of how each pearl could become an integral part of each piece, as well as being impressively accomplished at a technical level. We are delighted to award Felicia this year's Winterson Prize.'

Read more about Felicia's work in our interview here.

Here we feature the final part in our series of short interviews with designers from the Central Saint Martins Jewellery 2014 show, including in this article – Sylvia Zhang, Tresy Liaunardy, Vicky Lew, Yerin Jeon and Ying Lola Lou.

For the second year, we have been working with the students designers of the Central Saint Martins Jewellery Design course. We will be awarding a Winterson Prize to one of the students for 'The Best Use of Pearls' at Jewellery Awards Evening on 19th June.

Read about some of the other designers in Part I, Part II and Part III of our interviews here. Discover the Winner of the Winterson Prize 2014 here.

SYLVIA ZHANG

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Sylvia Zhang.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The aesthetic of Taoism’s simplicity and the philosophy of worshipping nature.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

Pearls have great possibilities and can work really well with different concepts.

What’s next for you after CSM?

I will be pursuing higher academic qualifications.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

David Watkins.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

My files in different grades.

Name your favourite place for design in London.

Tate Modern.

TRESY LIAUNARDY

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am from Indonesia, I was introduced to the world of jewellery by my mother, because of her profession. I believe in handmade jewellery and the journey of making the piece itself.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

I was inspired by United Kingdom itself, which is a beautiful country with rich backgrounds and stories.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

I have discovered that pearls are very versatile, the rich colour and lustre can be combined with any material.

What’s next for you after CSM?

I would like to learn more about fine jewellery making.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

JAR: Joel A. Rosenthal.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

My pin vice.

VICKY LEW

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a Malaysian-born and bred girl. I grew up surrounded by shoes – Dad's a shoe designer and Mum's very lucky!

I initially planned to pursue a shoe design course but decided on jewellery instead (much to my Dad's amusement), just because I wanted to work on different parts of the body rather than just on the feet.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

My collection Flight was inspired by a photo I took of a bird in Hyde Park. It was spreading its wings before it flew away. It's such a lovely transient moment and I like to preserve such moment in pieces of jewellery.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

The pearl has a luminescence that is unlike other gem, never failing to add a touch of luxury to any piece. A t-shirt will instantly look regal and elegant with pearls sewn into them.

What’s next for you after CSM?

Having my own studio would be nice.

Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?

I'd like to see Tilda Swinton wearing my pieces.

What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?

A memorable one.

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

My gold baby ring, which I now wear as a pinky ring.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

Gijs Bakker for his interpretation of jewellery, always unexpected and very clever.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

My handy Dremel torch, it's also good for the occasional creme brulee.

Name your favourite place for design in London.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, I get inspired by different things each time I visit.

What’s your motto?

Perseverance is the key to success.

YERIN JEON

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Yerin Jeon, I come from South Korea. I studied fine arts in Germany and then came to London to study jewellery design at Central Saint Martins. I am a designer and a creative.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

Attempt to visualize the invisible. Especially the sound of silence, which is interpreted internally and externally in this collection.

Wearing the piece, from the other side, people can visually trace the flowing lines of resonance around body.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

I researched more about how pearls are created and chose to focus on their shell, where they are formed.

I also looked at how pearls can function as a medium to allow sound to remain trapped within them. Furthermore, I was surprised to find out that when pearls are worn as earrings, they give a soft and comforting feeling.

What’s next for you after CSM?

I would perhaps like to work for a fashion brand because I am interested in how they accentuate the properties of textiles and the beauty of objects around us.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

Francis Alÿs.

What’s your motto?

You create your opportunities by asking for them (Patty Hansen).

YING LOLA LOU

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Ying Lola Lou, born and raised in China. I am interested in observing the people, living things or anything that might catch my eye.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The idea of this project is to turn my drawings into jewellery or wearable accessory pieces. This is my own way of capturing my memories.

The drawings are portraits of my friends, of hands holding or picking up a stone. As most of the pieces (with drawings on them) are quite flat, I am playing with the components, to add some other element such as branches cast from metal, pearls or wire frames that continue the drawing.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

Pearls are not as fragile as I imagined they would be. And you can’t glue pearls onto the silk thread because the silk thread breaks apart after the glue dried.

What’s next for you after CSM?

I would like to learn about ceramics.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

Salvador Dali.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

My jewellery files.

Here we feature the third in a four part series of short interviews with designers from the Central Saint Martins Jewellery 2014 show, including in this article – Raven Tuson, Robyn Hole, Ruiyin Lin and Shirley Li.

For the second year, we have been working with the students designers of the Central Saint Martins Jewellery Design course. We will be awarding a Winterson Prize to one of the students for 'The Best Use of Pearls' at Jewellery Awards Evening on 19th June.

Read about some of the other designers in Part I, Part II and Part IV of our interviews here. Discover the Winner of the Winterson Prize 2014 here.

RAVEN TUSON

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am always bursting with ideas and like to express these by trying out new materials and methods. I enjoy visiting museums and being creative by capturing inspiration from sketching and photography.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The focus of this collection is the lifecycle of architectural structures and how, over time, they are transformed by the natural world. The collection aims to portray the stages of transition from cradle to grave, with the pieces representing a milestone in the buildings lifecycle.

Each stage is expressed through a varied use of materials with delicate lines of silver wire and chain representing the architectural structure and fine silver granules and a mixture of stones appearing as natural growths on the pieces.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

Using pearls was a great way of introducing my work to using real life grown formations and offered my jewellery a natural element.

What’s next for you after CSM?

I intend to continue with designing and making, creating many more collections and building my own business.

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

The brooch as it collects all my significant elements in one piece.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without?

My files as it allow me to create perfect angles for geometric effects.

ROBYN HOLE

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have been designing /making jewellery for the past 3 years and I enjoy experimenting with materials and ideas. Finding a good concept keeps me interested and always thinking.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The metamorphosis of a beetle was the inspiration for this collection.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

I have learnt a lot about pearls during this project and I have learnt that silicone can be used as a vehicle to enhance small pearls and make them look bigger. I have also learnt that the lustre of the pearls is very important.

What’s next for you after CSM?

After CSM I would like to create my own business selling jewellery, I would like to explore further the use of pearls and silicone.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

Vivienne Westwood, because she pushes boundaries more than most.

What’s your motto?

Anything is possible and everything happens for a reason.

RUIYIN LIN

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am drawn to the aesthetics of the past as a way of preserving our memories and I adore the new with its unknown future.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

I wanted to create a collection that is both a tribute to the past and a prelude to the future, to explore our intuitive comfort of the familiar by taking traditional forms and subverting them with contemporary attitude and techniques.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

Pearls are so hardy it sometimes still surprises me. I’m in love with how pearls are formed.

Mixing modern materials with pearls allow me to create a bridge between the processes of construction. Layers of nacre form pearls, and 3D printing is a process that is likewise built in layers. I hope to question the perceived preciousness of these materials and their authenticity.

What’s next for you after CSM?

I’m hoping to set up a jewellery and furniture studio.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

My hands.

What’s your motto?

Stay hungry, stay foolish. – Steve Jobs

SHIRLEY LI

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Shirley Li. I am a jewellery design student at CSM, sick with design but I love art.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The collection inspired by jewellery in famous oil paintings. I am trying to remake them and redefine their value.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

It is a material that has lots of possibilities for use. Especially in my collection I made fake pearls with resin and wood. Mixing pearl powder in paints and using that to paint a new fake pearl. It is a process of deconstruction that redefines the value of pearl.

What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?

Full of designer’s love, a look that is simple outside and unique inside.

Name your favourite place for design in London.

No doubt, it is Central Saint Martins.

Here we feature the second in a four part series of short interviews with designers from the Central Saint Martins Jewellery 2014 show, including in this article – Gianna Pak Yung Chan, Ioanna Souflia, Jessie Seo and Junko Kurihara.

For the second year, we have been working with the students designers of the Central Saint Martins Jewellery Design course. We will be awarding a Winterson Prize to one of the students for 'The Best Use of Pearls' at Jewellery Awards Evening on 19th June.

Read about some of the other designers in Part I, Part III and Part IV of our interviews here. Discover the Winner of the Winterson Prize 2014 here.

GIANNA PAK YUNG CHAN

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Gianna Chan. I enjoy working with pearls and combine them with different types of material to explore new possibilities.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

In my final collection, I mainly use rope to play with the line and knots. The inspiration of my collection is from Japanese Bondage. Japanese bondage involves the interaction between ropes and knots on body to emphasis the body shape of female.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

The uniqueness of each pearl brings out the differences of individual jewellery. This uniqueness can be differentiated by size, shape and texture etc. Each pearl may lend its character to the design with different settings, like twisting pearls strings to the knots. The roughness of rope and the smoothness of a pearl creates an interesting combination.

What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?

Historically, there are many paintings that included pearl jewellery. Photographs of Louise Brookes with simple long string of pearls shows an elegance of women that is memorable.

Classic design in jewellery often comes from the combination of using traditional technique with creativity. In my collection, the traditional way of stringing pearls with new expression in rope shows feminine and elegance in a classic style.

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

My parents gave me a jade pendant after my birth.

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

My hands! Tools are the integrated version of my hands.

IOANNA SOUFLIA

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am former law graduate who decided to challenge herself and enter the creative world through jewellery. I am amazed by the infinite possibilities of jewellery design and drawn to the challenge of expressing one self through such an object.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The starting points for this collection were my contrasting fields of studies: law and jewellery. Contrasting elements; linear patterns and sculptural forms; black and white; contemporary materials such as marble and traditional materials such as metal and the pearl brought together. A synthesis of opposing elements resulting to a cohesive union.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

The ability of the pearl to stand out but at the same time to adapt to the design; its dual character, a classic, fine jewellery material which can be incorporated to a more contemporary piece of jewellery; for me this is what makes pearls timeless.

What’s next for you after CSM?

My goal after CSM will be to start and establish my own brand.

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

My most treasured piece of jewellery would be the first ring I ever made. It signals the beginning of my creative journey in the jewellery world.

What’s your motto?

Be persistent; this is what I have been telling myself from the very moment I decided to become a jewellery designer.

JESSIE SEO

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Jessie Seo. I am a final year student at Central Saint Martins. My designs were derived by my fascination of nature.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

My imagination started when looking at large pieces of dark bark that had really interesting textures. I wanted to manipulate the textures of the wood and explore the depth and texturized images engraved on the wood. The idea of engraving flowers on the wood has been the subject of my fascinatation with the material of wood.

I found an artist named Karl Blossfeldt. His black and white photographs of a flower’s buds, shoots and stems were magnified and their shapes were amazing. I was drawn to the images of his works and inspired me to engrave them immediately on the black ebony wood.

Combining natural material into jewelry gives me an emotion of wearing nature. My collection is a night garden. The beauty of blackness shines through moonlight that gently rests on this night garden. I have used the pearls to picture the moonlight on the black garden.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

I have discovered that pearls are very delicate and it has very oriental and natural beauty that makes the jewelry’s beauty to its most height.

What’s next for you after CSM?

An MA in Italy!

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

Drill bits!

Name your favourite place for design in London.

London Zoo.

JUNKO KURIHARA

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am 23 years old and am from Japan.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

My inspiration came from the blurred images and eyesight, that occurs without wearing contact lenses or glasses.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

That a natural pearl may have a beautiful colour that people are not able to create.

Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?

My jewellery is designed for everyone who wants to wear it, but I would imagine particularly for ladies aged 40-50 years old.

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

An 18 carat gold ring that I bought with my first salary.

What’s your motto?

Be creative!

For the second year, we have been working with Central Saint Martins, the leading art and design centre based in London.

Our collaboration gives the student designers an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year work, which is showcased at a sparkling Jewellery Awards Evening on 19th June. We will be awarding our Winterson Prize to one of the students for 'The Best Use of Pearls'.

The designs are also open to the public at CSM during June 18-22nd.

Here we feature the first in a four part series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2014 show, including in this article – Eleonora D'Ottavi, Elizabeth Lee, Emma Duckers, Felicia Swartling and Fortuna Weeks.

Read about some of the other designers in Part II, Part III and Part IV of our interviews here. Discover the Winner of the Winterson Prize 2014 here.

ELEONORA D’OTTAVI

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Italian although I have lived both in London and Geneva. In Geneva I became an intern in Christie’s jewellery department where I discovered Fine Jewellery. Since then I have been designing Contemporary/Fine jewellery.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

I wanted to create a collection which would transfer my personality and individuality into pieces of jewellery.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

While writing my dissertation on the history of pearls I discovered that although natural pearls are incredibly symbolic, freshwater pearls are still without meaning even though they are just as beautiful.

What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?

I am not sure how to explain this, but there are some pieces of jewellery which make whoever is wearing them radiant, no matter what their age or style (both of the person and jewel). These are what I would consider a classic.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

JAR

Name one jewellery toolbox essential that you can’t live without.

An antiseptic cream for burns.

ELIZABETH LEE

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am half Chinese, half Taiwanese, born and raised in London. I have studied at Central Saint Martins since foundation, initially wanting to study fashion design and eventually becoming inspired by jewellery through product design.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The concept of my collection entitled “Play” is based on the idea of finding the beauty in objects by looking at the finer details we often dismiss. Merging cosmetics into jewellery became the main source of inspiration as the notion surrounding makeup defines play.

What have you discovered about working with pearls? 

Pearls come in many sizes and shapes, each having its own unique character and lustre. For a few of my pieces, I worked with inlay and found that the rainbow shine could be reignited with a touch of water to recreate its mesmerizing appearance.

What’s next for you after CSM?

Designing anything product related for a company. Perhaps somewhere abroad!

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

A Yves Behar watch. The design is minimal and so innovative and beautiful!

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

Oki Sato for NENDO

EMMA DUCKERS

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am a designer who is looking to alter some of the grey in today’s world.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

The impact of heart disease has been the driving force behind this collection, as it is a matter close to my own heart. This collection is to raise funds for research aimed at conquering Cardiovascular Disease, the biggest killer within the United Kingdom.

There is a focus on the dual aspect of the heart: ‘two pairs of two different kinds of chamber, two types of blood- oxygenated and deoxygenated, red and blue, two sides, two return journeys, two types of vessel: artery and vein; all with a unification in purpose’ (L.Young, The Book of the Heart, 2002).

The series of pearl pieces focuses on the circulation of the blood around the heart. The lathed and milled interlocking sections illustrate the inter workings of the heart, whilst also allowing the neckpieces to have a dual wearability factor. Taking a broad view into a healthy heart, through to the digression experienced with Cardiovascular Disease.

The collection has been informed by the scientific advancements made in the study of the treatment of heart disease up until the present day. It also makes a nod to the fact that this is part of an on-going process. We are not at the end of the road yet and the collection celebrates innovation and advancement as abstract ideas by themselves, whilst also translating into a striking, wearable, considered pieces.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

Pearls I have found hold the importance of material relevance for my collection, in representing both red, white blood cells and plasma. Relevant from the way they are formed, considered as a natural material and ideal in the array of colours and forms available.

Not only used for their relevance to my concept, yet used in this way the pearls offer an elegant luster, in a considered contemporary design.

Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?

Melinda Gates.

Which designer or artist do you most admire?

Rebecca Horn for her creative approach to the adornment of the body and spaces.

Name your favourite place for design in London.

The Victoria & Albert Museum hosts an array of inspiration from all over the world under one roof. No matter how many times I visit there is always something new to discover.

FELICIA SWARTLING

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Felicia Swartling, I am twenty-four years old and I am obsessed with jewellery. Where my love and hunger for jewellery has grown beyond anything I’ve ever felt before, to the point were Jewellery has to me become more then something that you just wear. It has become a part of me, almost like a language through which I can express myself.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

Similar to the framework of art and fashion, jewellery is also shaped by pre- conceptions that inevitably forms conventional jewellery to be conceived primarily as body adornment. When jewellery is not worn it is placed in a box, drawer or other encapsulating precious container to become invisible and obscured from further admiration. The jewellery box can therefore be seen as a parallel to the invisible space surrounding an exhibition or the stereotyped anonymous body on a catwalk.

With an equivalent shift of perception, my aim is to fuse features from other fields such as sculpture, flowers and African artefacts with jewellery to provoke the pre-conceptions that the conventional framework of jewellery may have.

Through the collection I have designed, I hope the wearer and viewer will re-evaluate the perception of what jewellery is and the value of its use. My collection consists of fifteen independent pieces of jewellery. Each piece has a dual quality; the ability to be worn, yet simultaneously does not require a body to be complete. The pieces have a sculptural quality to inhabit a space so to make the physical body irrelevant when they are displayed.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

To work with pearls was a new experience and I’m now under their spell and intend to incorporate pearls in more upcoming collections.

What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?

Primal elements combined with futurism.

A design classic is something that possesses features from its history and tradition, yet fused with futuristic elements that when combined strikes as a contemporary piece with subtle connotations of heritage awareness.

What’s your motto?

No compromises. Shut up and work.

FORTUNA WEEKS

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in Cuba and raised in New York City. I danced professionally and taught Pilates whilst living in NYC. After relocating to London I became fascinated by the creative buzz that surrounded me and decided to pursue a BA in Jewellery Design at CSM.

What was the inspiration for this collection?

Two contemporary artists inspired me: Yeon Joo Ham, a Korean textile artist; and Jose Parla, a Cuban/American painter. Their pieces brought to mind the interconnection of threads.

I taught myself a selection of complex braids using the ancient art of Japanese braiding, Kumihimo. Whilst braiding I found that I could relate the sound and rhythm of the bobbins knocking against the loom to the natural cycles in nature, such as Water. My collection is based on all these ingredients.

What have you discovered about working with pearls?

They feel great, they are timeless, and I love the lustre of good quality pearls. They are beautiful and work well with my collection.

What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?

A piece of jewellery is a design classic when it possesses timeless aesthetic value. It can be worn and appreciated regardless of when it was made.

What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?

My mother’s bracelets. Their family history, craftsmanship and beauty make them a design classic.

Name your favourite place for design in London.

My favorite place for design is the Saatchi Gallery.

Thinking about what the jewellery trends later this year might be? We spot our favourite styles from the fashion catwalks of Milan, New York, Paris and London to wear and enjoy this Summer and Autumn.

BLUE IS THE COLOUR

Perhaps anticipating the warmth of the sea or a crisp clean sky, blue is the clear colour of choice this summer on the catwalk.

Think of a colour palette that ranges from bright electric to baby blue, but be sure that it is blue. Anna Sui, Dsquared2, Armani, Dior & Oscar De La Renta were just a few of the labels that will be influencing the look of this season.

In fine jewellery, we anticipate a selection of blue gemstones to match, from the deep blue of sapphires and London Blue topaz, to the mauve of spinels and the delicate pastel blue of aquamarine.

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

From the bold styles of last summer, jewellery designs this year continue the trend with more oversized gemstones and chains.

At Chanel, statement imitation pearls have been stretched to several centimetres in diameter. At Nina Ricci, rose quartz and malchite are worn in large rings and cuffs revealing their polished surface. Finally Balmain goes all the way with oversized chains in the form of chunky necklaces and bracelets, integrating these too in their womenswear collection.

CLASSIC PEARLS

Pearls continue to reign with a unique and effortless style that seems to complement the inventiveness and sophistication of today's catwalk.

This signature gem was playfully worn as pairs of giant headphones at Chanel, whilst models at Nicole Miller were draped with pearls layered  in varying sizes amongst chains and other beads.

Discover the new collection of earrings and pendants at Winterson this Autumn, styling aquamarine and other gemstones with the pretty white beauty of an Akoya pearl or the silvery-grey of a Tahitian pearl.

Opening this weekend is the V&A's major Spring show, 'The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2104'.

Charting the rise of Italian fashion over the last 70 years, the exhibition follows the pivotal events, production innovations and individuals that have created an industry feted today for its glamour, sophistication and luxury.

The curator of the exhibition, Sonnet Stanfill who is also curator of 20th century and contemporary fashion at the V&A, has drawn together over 100 ensembles and accessories by many of Italy's famous fashion houses.

Visitors to the exhibition can admire the elegance and seductive style of Valentino, Prada and Armani, the intricacy of knitwear by Missoni, and fine leatherwork by Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci.

For jewellery lovers there will also be a rare opportunity to view the sheer opulence of a private collection of Bulgari jewels.

As more films were being shot on location in Italy during the 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor became style icons for Italian fashion. The American market, in particular, began to take note.

Taylor's husband Richard Burton even famously quipped 'the only word Liz knows in Italian is Bulgari'.

Rather than just being an amazing roll call of today's international design labels, the exhibition also offers the visitor a unique perspective in its examination of these early years.

In preparing the exhibition, Curator Stanfill has carefully researched the world of the Sala Bianca, pictured above, which is often regarded as the post-war birthplace of Italian fashion.

The Sala Bianca was the dream of an Italian business man called Giovanni Battista Giorgini who, whilst exporting Italian-made luxury goods to America, saw an opportunity to promote Italian artisanship and style. A gentleman, without profiting personally from the initiative, Giorgini was also a marketing genius.

Hiring crystal chandeliers, catwalk models and the surroundings of the famous Pitti Palace in Firenze, Giorgini introduced the Italian fashion industry to the world within just a few successful seasons.

The exhibition finishes with a video debate on the future of Italian fashion and questions its role in a world of overseas production and fast-fashion.

Promising to be a thought-provoking and affectionate look at the status of 'Made in Italy' today, the 'Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014' opens on 5th April until 27 July 2014 at the V&A, London.

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.

Born in Florence, Italy in 1445, little is known of the life of Sandro Botticelli. Perhaps even less is known about one of is most famous paintings 'La Nascita di Venere, The Birth of Venus', which is displayed today at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

The painting depicts a vision of Venus, the goddess of love, emerging naked from the sea as a fully grown woman standing in a scallop shell on the seashore. This sublime fantasy has been admired throughout the years for its themes of love, beauty and spirituality.

One of the mysteries of the painting, commissioned by a wealthy Florentine family, was who the self-titled Venus was that Botticelli depicted so well.

Belonging to the ‘golden age’ of the Early Renaissance, Botticelli is believed to have trained as a goldsmith, before becoming a painter.

Botticelli never married, but history suggests that he held an unrequited love for a Florentine women, Simonetta Vespucci. She was a married noble woman, said to have a mesmerising beauty and was known as la bella Simonetta.

The Ideal Portrait of a Woman is a slightly lesser known, but equally favourite work by Botticelli. He painted this piece between 1480-85 and it depicts a women with quintessential Italian Renaissance attributes. With pale skin, an extended neckline, voluptuous long red hair, she is shown here in an elegant profile.

The women is wearing a white robe in fashion at the time, which is adorned with natural pearls. The pretty gemstones in strings are woven into the plaits of her hair and into a braid that runs down into her breast.

The painting is sharp and precise. The pearls shine on the painting, perhaps a nod to Botticelli's earlier training as a goldsmith and his eye for jewellery.

Centuries later, experts are still debating who the beautiful woman of Botticelli's Ideal Portrait may have been. A nymph perhaps, a goddess or a courtesan? Or Simonetta Vespucci?

In the late nineteeth century, the German art historian Aby Warburg deepened the mystery, suggesting that Botticelli’s Venus was also Simonetta Vespucci. The resemblance is striking. The provenance of both paintings is also well known as both were commissioned by members of the Medici family.

Although Simonetta Vespucci had died in 1476, some years before both paintings were completed, Botticelli had not forgotten his muse. When he died, Botticelli requested to be buried at her feet, a wish that was carried out in 1510 when he passed away.

We may never be sure. But it could be that the inspiration for both Botticelli's Venus and this mysterious Florentine woman was one and the same. His Ideal Portrait may be literally just that - a portrait of his ideal woman, la bella Simonetta.

Mystery still surrounds the jewels of the Cheapside Hoard. Why were these striking jewels originally buried deep beneath the cellar of a building in London's Cheapside and what was the purpose of many of the objects that the Hoard contained?

The Cheapside Hoard was discovered in 1912, the most significant find of its kind, during the redevelopment of Cheapside, a medieval street between modern day St. Paul's Cathedral and Bank. This bustling market route was famously described by Charles Dickens Jr. as "the greatest thoroughfare in the City of London".

The exhibition's curators can be relatively accurate about the date that the Cheapside Hoard was originally buried. The particular style of the jewels and the date of the Great Fire of London that flattened much of the area around Cheapside, bookends the Hoard being buried during a decade that was approximately between 1650-1666.

Given the repetition of a number of similar styles and ideas throughout the collection - numerous carved grapes in amethyst and emerald, ropes of enamelled floral chains - it does seem that the owner might have been a jeweller or dealer, perhaps from nearby Goldsmiths' Row. The Hoard clearly pinpoints the fashions of the day in a way that the collection of an individual might not.

Currently on show at the Museum of London in its entirety for the first time in a century, there are just a few pearls in the Hoard that have survived the four hundred years since the pieces were first hidden away. The myriad empty settings that remain - the curators estimate approximately 1,386 were intended for pearls - are testament to the gem's enduring appeal.

Of those on display, the pieces crafted from fine gold wirework, encasing sheets of back-to-back mother of pearl (most now sadly lost), are captivating. Designed in the shape of what the curators describe as "the translucent seed pods of the plant Lunaria, regarded as a symbol of honesty and appreciated for its healing properties," it is not clear that the items were ever intended for wear.

Mother of pearl was more commonly found in inlay work at this time, and the scale of the pieces precludes them being worn as earrings. However, the enamelled four-petalled cross that links the fifth drop to the main four petals would have given the gems a lovely movement, and had the mother of pearl itself been engraved, as the curators suggest the material often was, these pieces would have been quite beguiling.

The combination of enamel and seed pearls (a chain of which in the Hoard has settings for over 500 pearls with only 7 remaining) was popular in London at this time, a trend which Winterson's Beau collection designed by Alice Cicolini in some part echoes.

Seed pearls also appear on delicate wirework buttons that would have required a high level of craftsmanship for these to be realised.

Of the striking pearls of the Cheapside Hoard that have survived the centuries, the most notable are a baroque pearl carved into the shape of a ship, complete with wirework mast and rigging, and an 11mm pearl with a deep "orient lustre" that sits above a figuratively carved sapphire.

As with many other gems, a pearl of "oriental origin" commanded a high price during the period, the term being used to imply quality as much as provenance. Londoners in the 1600s, the curators believe, were particularly fussy about the quality of their pearls, with even high grade pearls going unsold if they were not of the correct colour and radiant lustre.

At Winterson, where great care is also taken to identify the finest quality pearls to make up our jewellery, we tend to agree!

The Cheapside Hoard: London's Lost Jewels is exhibiting at the Museum of London until 27th April.