May 17, 2022

Handmade Pearl Jewellery - Part 1: 'PEARLCORE'

handmade pearl jewellery

This post is part 1 of a 3 part series I'm writing all about pearls. I love pearls and they feature in a lot of my most popular designs, this post covers the 2022 trend 'Pearlcore', while the next 2 instalments will cover pearls as the June birthstone and pearls as the traditional 30th anniversary gift.

Pearlcore

So... I don’t often write posts about fashion trends, my jewellery collections focus on timeless designs that will last a lifetime.

Pearl necklace Pearl stud earrings Pearl dropper earrings Black pearl cufflinks Silver pearl ring 9ct gold pearl droppers

However this year the 2 are colliding so I thought I’d talk about it! I have a longstanding popular range of Pearl jewellery, earrings, necklaces, cufflinks and tie pins that feature genuine freshwater pearls set on silver or black domes (and now available in 9ct gold too!), plus other designs such as these pearl dropper earrings and this pearl ring. This year is also the year of an emerging trend, that has been given the name 'PEARLCORE'

Pinterest pearlcore trend

(source: pinterest)

Pearl Wedding Jewellery

So, 2022 is the year that people are fully embracing the beauty of pearls, pearl weddings in particular, whether its pearl jewellery, pearl dresses or pearl decorations, Pearlcore is the hot trend whether its for your wedding, home, or daily style.

Pearl stacking ring set

The thing I love about pearls is that they can be dressed up and dressed down. Whether it is a simple pair of small pearl studs that are a staple of your collection and get worn on a daily basis, a pearl stacking ring that can mixed and matched to create a unique style each time you put it on, or perhaps you are looking to make more of an impact at a big event – a big occasion can suit a bigger statement, and my brand new large pearl stud earrings could be just the ticket.

Statement pearl earrings

Pearl Jewellery For Men

Its not just ladies getting in on the Pearlcore trend too, Google and Pinterest are telling us that there has been huge increases in searches for things like ‘Mens pearl necklace’. Here in my workshop I have also seen this effect with the growing popularity of my range of pearl jewellery, it has previously proved popular for weddings, and also as gifts to celebrate 30th Pearl Wedding Anniversaries, my pearl cufflinks are a firm favourite as it can be tricky to find pearl jewellery for men.

Mens pearl cufflinks

I could talk more about the trend, style tips etc etc, but to be honest you can read more about the Pearlcore trend all over the internet, I am confident that your preferred stylist press will have written about it at length! I would however recommend you take a look at my range of pearl jewellery to see if anything takes your fancy, but for the remainder of this post I’m going to focus instead on sharing some explanations of Pearls, which will explain what to look out for.

What Are Pearls?

Pearls are created by Oysters or Molluscs, they occur naturally in the wild, but these days pearls are cultivated or farmed. Pearls form as the Oyster/ Molluscs response to an irritant that has entered their shell, its essentially their defence mechanism. Prior to mass cultivation of pearls they were EXTREMELY rare, and therefore extremely valuable. Due to modern cultivation techniques they are now a lot more affordable.

Freshwater pearls

Types Of Pearl

Cultured pearls are NOT imitation pearls, they are just like natural pearls. Imitation pearls are not pearls at all, they will be made from glass or plastic, essentially they are cheap beads. Cultured pearls are genuine pearls, they have just been farmed rather than found in the wild. All of my pearl jewellery is made with Freshwater pearls, this means that they came from molluscs in freshwater, rather than Oysters in the ocean.

9ct gold pearl droppers

Freshwater pearls can come in a wide range or colours, shapes and sizes There are 3 other main varieties of pearl, all coming from saltwater oysters:

  • Akoya – noted for being perfectly round, white and very shiny
  • Tahitian – having a unique dare colour that can go from a light grey to almost jet black. They are rarely perfectly round.
  • White & Golden south sea pearls – typically the largest and often the most expensive pearls available

Caring For Pearl Jewellery

Pearls are durable and will last a lifetime but they should be looked after to make sure they look their best, here are my top tips: • Wear them! Pearls will actually benefit from moisture and absorbing oils from your skin • Gently wipe pearls with a soft cloth to keep them clean before storing them • Keep them away from chlorine, bleach, vinegar or any other harsh chemicals (including perfume and cosmetics – always put your pearls on last)

Now you know all about pearls and how to look after them, if you would like to check out my range of pearl jewellery then please take a look, its one of my most popular ranges and I get some fantastic customer feedback about it.

Happy customer with pearl stud earrings

Thanks for reading the first instalment of my posts about Pearls, come back soon to read about Pearls as the June birthstone - perfect timing for anyone you know with a Birthday this June!

- Laura