Trendy Pearls

This year seems to herald the return of the white pearl, after visting the European trade show in Basel, Switzerland and the JCK show held in Las Vegas, the dominant feeling is that sales are good for pearls this year. There has, however, been a dramatic change in emphasis towards more exciting pearl designs rather than the traditonal pearl strands. This may well be influenced by the fact that pearls, both real and faux, have been seen on fashion pages and catwalks and show every sign of remaining there. This coupled with celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer seen wearing cultured white South Sea pearl jewellery, means that the consumer is focusing on the pearl as a "must have purchase."

No one would dispute that pearls are amongst the purest and finest of gems - a gift from nature, but as with all gems, today's consumer requires a certain reassurance over quality. This is an area that the SSPC is very aware of and is keen to both support and provide educational material and training for both the retailer and the consumer. To this end the SSPC will be producing a brochure featuring some of the newer more "trendy" pieces of pearl jewellery this season and giving tips on buying pearls and how to care for them.

The consumer will always aspire to the ultimate white South Sea pearl strand, the classic but most beautiful of all jewellery. A beautiful South Sea pearl strand is a true gift for a lifetime, an heirloom that can be handed down through generations- a jewel forever. However the jewellery designers of today are showing there are more to pearl designs than just these classic strands.

Top European designers and their American counterparts are all featuring pearls in a new light this year. Also the keshi pearl is enjoying renewed popularity, mixed with semi-precious stones to create lighter, younger jewellery designs. European designers in particular are mixing pearls with bright gemstones, turquoise and coral to give the jewellery a brighter, more fashionable feel. Pearls, themselve a gift of nature, are being used as the central focus of nature inspired pieces such as flowers, animals and sea creatures. They are being mixed with diamonds and precious stones for a more sophisticated feel, but even here the result is more design orientated pieces. Rings are more sculptural in design; necklaces have a more fluid feel and are longer in length. In short, pearls are shrugging off their more classic reputation and revealing a sexy new image.