Creating Contemporary Pearl Jewelry

The perception that pearl jewelry lacks a modern appeal and is most closely associated with a string of white pearls for a mature woman is finally starting to change. The explosion of cultured pearls in all kinds of colors, shapes and sizes has certainly pushed this forward. And for the past few years, designers have responded by using pearls to create jewelry as fashionable and contemporary as any jewelry being made today.

The recent appreciation of this trend is primarily from the editorial writers. But there’s still a way to go before the consumer really buys into it. That’s because consumers are confused by the complexity of pearls, as are many retailers and designers. Since pearls are grown from live oysters, they are prone to the same dangers that threaten any agricultural product (such as disease, hostile weather and overproduction). Plus, the sales and distribution system for pearls is a tangled web of complexity and inefficiency. In addition, pearls have many different origins, shapes and a range of quality variations that are difficult to judge with the naked eye.

Fortunately, many of these difficulties can be overlooked when in contact with the beauty of a well-designed fine jewelry piece. Here are just some of the pearl trends we’re now seeing in fine jewelry designs:

* Color. Color is one of the hottest trends in pearls right now. In addition to the classic assortment of naturally occurring color pearls, such as Tahitian black pearls, pearls can be artificially colored through dyes and irradiation.

* Baroque pearls. In addition to color, there’s an endless variety of baroque pearls. These irregularly shaped pearls, which have been used in fashion jewelry for years, have more recently been adapted to fine jewelry.

Pearls in Different Shapes and Colors

* Tiny pearls. This year, a few high designers have been using the smallest of pearls to create complex, beautiful jewelry pieces. The smaller pearls get the more skill is required to make quality pieces.

* Pairing pearls with precious materials. The luster of pearls works very well with the sparkle of diamonds, the glitter of gold and the shine of colored gems. Fine jewelry designers are successfully pairing pearls with these and other precious materials.

Pearl Cocktail Ring With Ornate Shank

Thanks to the pearl farmers flooding the market in recent years, most cultured freshwater and saltwater pearls are inexpensive, although quality is uneven and difficult to decipher. This shouldn’t stop any designer to work with pearl jewelry. The range of colors and shapes alone provide a great opportunity to get creative with jewelry.