Pearl Fashion

FASHION

by LORRAINE DEPASQUE

If If you own a simple strand of white round pearls and matching studs, that’s a great start, but pearl jewelry design has come a long way in the past few years, with as many exciting options as there are in diamond jewelry.

Color is one element that is adding a whole new dimension to pearl design. According to Adriane Broili, designer and fashion trend forecaster at The Doneger Group, “We’re see-

Above: Three row Paradise necklace by Marco Bicego in 18k hand-engraved gold with mixed pearls and semi-precious colored stones.

Below: Assorted bangles from Marco Bicego’s Africa Pearl collection in 18k yellow gold.

ing a lot of pearl jewelry on the

runways, but they’re the more warmed-up pearls – peaches, pinks, creams and golds. They especially look good with the clothes, which also are not stark white, but instead, more white-washed and especially beautiful when accented with accessories in light creamy colors, like pearls.” Another popular look this year is black Tahitian South Sea pearls set in either white metal or darker rhodium-plated white metal. If you wear a lot of black, this is a good jew-

Mikimoto black South Sea multi-colored pearl strand.

Mikimoto Tempo earrings with Akoya pearls in 18K yellow gold.

elry accessory. They also work with grays and whites because, although these cultured pearls are typically referred to as Tahitian black pearls, they range from light gray to dark gunmetal gray, often with bluish, peacock-green and eggplant-purple overtones.

Wearing pearl jewelry that matches the various shades of cultured pearls to the different shades of metal has an easy-on-the-eyes effect, much like pairing teal pants with a cobalt camisole with an azure scarf. “One of the strongest trends we’re seeing is contemporary pearl pieces with other colored gemstones in the same palette,” says Kathy Grenier, marketing and public relations director of the Cultured Pearl Association of America. A dark gray Tahitian pearl set alongside black diamonds or black sapphires, for example, is a bold, contemporary look.

“Jewelry right now is so much about color,” says Cindy Edelstein, president of the Jewelers Resource Bureau, a niche marketing firm specializing in the fine designer jewelry sector, “and since bold brights and soft pastels are both in vogue, any pearl colors you happen to like will be in fashion. It’s just such a perfect time for pearls!”

Edelstein adds that “I feel every woman should have at least one

long pearl necklace that’s versatile enough to double- or

triple-wrap, but I also think that owning a distinctive pearl bangle is key – for stacking on the arm with other gemstone and metal bracelets. “Layer and mix some of the pearl pieces that you buy with jewelry you already own – and not just other pearls you have, but gold, platinum and silver pieces.”

Whether baroque or round, “Every pearl has a heartbeat and a thumbprint,” says Grenier. “They’re exotic and rare. Sometimes a pearl may take up to five years to harvest and, when it is harvested and brought to life and finally becomes jewelry, it’s a celebration.”