Autumn Ray Jewelry

There’s just something ultra feminine and Audrey Hepburn’ish about a great set of pearls.  Because of this appreciation of pearls, when a friend of mine commissioned me to make a pearl set for her to wear to a wedding, I got excited. You see, people sleep on pearls and pearl like stones. The common misconception is that pearls are for older folks or simply out of price range. MAN LISTEN……..Pearls can be spiced up, dressed down, rocked by the young and adorned by the distinguished woman. They can be worn by the fashionista on a budget or stashed in a vault by a connoisseur.

Like any other natural resource, what you pay for is quality. With the pearl, the quality is graded by roundness, size and color. The rounder and bigger the pearl, the better the quality. Also, a pearl with an unaltered coloring will also yield a higher value.

Most high quality pearls are strung on silk and hand knotted. This is for appearances as much as it is for functionality. When pearls are strung on silk, the drape on the neck is better. Also, silk doesn’t fray as easily as other threads, meaning you won’t have to get your pearls re-strung  as often. The knotting between each pearl gives your piece a great vintage look, but also protects your pockets. If your strand should pop, you stand to lose a pearl or two, whereas if your strand is NOT knotted, pearls go flying everywhere. Not good……

When I string pearls for a client or even for myself, I tend to incorporate the characteristics of high end strands of pearls. These qualities make for a great looking strand, whether I use pearl like stones or high quality pearls. Breakfast at Tiffany’s anyone?

Necklace, earrings and bracelet with black satin bow. The pearls were strung on silk and hand knotted. All of the pieces to this set have gold vermeil accents