Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace

Legend has it that Cleopatra seduced Marc Antony with a lavish meal whereby she dissolved an exquisite pearl in vinegar and swallowed the concoction in one mouthful.  In ancient times, pearls were of such immense value that a sizeable pearl was worth enough money to raise an army.

Although the price of pearls has certainly come down in price and are now accessible to the masses, the love of pearls has not waned.  Every generation has laid claim to a pearl fashion, from the tiaras of the Renaissance nobility, Victorian pearl chokers, the long strands of the Roaring 20’s to your grandmother’s classic strand of rounded whites.  Innovations in pearl growing; more specifically the process of culturing them in fresh water, has produced a myriad of shapes, sizes, and colours.   We are now able to create treasures that barely resemble your grandmother’s pearl necklace.


Technique: Weaving two strands together.

There are now pearls that are drilled with larger holes which can allow up to 6 strands of Softflex wire for even more intricate weaving.

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
White freshwater pearls with clear crystal bracelet.

 

Technique: Blending Pearls with Crystals

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
Grey pearls mixed with black crystals.

 

Technique: Mixing Tone-on-tone Pearls and Crystals

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
Pink & purple pearl bracelet.

 

Technique: Mixing Pearl and Chains

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
Floating coin pearls on an antique brass chain.

 

Technique: Mixing Organically Shaped Pearls (Biwa & Keshi) with stones

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
Double strand gray smokey necklace.

 

Technique: Delicate Wire Wrapping and Seed Pearls

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
Pink wire wrap necklace

 

Not Your Grandmother’s Pearl Necklace
White seed pearl necklace.

Click here for more articles on fresh water pearls.