"Isn't the parallel of white gold and pearls beau chic, honey?!"

Most pearl dealers worth their sea-salt (har de har!) will give you a choice of fittings when you are purchasing your pearls. While yellow gold gives a traditional, classical impression, and sterling silver is cheaper than anything else, it is white gold teamed up with pearls that gives you that sleek modern look, without the enormous price tag of diamonds!

White gold is created by mixing pure gold with differing parts of platinum. White gold has gotten a bad rap over the years, as around one in eight people have a mild allergic reaction to the nickel that used to be used to create white gold. Since jewellers upped their standards and started using platinum, rarer and more expensive than nickel, there have been few problems reported.

Lavender Pearl Earrings on White Gold

If you love the subtlety of pearl jewelry in general, white gold is the best base to choose to maintain that barely-there look. You can see how it creates a very cool-colored, sleek and aloof look with the lavender pearl earrings above.

Another way to use white gold in pearl jewelry is to create the complete opposite of tradition … have golden pearls set on white gold, rather than white pearls set on golden gold ;-). This approach works best when you can see the base metal, as in hoop earrings or in cufflinks for men. Striking and sexy!

While pure gold is 24 carats, in this case, more pure is not necessarily better. Pure gold is the most malleable and ductile of all metals, with a single gram being able to be beaten into a sheet a meter square. You can just imagine how that would stand up under your everyday treatment! This is why gold is usually alloyed with something … and as white gold is an alloy by definition, the highest caratage you’ll find it in is 22ct.

However, around 14ct is the perfect purity for white gold pearl jewelry. It is affordable, difficult to scratch, and very durable. And really, you’ll be the only person to know whether you are wearing 18ct or 14ct!

Reese Witherspoon, bringing sexy back to pearls

Reese Witherspoon’s cute, sexy, elfin looks are often at odds with her strong personality, determined views, and downright loud voice! Inside voices please, young lady! One thing that always suits her look though, is her jewellery style. It’s simple and classy … mainly because it features plenty of pearls!

Reese is a blonde, so the creaminess of white pearls always works well with her coloring. Pink pearls also look great on blondes like Reese, but let the colors do the talking if you want to emulate her simple style - no need for extras like fancy clasps or strangely strung designs.

Reese Witherspoon and her favourite pearl earrings

Pearls are also a great jewelry choice if you want to create a shimmering backdrop for another hot piece (like your legs - Reese’s metallic mini seen in LA recently is a great example!). Never scene stealers, and always subtle, pearls go with most anybody, and any look.

Ms Witherspoon is often seen in pearl earrings, rather than necklaces or bracelets. Pearl earrings, handily, are often much more budget friendly than other types of pearl jewelry, as the flat-sided freshwater pearls can easily be incorporated into earrings with class. As well as being cheaper, they are also lighter. There’s nothing stranger than coming home with oddly stretched feeling earlobes at the end of the day!

If you want to copy Reese’s understated look, start with the freshwater pearl earrings, and move onto some of the other designer pieces she’s been spotted with, like the Gucci Pearl Honey Sunglasses, or the Yves Saint Laurent Yris nude bag below. Me-ooww! (With a Southern accent!)

Individually knotted pearls. Note that tiny bit of string at front. Naughty!

It’s a sound that makes your heart drop to your shoes … CLATTER … Clatter … clatter … rollllll… The sound of a pearl string finally giving way, and discovering that they weren’t individually knotted!

Hopefully this isn’t the case for most of you - reputable pearl dealers and jewellers ensure that their pearls are all individually knotted. I know Pearls of Joy certainly do. However, even though only one pearl fell off, the whole string still needs to be redone!

When we recommend pro re-stringing

If you have very expensive pearls, heirloom pearls, or pearls with sentimental value, we recommend having a professional restring them. You’ll be using lighters and needles, and nerves aren’t always conducive to steady hands! Practice on your daughter’s or niece’s plastic pearl necklace before trying it on the real deal.

If you want to practice re-stringing

Be aware that you’ll probably need to practice your skills every so often to keep them sharp. Otherwise it’s like learning to ride a bike all over again … there’ll be scrapes and tears! That said, don’t be put off re-stringing your own pearls. It is very achievable, and you can get professional quality results with a bit of practice. So here are the ‘knots and bolts’ (!) of re-stringing pearls!

You’ll need:

-          A beading needle or beading wire

-          Size E thread, either silk or synthetic. Silk is preferable.

-          Container for the pearls

-          Sharp scissors with a fine point

-          A match or lighter if you are using synthetic thread.

Start by collecting all of your materials in one place. The only thing worse than breaking a necklace and finding it wasn’t individually knotted, is coming back into your pearl-fixing room to see the dog swallowing hard, with a funny look on his face…

Cut off your thread, and be generous. Use at least three times the length of your necklace.

You’ll then have to separate the silk thread into it’s four or so individual strands. Take one thin strand, about five inches long, and thread it through the eye of your needle. Make a knot in one end - this is sort of like enlarging the eye of your needle to a million times its original size. Much easier!

Then cut off your triple length strand of silk thread and double it over, then pop it through your enlarged needle eye. This completes the needle threading process (end chapter. You may now stop the tape. Hsssss … ;-D )

You can then cut off half of the clasp, thread the needle through the hole and then immediately re-loop it back through the enraged eye.

Cut the rest of your pearls off the necklace, one by one, to avoid any more mishaps. One is usually enough! Sometimes jewellers create subtle size graduations in their pearl necklaces that may be difficult to distinguish by eye, this is why the one-by-one method is best.

You will then string all the pearls onto the thread … but don’t tie any knots yet! Take the needle out and tie a double knot at the end of your necklace thread, to hold all of the pearls on while you’re doing the individual knots.

Start doing your knots, beginning at the end where the half clasp is tied on already. Just usual over, under, in and out knots are required, nothing fancy. Anything else gets a bit chunky (although this can be an individual sort of look). To get the knots close to the pearl, hold the loop on the pearl’s surface, separate the two threads, and then pull the knot closed.

Stay focused on getting the knots close to the pearls - practice makes perfect. Yes, Mom, I know!

When you’ve finished, tie on the remaining half of the clasp with a tight double knot, or any other fancy-pants variety you know :-). If you are using synthetic thread, you can very carefully burn the ends away. If using silk thread, put a very small drop of superglue at the clasp end.

And then breathe a big sigh of relief, congratulate yourself, and go pour a big gin and tonic!

The look of creamy, softly shining white pearls creates such a definite look. Pearls are class, they’re vintage charm, they’re the rosewater and jasmine smell of your Nana. Equally beautiful, but in a spicy, bracing sort of way, are black pearls.

True black pearls come from a species of oyster called Pinctada Maragitifera, also known as a black lipped oyster. It’s a simple genetic difference that makes these oysters create pearls with a black, rather than white hue. This species of oyster lives around Tahiti, Kiribati and the Cook Islands, so the term black pearl is used interchangeably with Tahitian pearls often.

Oddly enough, black pearls can be almost white in color! It’s one of those annoying tricks of biologists, whereby a ‘black snake’ is most often gray, and ‘green tree frogs’ are often dappled and camouflaged.

Before the development of peal culturing techniques, black pearls were extremely rare … about as rare as an albino person. Only one in ten thousand pearls discovered was a black pearl. And even ten thousand natural pearls took a fair bit of time and effort to get! T he black pearls that actually look black sit towards the silver end of the scale, while deeper colored black pearls, and therefore more valuable ones, are a purplish-green hue. Sort of like an oil slick on the road, only much more elegant!

Baroque Tahitian Pearl Bracelet

While black pearls have certainly become much more affordable than the $15,000 that a single gem was once worth, they are still up the luxury end of the scale! One cost-effective way to buy them is as Baroque Tahitian Pearls, slightly off round pieces that have an artistically individual effect.

Another bonus of buying black pearls is that the larger diameters are much more common. Where the oysters that produce Akoya Pearls are rarely capable of developing anything more than 8mm in diameter, simply because of their size (it would be like a tiny Japanese lady having a 13 pound African baby!), black lipped oysters are much bigger. Their size allows the pearls to grow up to 12mm frequently.

Ivanka and her diamond tassel earrings, also available in pearl variety

God bless her … as many times as you may have cursed and railed at Ivanka Trump, enraged that one person could have so many opportunities, so much beauty, and so much of a bosom, you also have to love her. We do, anyway … If only because she, like us, luurrves pearls!

In a recent interview with Glam, Ivanka named pearls as the first investment piece of jewelry that any woman should buy. In my view, that should ideally be the first piece that is bought for you - but that’s a small matter! Ivanka said that the first piece a girl should get is ” pearls, like the tassel pearl earrings in my collection. [They] are must-have basic for any woman’s jewelry wardrobe. It’s a true building block and goes with just about any outfit.”

Pearls were also the first piece of jewelry that Ivanka had bought for her - old Donald Duck got her a strand of pearls to wear as a necklace, when she was 12. I think when I was twelve I got a Babysitter’s Club book and perhaps a new sweater … injustice sensors being activated!

South Sea pearl necklace - like Ivanka's first

While diamonds are the focus of her new jewelry collection, pearls also play a role, as you might expect for someone to whom they have such sentimental value. She mentioned her pearl earrings, and the shape and character of pearls is emulated in with beads of white agate, black onyx and rock crystal, all the most dramatic yet versatile colors. Ivanka’s Pave diamond bead necklace also brings together the beautiful shape of pearls with the sparkle of diamonds.

Be nice to be rich, wouldn’t it? Fortunately pearls don’t have to start in the tens of thousands, like Ivanka’s collection. Check out the Pearls of Joy collection as a start!

Your pearl gift will loom large in her life!

First of all, great job! You’ve had an awesome gift idea, and shown how sensible you are. Pearls are a long-lasting, personal and beautiful gift, and a great choice. Your second great idea was getting advice about buying them! If you know you want to buy pearls for your sweetheart, we’ll help you with where to start.

White and Black Pearls

Tahitian baroque pearls

If your female friend doesn’t currently own any pearl jewelry, either white or black pearls are a good place to start. The best color for her will depend on her complexion - you can check out our article on choosing the best pealr colors for different complexions for further help there.

By Body size

Petite pearls suit petite women, larger pearls suit taller or more solid women. Don’t think that you’ll be flattering her by buying the smallest possible pearl string for her, though … it will look out of place on her, and is likely not to get worn.

Types of jewelry

Pearl earrings are always a nice starter piece. If your lady leaves her earrings in when she goes to bed, pearl studs will be fine, as long as they are not too large. If you have a woman that changes her earrings as often as she eats, hoop earrings are a good choice.

Bracelets are good for women that don’t work with their hands (although this does include typists!), or are good as evening wear. If you’re looking for evening wear pearls, you’ll want higher quality ones, which brings us to another guideline!

Pearl Quality

Pearl quality is judged according to several different factors.

• Nacre - the thickness of the pearl’s outer shell. Nacres larger than 0.4mm are good quality.
• Surface - whether there are any imperfections on the surface. This will be judged light, moderate or severe.
• Luster - descriptions of luster vary, but common categories include good, very good, and excellent.
• Shape - Round pearls are valued more than off round pearls, however off round can be just as beautiful. Most ’round’ pearls are actually near round.
• Color - Pearls can be all different colors, and be the same value, as long as the color is consistent over the surface of the pearl.

Casual pearls are a gorgeous gift, and need not be as high quality as evening wear pearls. Check out pearl discounters online - don’t pay retail!

What sort of jewelry would you buy if you were unhindered by price? I bet your box would look quite a bit different to how it does now . Well, that’s the position celebrities find themselves in … but not only can they afford to buy whatever jewelry they like, they get given all sorts of cutting edge pieces to wear as a human advertisement.

But this post isn’t about why you should take acting classes - it’s about pearls! The classic look they create is a fave with so many celebs. We look at how you can copy celeb style, without having a million-dollar budget.

Ralph Lauren Long Pearl Necklace

Ralph Lauren Pearl Necklace ... or is it?!

We’re actually going to recommend pearls with a significant different difference to the celeb style ones in this case - because the Ralph Lauren number pictured actually features glass pearls! No, these aren’t pearls from the famed ‘Glass Sea’, or even with a hi-tech glass treating … they’re just glass baubles, pretty much :-). If you love the style, you can get the ‘real’ version at great prices - look for long pearl ropes, like the 36″ one pictured, and wrap them around your little brain-box.

Long Freshwater Pearl Rope

Mikimoto Million Dollar Pearls

Mikimoto Million Dollar Pearls - Are they worth it?

Sorry, we aren’t sure which celeb has the pleasure of wearing these … but Mikimoto, pearl-ophile extraordinaire, is really a celbrity in his own right.  No pearl has a diameter of less than 15mm, and all are AAA+ grade. While you won’t see a million dollar necklace for next to nicks, even on the net, you can get the next best thing - same quality and grade of pearls, same area, and only  a little smaller, as shown below, at about a 95% discount :-).

White South Sea Pearls

Michelle Obama’s Single String

Michelle Obama and her Pearlescent Personality

Michelle Obama’s signature string of pearls is not a budget-buster. They are the regular old freshwater variety, in keeping with the presidential family’s down to earth character. She usually wears larger diameter pearls, for a vintage chunky look - if you love Michelle Obama’s pearls, you’ll love this 9-10mm, 18” long freshwater pearl necklace.

Just Like Michelle Obama's Pearls

Pearls of the Bush

Sure, Pantone’s selection of 14-0848 Mimosa as the color of the year really just sounds like an excuse for a press release. Who cares whether it’s 14-0848, or 15-0939, really? Well, just take a look at the color before you make any cynical judgments!

Pantone's Color of the Year - Mimosa

If it looks familiar, it is because it is surprisingly similar to the color of Michelle Obama’s inauguration dress that caused so much controversy (a saddening event for people like myself who thought that a new President should be the focus of the day … but que sera ;-)). Pantone says that Mimosa embodies hope and reassurance in a climate of change … and coincidentally, that is just what we think the golden yellow of pearls can do! We look at our favourite golden pearl items, inspired by the colour of the year. All hail 14-0848!

We love the sunshine feeling that you get from golden pearls - they have the same subtlety and shine as that beautiful celestial body that brings us all light and hope … no, not Brad Pitt, the Sun! These golden pearl earrings are in the smaller size, making them a little more affordable - golden pearls are normally sourced from the South Sea, where the best quality pearls come from. You’ll save over 75% buying these ones, though.

Golden South Sea Pearl Necklace

Fancy paying $50,000 for a string of pearls? Really it isn’t much - one of Mikimoto’s latest creations went for $1,000,000. We don’t fancy paying that much - but we do love the idea of getting a $50,000, AAA grade, 11-13mm golden pearl string from the South Sea for only $11,000. The pearl color is light champagne, to celebrate getting such a bargain :-).

Presidential Grade Multicolored Pearls, including Golden colored

These presidential grades pearls are not only golden, but do incorporate the color of the year into their unique, elegant body. This necklace is of the smaller size pearls, and is well within the reach of the common gal … myself included! The 18 inch strand sits nice and high, for showing off purposes…

Plenty of pearl buying guides will tell you all about what region to buy pearls from, how much to spend, whether to get salt water or fresh water pearls … and will then leave you completely on your own when it comes to color, like a toddler looking at a sea of legs in a shopping center, but none of them belong to his Mom… We wouldn’t blame you for wailing at the top of your lungs!

Sure, pearl color choice is a personal decision. But what about when you’re buying for a gift for somebody … and they’re meant to be a “SURPRISE!!”. We give you some advice on which pearl colors will suit which people.

White Pearls - These look great with olive skin tones, and also with dark eyes and hair, like most Asian complexions. That doesn’t preclude everybody else though! Anybody that enjoys having a classical look will love white pearls. If you’re giving a pearl gift that will be designed for evening wear, white pearls are one of the best choices.

Black Pearls - Ironically, these look beautiful on both very pale people, and very dark African-American complexions. Black pearls are another traditional choice, and convey a little more luxury than do white pearls. Dark colors like black are also said to suit Scorpios and Sagittarians best.

Lavender Pearl Set

Lavender Pearls - Lavender, as a color, looks great with Oriental complexions, and also with standard white complexions with brunette hair. Lavender pearls say that you’re a unique, individualistic sort of person, but not necessarily bold and brash. Pastel colors like lavender are said to suit Cancers, Libras and Capricorns best.

Peach/Pink Pearl Earrings

Peach/Pink Pearls - Peach and pink pearls have a sweet, warm, childlike atmosphere. In fact, these are a great color of pearl to give if your gift is for a child. As with lavender pearls, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn gals are said to enjoy these pastel colors, and complexion wise, peach and pink suit Oriental and tanned, Caucasian complexions. They do tend to make pale blonde girls look a bit washed out, and are out of place on very dark skins.

Multicolored Pearl Necklace

Multicolored Pearls - Multicolored pearls say that you know what everyone else does - and you don’t want a bar of it! The elegance and simplicity of pearls gets its own funky, modern twist with multicoloured strands, and they are surprisingly cheap. Vibrant, varying colors like these are great on Gemini chicks ;-), and Aquarian girls will love the ‘I’m different to you!’ statement that they make. Brunette Caucasians, tanned Caucasians and chocolate brown girls look beautiful with multicoloured pearl strands.

Golden South Sea Pearls

Golden Pearls - Golden pearls make for a rich, classical look, even though the color is not a standard one for pearls. If you have a lady that likes to be different, but just a little bit, golden pearls are a great choice. Golden pearls suit most complexions, apart from pale blondes and Oriental skin tones. Gold is the traditional color of Leo, but suits Capricorns and Geminis just as well.

Pearl ropes - those long, flowing, silky pieces that only those not affected by the World War were able to wear at their height of fashion, in 1948, are on their way back into our jewelry boxes, hearts and minds!

Ashlee Simpson is helping re-popularize the pearl rope

1948 was a year of class and elegance, and pearls as well as diamonds enjoyed huge popularity (among those who could afford them, of course), back then. Pearl necklaces were the most popular form, and the several-strand pearl bib necklaces were popular at the beginning of the year. This eventually gave way to two opposite, but equally classy styles - the choker or collarette style of pearl necklace, and the pearl rope. These were usually teamed up with gloves with ruffled or feathered cuffs (divine!), a wicker basket bag, a small, close-fitting hat and fabric stoles. Enough to make any woman feel that she needed a cup of tea in her sitting room!

Michelle Obama's Pearl Rope at the Inaugural Ball

Pearl ropes are now coming back into fashion - Michelle Obama has helped put them back in the spotlight, with her layered pearl rope necklace at the Governor’s Ball at the White House recently, teamed up with a Peter Soronen with plenty of understated sparkle. Doesn’t Barack look so proud and happy in the picture?! Don’t you just want to fish Michelle out, and slip straight into that very classy get-up (with a presidential husband) ?

Pearl ropes are usually of 37 inches or longer, and even though they look like you might have to toss up between paying your mortgage this month, and buying one, they are actually quite inexpensive. Especially if you choose a strand with smaller diameter pearls (which are slimming anyway!). Black and white are equally beautiful, in my pearl-biased eyes!

54" Freshwater Pearl Rope

Pearl ropes are also an extremely versatile piece of jewelry - in fact, when you buy one, you can actually be buying three or four pieces of jewelry! You can have a jeweler insert several box clasps along the strand, allowing you to take the rope apart into bracelets, or several shorter necklaces.

So really, they are a bargain item! And no, the shiny pieces of plastic that sort of look a bit pearl-ish at the supermarket will not really do as evening wear .