The Blue Nine - Sketch to the Real Thing

We were contacted last October about building a very special pendant that has since been named The Blue Nine.

Consisting of solid 14K yellow gold, three Akoya pearls (1 black 6.5-7.0mm and 2 white 6.0-6.5mm pearls) and a single .01ct diamond accent, this little treasure measures about 1 1/4-inches long by 1/3-inches wide, and is a true one of a kind design from the sketch to cast to mounting.

If you’re thinking of creating a completely one of a kind jewelry design for yourself or a special someone, contact us anytime!

Psst, Fanning Sisters… we love your pearls! 

While we specialize in pearls, our services encompass all types of gemstones. Creating such beautiful works of art for clients is what I love the most about working at PurePearls.com! If you’ve got a beautiful treasure that you’ve been dreaming about, give us a call and let’s get started!

Pearl ropes and opera lengths are a fun and glamorous accessory for almost any occasion, and Rachel Zoe rocked it! While we’re pretty sure her pearls are faux (the better to channel Chanel!), you can find gorgeous Freshwater pearl necklaces in similar styles here starting under $250, or contact the pearl experts at PurePearls.com for custom lengths, designs and accessories.

Rachel Zoe in pearls

Psst, Rachel… we love your pearls!! 

Tahitian and Diamond Rondelle Necklace

We finished an absolutely stunning 20-Inch Blue-Green Tahitian pearl necklace today, accented with 6 pieces of 14K yellow gold and diamond rondelles, and I just had to post a picture of it to show off to all our readers. The pearls graduate from about 8.0mm up to 10.7mm in the center, and we’ve highlighted the gorgeous and highly iridescent 3 middle pearls between two of the rondelles, moving out into 5 pearl intervals and finishing the necklace off with a matching high-polish 14K yellow gold clasp.

I think the results are very lovely- rich, highly saturated colors, bright sharp luster and diamonds sparkling throughout- and all for less than $2,600.00!

La Peregrina was presented to Mrs. Taylor as a Valentine’s Day gift by her former husband, Richard Burton. Richard Burton absolutely lavished Elizabeth with jewels and gifts, his love for her was so great that he once said, “I cannot see life without Elizabeth. She is my everything- my breath, my blood, my mind and my imagination.”

   The extraordinary pearl has made an incredible journey, beginning with it’s discovery off the   coast of Panamanian in 1513, where it was immediately sent to King Ferdinand of Spain to become a part of the Spanish Crown Jewels. The pearl has since belonged to English, French and Spanish aristocracy over the centuries, finally landing in the hands of the Bonaparte family, and passed onto the Duke of Abercorn and his family, where it remained for over a century.

The pearl went up for auction at Sotheby’s of London in 1969, where Mr. Burton purchased the infamous pearl for over $37,000.00, outbidding an anonymous member of the Spanish royal family. The famous double-strand pearl and ruby necklace that the pearl currently resides on was created by none other than Cartier himself for Elizabeth; a masterwork of craftsmanship and beauty, inspired by the royal portraits of Queen Margarita and Queen Isabel of Spain.

Now, one of the most famous and enduring jewels in the world will be on a brief tour, available for a limited viewing at Christie’s, New York, from December 3-8th. Only one thing is certain- one very lucky woman will be the recipient of an unforgettable Christmas gift!

White South Sea Pearl & Diamond Bezel Jewelry Set

For all those who want the luxury of South Sea pearls, but don’t want to shell out thousands for a necklace, our AAA Quality matched pendant and earring sets were made for you! Tahitian pearls and diamonds? Check! Drop-shaped baroques, matched to perfection? Check! Whatever the occasion, whatever your tastes, we’re positive that this exclusive line has something for you! Only PurePearls.com has put together such an extensive line of pearls sourced right from the pearl farms, hand-matched to order.

Braided Leather & Tahitian Pearl Choker

At Pure, we like to think of ourselves as custom jewelry specialists; occasionally we think a new design is so unique and cool, we’ve got to offer it to all our clients! This is a replica of my most recent custom design project, done for a client’s 3rd Anniversary. The braided leather choker features three black Tahitian baroque pearls in staggered colors and sizes- and the best part? Each and every choker we create will be a completely unique treasure- absolutely no two will look the same!

The leather strands measure 16-inches to casually drape around the base of the throat, keeping the Tahitian pearls front and center! We also offer an 18-inch length as well. The entire choker is finished with a super easy-to-use Sterling Silver lobster clasp, and the pearls are able to slide around on the leather so you can position them to your liking.  Hope you all like this new design as much as I do!!

~A.

Akoya Overtones

Customer Question:

Hey Ashley,

As for pearl selection,…do you have any advice regarding the selection of silver, rose, or cream?

Her wedding dress is white, not ivory or off-white.  She has brown hair, and a moderate complexion. Is rose typically most preferred?  Would silver match the best with her wedding dresss?  Is cream more versitile? Any advice would be appreaciated.

Thanks again, Eric

Answer:

Selecting the perfect pearl overtone isn’t all that complicated, but let’s quickly run down the attributes of each to familiarize you with them, and then I’ll give you a recommendation or two.

Rose overtones are sublime! The pinkish hue over the white body color of the pearl has traditionally been the favorite of ladies all around the world since pearl culturing began; in fact- Mikimoto Pearl Company is known for their Rose-toned Akoya pearls. The shimmering pink colors add depth and complexity to the surface of the pearls, and the tone is flattering for women with light hair and pale or fair complexions. The warmth and sparkle of the pearls is greatly enhanced with a traditional yellow gold clasp, which can literally light up the complexion of the wearer.

Silver overtones are easily the second most popular of the three due to their brilliance. Silver sparkles with hints of cool blue in the pearls’ surfaces and is the closest to a bright or pure white color. Medium-tone, olive through tan and darker complexions, or even ladies with fair skin but very dark brunette to black hair benefit from the brightness of these pearls. The whiteness of the pearl contrasts beautifully with the deeper skin and hair colors and optically magnifies to make the pearls appear brighter and larger than they really are. Tiffany’s is renowned for their Silver Akoya, and it is a lasting popular favorite. Both white and yellow gold do well with Silver, however I do like to play up the ‘coolness’ of the pearls with white gold accents.

Cream or Ivory looks lovely on everyone, but perhaps most especially red heads and strawberry blondes. With just a touch of French Vanilla, the natural-looking creamy tones are complimentary to a variety of complexions, and they are a classic choice that nearly anyone can fall in love with. Just as with Rose, the Ivory overtone adds depth to the crystal and brings out the luminous glow from within that pearls have traditionally been famous for. I would caution against choosing pearls that are too deeply cream for those that prefer white gold accents, as the clash between cool and warm palettes can be a bit visually jarring, even if the clasp or the posts in the case of earrings will not be seen, the overall effect will be to damp down on the innate warmth of the pearls and mute them a bit.

Of course, there are some lovely hybrid overtones to consider as well- namely Silver-Rose (my absolute favorite!) and Ivory-Rose. Silver-Rose has all of the benefits of Silver – the bright, crisp finish with some added sparkle and colorful iridescence thrown in for added visual complexity in the surface- they are very hard to stop looking at! Ivory-Rose is a gorgeous vintage combination that shimmers with a subtle warmth and color play that looks amazing on a variety of complexions, and retains a very elegant, classic appeal.

For a medium-tone complexion in a bright white wedding dress, I’d definitely recommend both Silver and Silver-Rose as the overtones of choice, possibly with a white gold clasp to continue to enhance the cool palette that will be worn, however yellow gold will work nicely as well- especially if all her other jewelry for the day will be in traditional yellow gold. My professional opinion is that both Ivory and Rose will contrast too much with the dress and look slightly off, color-wise.

I hope this little run-down’s been helpful! Please let me know if you have any further questions- I’m always happy to help! I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon, and have an excellent day!

Sincerely,

Ashley McNamara

General Manager