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

 

Happy belated Easter to all- we’ve been pretty busy over here, getting the new site ready for launch, uploading all our featured products, creating new descriptions and gorgeous new photographs for all of our pearl jewelry… In the process we decided to add a smaller, more affordable Hanadama size- 7.0-7.5mm, which will be featured on the new site along with our traditional sizes in the Hanadama Pearl Collection. With prices starting at under $2,000.00 for a princess length necklace, we are firm in our commitment to continue offering the best deals for the most beautiful pearls around!

 

As I’m sure you all know, Hanadama pearls are among the very finest Akoya pearls- renowned the world over for their superior luster, brilliance, nacre thickness and gorgeous overtones. Each 18-inch necklace comes with it’s own Gemological Report from the famed Pearl Science Laboratory in Tokyo, Japan, along with our GIA-Graduate Prepared Appraisal. We are looking excitedly towards the near future when we’ll be able to expand on this collection further- hopefully to include non-treated, natural-color Hanas soon! I’ll be keeping you posted for further developments, and have a fantastic Spring!!!      

                                                     

 

I have some very exciting news about our 6.5-7.0mm Akoya pearls; as of today, PurePearls.com will be focusing exclusively on our new line of very fine, very lustrous, simply stunning Japanese Akoya pearls! Our new Japanese Akoya line is virtually spotless, featuring crisp, razor-sharp luster and gorgeous coloration that is oh-so drool worthy (see the pictures below taken with my Dinky Digitalâ„¢ today for color examples).

 

Our continual desire to provide a wide range of pearl jewelry choices for all of our customers has led us in this new direction; the lack of availability of high quality Chinese Akoya in this size range, as well as multiple environmental disasters for Chinese pearl farms for the past few years, combined to help make this decision an easy one. You may notice a slight price increase due to the upgrade which we do regret, however I think at the end of the day, you’ll be totally, completely satisfied with the quality and beauty of every strand of Japanese Akoya pearls purchased through PurePearls.com. Enjoy! 

                                                    

 

I have been looking on your website for a set of white pearl earrings. I was looking at the Akoya and Freshwater pearls and was hoping you could give me some direction about which ones to go with as I have no knowledge in this area. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

D.Steele

 

 

Dear Ms. Steele,

 

Thank you for your interest in PurePearls.com! Trying to decide between the two most popular white pearl types- Akoya and Freshwater pearls- can be a very difficult choice indeed! Some pros and cons to help you decide…

 

Your classic white pearls would be the famous (and the original) saltwater Akoya from Japan and China- distinguishable for their perfectly round, smooth shapes, their white color and bright, glossy luster that made the gem an instant favorite with War Brides the world over. If you’re looking for shiny, bright and perfectly round pearl earrings, then the Akoya pearls are definitely the best way to go. Our AA+ and AAA Qualities are nearly equivalent in terms of luster, but with AAA Quality pearls, you are assured a flawless surface.

 

Next up are cultured Chinese Freshwater pearls; only recently have the Chinese been able to culture truly round shapes, but they have definitely made up for lost time! These pearls are an excellent value, composed completely of nacre, they will last generations! They are known for being more satiny in terms of luster, and slightly off a truly round sphere (except in our Elite Collection / Gem Quality pearls), but again offer an excellent alternative to their higher priced saltwater cousins. We offer AA+, AAA and our Elite Collection Qualities- and of the two sizes you’re thinking about, I would very highly recommend that you purchase the 10.0-11.0mm size as we have extremely limited qualities (maybe 5 pairs?) and have recently become very hard to get.

 

I hope this helps you come to a decision, and if you have any other questions or if I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me at anytime- I am always happy to help! I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, and have an excellent day!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Ashley McNamara

 

Introducing our “Angel” Akoya pearl and Diamond pendant and earring set, perfect for every occasion! Both the pendant and earrings are crafted from solid 18K Gold (your choice of White or Yellow), accented with sparkling diamonds, and finished with our gorgeous AAA Quality 7.0-7.5mm Akoya pearls! Our Introductory Price will be 20% Off our normal retail pricing- a steal of a deal for fine diamonds and pearls!! We think our “Angel” pendant and earring sets are perfect for any and every occasion- from a day at the Office to Back to School, or a glamorous Night Out!