The story of black pearls
Pearl jewellery is without doubt the most popular choice for wedding jewellery. Pearl has always been known as the ultimate symbol for beauty, purity and elegance. Pearls have been loved by women for as long as fashion existed. For the longest time, only white pearls were appreciated and sought after, however starting from the first part of the 20th century, black pearl jewellery came into fashion, people slowly started to appreciate its mysterious multi-colour overtone and unique beauty. The start of the story was very interesting: a smart merchandiser positioned black pearls firmly in the highest class jewellery, selling them only fitted with diamonds and gold for very high prices. This has helped to turn people’s perception around black pearls and seemingly effortlessly, black pearls climbed straight to the top of the market niche. In most wedding jewellery collection, pearl necklace and pearl earrings set are the popular choice, while many ladies add in for pearl brooches and tiara as well. Pearl ring is a less likely choice for engagement ring, however they are extremely popular just as special treats.
'Edith' black pearl necklace by carla pearls
We are very lucky to live in a time that so many resources are made available to everyone. Even the choice of affordable pearl jewellery – which are much cheaper than 100 years ago thanks to pearl culturing. In fact the price difference is astonishing. Pearls used to be an extreme form of luxury only for the upper class. Today most women can afford to treat herself with a few items of freshwater pearls. Better still, the birth of faux pearl jewellery introduced the ‘pearl look’ to even more people and occasions. Today a lot of fashion clothes are designed with rich adornment of faux pearls, offering a classy look without customers having to break their purses. Of course, real pearl lovers would still go for real pearls, and they are affordable anyway. It is easy to tell the difference between the two: fake pearl jewellery are much shinier than real pearls and the feel to the skin is also different – fake pearl jewellery do not have the natural warmth and tenderness that comes with real pearls. Teenagers and younger women with less financial means, are big buyers of fake pearl jewellery. In fact there’s a subtle different between ‘fake pearl jewellery’ and ‘faux pearl jewellery’. The nuance is that, fake pearl jewellery are made of pastic – beads that are coated with a shiny pearl like agent. These pearls usually have a slippery surface which feel marble like and much lighter. Faux pearls, or stimulation pearls, on the other hand, are actually made with ‘whipped up’ oyster shell powder. These pearl products are a middle point between fake pearls and real pearls, as they are made of the same material as real pearls, but not naturally grown out of living oysters. Faux pearls are a popular alternative to real pearls in large sizes – they stay similar prices in sizes up to 15mm while freshwater pearl prices increase double or even triple, for each increased millimetre in size.
How Hollywood influences bridal jewellery trends
Hollywood has been playing a very important role in guiding fashion of all sorts. Ever since the days of Theda Bara, Hollywood actresses have been there to bring fashion trends to the jewellery industry. From vintage jewellery to bridal jewellery, Hollywood has its own influence on each one of them. Every single actress of Hollywood has a different quality of elegance and beauty and so do the fashion statements they bear. If someone likes very bold dressing and jewelleries, the immediate next one might be a fan of simplicity and conservative looks. If one actress wears and displays only Lorraine Schwartz’s, the next one is wearing Loree Rodkin’s. Actually it is a common thing to get difference in style opinions from different actresses in Hollywood, not only because of their competitions but also because of the fact that no two persons on the earth have the same taste and thoughts.
There have always been a lot of competitions among Hollywood stars to look most beautiful by not only with their get up but also with the dressing and jewellery they use. Whatever they use or wear should be best in order to maintain their status. And this little catty factor leads to the introduction of new ranges of dresses and jewelleries almost every single day. In special occasions like the Oscars, Canes Film Festival and Golden Globe, this competition among the actresses is much more visible than that of any other period of the year. Just to mention the competition between Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan; they are ultimate rivals. From a simple party to an occasion like Canes they take care of this rivalry in their actions, dresses, and jewelleries. So, you can make a guess here; how competitive the wedding ceremonies would be for two rivals like Paris and Lohan! Nothing would be left behind in such a rivalry whether it is the wedding gown or the bridal jewellery that the bride would be wearing.
In the Canes Film Festival in France 2008, Paris Hilton was wearing a beautiful chandelier designed diamond necklace. Mariah Carey was wearing a massive diamond chopped Y necklace. Actress Barbara Mori of Kites wore a beautiful diamond choker necklace. Like Canes there are other occasions like Screen Actors Guild Award where the showcase of dresses and jewelleries are natural things. So, all the Hollywood actresses, regardless of the occasion contribute to the fashion industry. Whether it’s the latest gown or the jewellery, actresses contribute through the way they style and show up. Hollywood actresses are also responsible for the changes in various traditional styles and designs prevailing in the society. Even the wedding dress and the bridal jewellery are influenced by them. Remember the film Bride Wars, starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. This film is an ultimate presentation of Hollywood influence in bridal jewellery. Both the actresses Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson were wearing bridal jewellery by Tiffany & Co. Hudson was showing a five carat Tiffany Novo diamond engagement ring and Anne was displaying a Tacori Blue Bridal hairpin. The hairpin was specially designed for that film with five faceted blue jade petals covering a white sterling silver topaz. After this film the Tacori Blue hairpin was in much demand. And even now it is available only by special order. The engagement ring in two carat rose cut black diamond and platinum wore by Carmen Electra, Anne Hathaway’s Blue Tacori Haipin, “Slumdog Millionaire” heroine Freida Pinto’s classic Martin Katz eight carat cushion cut diamond drop earrings, the 22 carat pear shaped royal blue drop earrings of diamond wore by Kate Winslet at SAG Award are some of the designs and styles in jewellery fashion, brought and introduced by Hollywood actresses from time to time.
Mandatory Bridal Jewellery
A wedding is the most special day for any lady in her lifetime. A lady always wants to make her Big Day very special with her best looks. Therefore giving special attention to the dressing and jewellery is a common thing among the brides. Apart from that, being in the best dress in wedding is the tradition/custom prevailing worldwide, regardless of taste, culture, society, nationality and religion. The wedding dress whether it is a western wedding gown with pearl earrings, or an Indian traditional red coloured Sari with gold tiaras, or a Vietnamese Ao Dai in colour red or a Japanese wedding Kimono; it should be the best dress that someone possesses in a lifetime. So, worldwide an acclamation of a very good, once in a lifetime type of wedding dress is always there for the brides. There is one more thing that comes into the scene of a bridal wear, which is the bridal jewellery. Like the wedding dress, bridal jewellery also plays a vital role in the wedding ceremony. Whether you attend a western wedding or an eastern wedding, you would always notice the bride with beautiful pearl earrings or diamond earrings along with a pearl or diamond necklace. The range of bridal jewellery covers items like necklaces, tiaras and headpieces, earrings and bracelets. There are a few more things available in a range of bridal jewellery. These are the hairclips, hairpins, headbands, etc. So, altogether the total combination of a bridal jewellery set comprises a long list of items. Among them necklace is on the top of the list.
Traditionally in western countries, pearls are preferred wedding choice. Pearl earrings, pearls necklaces, pearl tiara and even a pearl bracelet would commonly accompany the bride in a western wedding ceremony. Traditionally the pearl earrings, pearls necklaces or say the set of pearls jewellery is offered by the father of the bride or the groom. This tradition of giving pearls jewellery for wedding represents love for the daughter. It is believed that the most followed tradition in western countries of gifting pearls jewellery started in India many years back, when a father dived into the sea bed of Gulf of Mannar and collected pearls for his daughter. Though this tradition started from India, the use of pearl in bridal jewellery is very much less in India in comparison to western countries. Instead of pearl, gold jewelleries are most widely preferred in India and other Asian countries. But there are some deep forest and hill tribes in India who traditionally make their wedding jewelleries from animal skins and bones along with gold made jewelleries. If you ask about pearl earrings as bridal jewellery to those tribes you may be astonished to see that they even don’t know about the fact that pearls can be used in jewelleries. It is because in most of the Asian countries there were monarchy and the collection of pearl and pearls jewellery whether it is a pearl earring or a pearl necklaces was strictly limited to the royal family only.
But regardless of all these facts, whether someone uses the pearl earrings as bridal jewellery or not; the use of jewellery would always be there in any wedding.
Shell pearls – introducing "Annie" necklace
Annie is definitely a piece of shell pearl necklace that nicely complements the rest of the Carla pearl jewellery collection. With its generously sized 11-12mm pearls with a subtly colourful overtone, the Annie pearl necklace is both trendy and elegant. It would be an excellent birthday gift or anniversary gift – ladies with great tastes will definitely adore it. Annie would also suit beautifully a bride who seeks a somewhat audacious style in her wedding jewellery.
White Gypsophila
God I wish i had a boyfriend..grrr
Oh gypsophila…I personally think this is the best type of flower to accompany a rose – what do you think??
For Happy Brides – Carla Magic: Wedding
Or go to a fancy dinner party wearing one strand loosely as an opera necklace and the other strand around your wrist as a matching bracelet. (Don’t lose the silver clasp if you don’t use it! Put it some place safe – like in the black velvet box that comes with the pearls;-))
How about making them a trendy double strand princess length necklace with a matching bracelet?
“Carla Magic: Wedding” is made with pearls that are rated at AA – very good lustre with a warm cream overtone. Pearl size is 6-7 mm and they are very round. It comes at a very good price considering that a classic single strand freshwater pearl choker length necklace typically costs between 60 – 90 pounds: “Carla Magic: Wedding” is effectively more than four pearl chokers strands added together, accompanied with a 925 silver oval clasp and it is offered to you at less than 200 pounds.