The Culture of Pearls - a blog about all things pearls

Plastic Fantastic, A Dip into Mid-Century Whimsical Glamour

April 30, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 0 Comment

Tessa Packard’s New Fine Jewellery Collection Takes us into the World of Colour, Fun in the Sun and Vintage Acrylic Jewellery designer Tessa Packard really knows how to make a splash with her unique and eclectic jewellery pieces. In fact, that is literally what she has done with her brand new “Plastic Fantastic” Fine Jewellery collection. Think 1950s Florida-brilliant sunshine, pool parties, fancy cocktails. Think bright costume jewellery meets fine jewellery craftsmanship. Think precious gems and colours creating a smorgasbord…

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Maki-e, Changing our Perception of Beauty, One Pearl at a Time

April 20, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 0 Comment

A Conversation with Raphael Basalely Vice President at Eliko Pearl Co. about the Appeal of Maki-e Pearls For many pearl purists, any embellishment to beautiful pearls may seem superfluous. Pearls are already perfect, they say, so there’s no need to add anything more to them. With Maki-e Pearls, I argue, that is not the case. Tahitian pearls artfully decorated with 24K gold powder and abalone shell mosaic are nothing if not exquisite. Maki-e pearls are a relatively new addition to…

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Chris Davies, An Innovative Jewellery Designer with the Soul of a Renaissance Master

April 5, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 0 Comment

It was in the Renaissance period, that artists started using light to illuminate and define their art. In fact, very often light was used as an integral element of the piece of art itself. When you look at a Chris Davies’ jewels, you are struck by the same feeling. In his jewels light is a palpable part of the piece, wherein each jewel is designed to maximise the play of light on the gems and metal. To my knowledge, no…

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Powerful and Pretty Pearl Jewellery Pieces for the Woman of Today

March 6, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 0 Comment

Bonhams’ Celebrates International Women’s Day with its Pearls Online Jewellery Auction March 8th is International Women’s Day and what better way to recognise it than with an auction exclusively featuring pearl jewellery pieces. Bonhams Auction House’s Powerful & Pretty: Pearls Online sale from March 8th through the 12th, honours women and their countless achievements, in and out of the spotlight, with the timeless power and beauty of pearls. International Women’s Day is a day to commemorate the struggles of women,…

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The Colourful Gems of the Islands of Fiji

March 2, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 2 comments

A Conversation with Claude Prevost, Owner and Founder at Civa Fiji Pearl Farm In the pristine waters off the Fiji Islands, the pearl-producing Pinctada Margaritifera mollusk flourishes. Just like its cousin, the “black-lipped” Tahitian oyster, the Fiji oyster has been successfully cultivated at pearl farms in Fiji, especially over the past two decades. The Fiji cultured pearls are one of the rarest pearls produced through pearl cultivation, because as the name suggests, the oyster is native to the waters around…

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Are Virtual Try On Apps Permanently Redefining Jewellery Retail Space?

February 23, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 1 comment

Last year in May, when Chaumet launched its Augmented Reality (AR) filter on Instagram and Snapchat, all social media was inundated with images of people trying on tiaras in conventional and sometimes not-so-conventional ways. Later, in summer, Bulgari’s virtual unveiling of its The Baroko High Jewellery collection came with an exclusive, invitation-only app for smart phones, which allowed users to virtually put on a jewel from the collection and save their image as a selfie. Almost half a year later,…

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When Jewels Speak the Language of Love

February 3, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 1 comment

Valentine’s Day gifts that say it all! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, finding beautiful and meaningful gifts requires planning and patience. While chocolates and red roses have their own place in gift giving traditions, a gift of jewellery says so much more. Expressing your love with jewellery, to me, is a revelation of who you are, as a person and as a person who loves. What you choose for your loved one is a declaration, in the form…

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A Conversation with Apurva Kothari, Founder and Jewellery Designer at SAVAAB Jewels

January 29, 2021 Reema Farooqui Comments 2 comments

Exquisite High Jewellery, Wearable Art “Inspired by Heritage, Fueled by Legacy, Carried Forward by Innovation” is how SAVAAB Jewels describe their ethos, and this is the absolute, unvarnished truth about this high jewellery brand. SAVAAB Jewels is the modern realization of Indian heritage, the family legacy of the founder, Apurva Kothari, and jewellery craftsmanship techniques of the twenty-first century. While their pieces do take their inspiration from India’s storied past, the story they tell is very contemporary and unmistakably international…

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