Pearl Trends in the Spotlight

I'm so happy everyone else has finally figured out what you and I have known all along! 

Pearls ~ They got it goin' on!

Pearl's popularity and revitalization up-tick started a few years back and has been steadily climbing.

 

The recent jewelry shows solidified Pearls as one of the hottest trends happening right now. 

  

Proof that Pearls have got it goin' on

trend-wise is evident all over the internet. 

Just take a look at Pinterest 

and Instagram for starters.

Pearls on Trend: 

Here's a few things that are hot and happening in the pearl-world right now. 

According to a survey in 

National Jeweler Magazine, 

Here's How Consumers Feel About Cultured Pearl Jewelry

It's exciting how men are embracing the pearl as their gem of choice these days (Yay!!) and many consumers aged 25-35 are also sparking the pearl engagement ring trend, too!

LOVE IT!!

Check out the 2021 Benchmark Study of Consumer Preferences of Pearls released by the CPAA and MVI to see the numbers for yourself.

You just Googled, 

'men wearing pearls', 

didn't you?!  

Told ya!

I think it's cool.

Has been for a long time. 

Alice Cooper wears a pearl around his neck.

 

Want to see a really cool pic of him wearing his leather and pearl necklace while playing guitar on stage with Johnnie Depp?

 

Hop on over to Glide Magazine 

and check it out!

 

I attended Alice's Christmas Pudding 

 in Phoenix many year's back 

and he had one on.

I was in the audience 

sitting right behind his Mom. 

(That was cool!)

 

Have you ever seen Steven Tyler drenched in Tahitian pearls?

 

Google that one!

I've also seen Jon Bon Jovi 

wear a single pearl 

on leather around his neck 

while on stage, too. 

Very Hot!

I'm telling you, 

everyone looks great in pearls!

Lucky for us, 

the pearl jewelry trend 

shows no signs of slowing down. 

  

Since I'm overjoyed that pearls 

are everywhere right now, 

I thought I'd show you some cool pearl jewelry that I drooled over recently.

 

But first, before I show you the 

drool-worthy pearl loot, 

here's some tips on how you can up-cycle 

your own pearl jewelry for a fresh look.

If all you have in your jewelry box 

is a classic strand of 

Pearly Whites

Bring them up-to-date with some fun and ultra stylish chains!

'Chains and Charms'

Still a jewelry industry buzz-phrase.

Put on a few chain necklaces of different lengths that feature various pendants and your favorite pearl strand and you'll have today's hottest layered necklace look down pat! 

And, what's every pearl strand's best friend?

Why the pendant, of course!

Add a pendant (or two!) 

to your strand of pearls. 

It's a fun and easy way to pep 'em up!

Colored gemstones are shining brightly 

everywhere right now, too.

It's never out of style to mix in some 

bright colors with your pearls!

And then there's Earrings!

Long woven pearl drop earrings - MiShel Designs

Long and lean pearl-drop earrings are tickling wearer's shoulders as they tease our eyes with their beauty.

And, hoop earrings of all shapes and sizes 

adorned with pearls can be seen 

everywhere these days.

Hoops are a classic staple and hoops with pearls are beautifully showing their trendy luster.

Check out page 14 of the CPAA's August 2021 issue of #THISISPEARL

to see some really cool pearl hoop earrings.

Okay - now it's time to show you

 my latest pearl jewelry obsessions:

This beautiful necklace literally stopped me in my tracks - jaw on the ground!

Of course it's by Todd Reed!

Yep. AMAZING! 

Hop over to his Instagram page and check it out!

And Lika Behar's Kristen Cuff's are another obsession I have!

 

They're big, bold, chunky and FUN!

Check this out from her website - GORGEOUS!!

I would seriously wear this everyday! 

You should see the one in bright silver - it's an award winner!

Check out her website for more options on this cuff.

And of course, pearls and turquoise together are popping up everywhere now.

  

It's high-time everyone caught on to this super cool combo. 

 

I mean, what's not to love, right? 

Little H is one designer that's been doing this trend right for quite some time now.

I mean, just look at this!

 

Go check out all her other cool pearl jewelry, too. 

She's another fav of mine!

Drop me a note and let me know what your favorite pearl jewelry trends are right now, I'd love to hear!

You can reach me HERE.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Pearls Baby!

Cheers,

Shel

Michelle (Shelly) Buettner is a Certified Pearl Specialist through the Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA) and she holds a Graduate Pearls Diploma from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).  In addition to creating her own jewelry line she is also a freelance copywriter for the gem and jewelry industry who can often be found fawning over pearls in her spare time. Follow Shel’s jewelry blog at MiShelDesigns.net or her copy blog at ShellyBuettner.com. See what she’s snapping over on Instagram @pearlgeek or connect with her over on LinkedIn

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! 2014 Blog Hop Reveal!

Welcome to the 2014 

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! 

Blog Hop Reveal!

Are you ready to see some gorgeous pearls today?  I know I am!

The guidelines for the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop were quite simple.

"Show Us Your Pearls!" 

Yes, that's about it. It didn't have to be jewelry or bead related. Anything you wanted to design and create with pearls was fine - and welcomed!

Feel free to show off your pearls along with us. Just use the InLinkz Link Up tool at the bottom.

If you'd like to have the InLinkz code so you can have the link up tool on your blog today too, just clink here and you'll go to the page that has the link to the code.

With everything going on this month, it was challenging, but I did managed to create a couple of designs. 


First up, I got to play with some solid gold!

Oh YES! It was heaven!

And it isn't just any piece of gold either.

It's an 18k yellow gold original cross that my hubby, Mike, and our friend, Steve, created and cast earlier this month.

It measures a whopping 1.75 (almost) inches long and has some heft to it - but not too much!

I had no idea what or how I wanted to use this cross - especially since I don't wear gold - so this was a challenge.

I knew it deserved the 'good pearls' in my inventory.
And something that would make it 'pop'. 

The really nice freshwater cultured drop pearl that dangles on it is approximately 13mm in size - rather large.

The pearls in this necklace are freshwater cultured pearls from Majestic Pearl.

I wanted to make the cross charm something that could be taken on/off easily so the pearls could be worn on their own and so the cross could be worn on other necklaces, too.

I'd seen several versions of this sort of 'bail' over on Pinterest lately, so I thought I'd try creating my own version and it worked out quite well.

Did you know there is a difference between a 'bail' and a 'pearl enhancer'?  

You can read a nice article from my online friend Calla Gold about the difference here.
 

This necklace reminds me of Old World Kings and Queens and a time when, despite the rugged materials the craftsmen had to work with, pieces were elegant, opulent and exquisite.

It was extremely fun playing with 'the good china', as I call it!

From the pearls, the handcrafted clasp, to the cross - this one's a keeper! 

Except Mike keeps telling me he's taking the cross and melting it down and making something else with his gold.

Umm,...no. I think it's perfect the way it is. 

And then there's this fun little guy. 

Better known as 'Donald Trunk'.

My hubby found some old molds at a jewelry supply store in town here and he poured me this pewter elephant using one of them. 

Mike calls him "Donald Trunk" because he's got this 'blob' of pewter on the top of his head,...see that??  

It's like a wild pewter 'comb-over' or toupee.  Yep. LOL!!

 The pearls in this necklace are also freshwater cultured pearls.
The dark ones have been dyed to get this awesome deep color and they come from Majestic Pearl as well.

They represent the deep colors of the elephant, both his skin and his eyes.

The really fun 'waffle' pearls (that's what I call them - it's neither a correct nor industry used term!) are keshi pearls that I picked up several years ago from Ayala's Originals at the gem show down in Tucson. 

They represent the rough skin of the elephant and his wonderful 'wavy' ears and the color of his tusks.

Both necklaces were hand knotted on C-Lon cord that I purchased from the BeadShop.com. 

I like using C-Lon (and Superlon, too) on many of my designs because it doesn't stretch as much or absorb body oils, lotions and perfumes as quickly as 100% silk does. Which makes caring for it a bit easier than designs created with silk. And to me, it drapes/hangs much like silk, which I like.

 When we did the Pearls Blog Hop last fall, many of you said you liked all the links I provided to various educational sites about pearls and many of the video tutorials and things of this nature, so here's the link to

the 1st Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop 

with all the links for anyone who wants to see them and revisit any of the goodies that were included in last fall's reveal post.

Also, here's the link to my Pearls page here on the blog where you'll find lots of pearl information, video tutorials on pearl knotting (not mine, but a lot of other people's tutorials) and other links such as jewelry, tool and pearl suppliers as well, so be sure to check it out.

I do want to share with you a really good video of how to knot pearls with out the use of tools, such as awls, tweezers or knotting tools or boards.  

This is a great method when you're stringing a simple strand of pearls - they come out beautifully!

This video is compliments of the wonderful folks over at Pearl Paradise.  Pearl Paradise owner Jeremy Shepherd and his wife, Hisano are a wealth of wonderful information and the designs that Hisano and the crew over at Pearl Paradise put together are just AMAZING!!  

Make sure to check out the latest post over on their blog, here.  And, of course, have fun drooling over all the beautiful pearls they offer for sale - wow!

And yes, the pearls in the below video are real, Saltwater Cultured South Sea Pearls,...Honkin' Huge!!

Now it's time to check out what all the other participants below have created with their pearls! 

Thanks to everyone who is jumping in today and sharing your pearls - I can't wait to see what everyone has created! 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and All Things Made With PEARLS!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

Wearing Your Pearls!

Although the 2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop that's happening this Sunday, June 29th here on the MiShel Designs blog had simple instructions that you could create ANYTHING with your pearls - it's a pretty obvious that my contribution will more than likely be PEARL JEWELRY. 

NO!?!  (You would have never guessed that, right?!)

So, let's get a little pearl fashion going on here, shall we?

 

It's fun and exciting (to me, anyway!) to see how pearls have been pushed front and center these last couple of years (FINALLY)!!

I'm thoroughly enjoying their nice little run in the fashion spotlight.

Here's a few things I found on the Internet
to get your pearl fashion cravings satisfied.

First up, this article by Brittany Siminitz a couple of weeks ago over on JCK online, (which is super!) highlights some great luxury pearl jewelry, like this awesome cuff by 
Vincent Peach.

 

Vincent Peach Cuff - LOVE this!!!

Fashion forward and fun!

Then there's the pearl body chains that every one's wearing - sexy, aren't they? 

Foressti on Etsy - Reina body Chain

 
What a great way to wear your pearls!

Then of course, one of my favorites,
Layering your pearls! 

The hottest earring designs around this year 
are those with pearls, too. 

Like these by Dior,...

Dior Earrings, worn by actress Emma Watson - Via Pinterest, Charmandchain.com

Worn by actress, Emma Watson.

FABULOUS!!

And then of course, there's always my favorite designer,
Todd Reed.

His new line of jewelry has bunches of gorgeous pearls included! (Yeah, baby!!!)

Just look at this gorgeous ring of his!

Todd Reed Ring - with PEARLS!!!

 

So, now that your creative juices are flowing,
get out your pearls and start creating!

Then come back here on 
Sunday, June 29th,  and join in the  
2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!! Blog Hop 
and show us your PEARLS!! 

Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and All Things Pearls!!
Cheers,
~Shel~

Girls and Their Pearls

This Sunday, June 29th, is the 

2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop 

here on the MiShel Designs blog. 

The challenge was simply this: 

Create something using pearls. It doesn't have to be jewelry or bead related at all. It can be anything your little heart desires; from pearl encrusted stilettos, to a pearl laden writing journal or lamp shade, the choice is yours.

June has been a much busier than normal month 

here in our household.  

There's been more travel this month than usual, some very sad moments of losing friends and other loved ones, an unusual amount of extra paper work for our business and school (yes, even though it's summer!), appointments for senior photos, dental and doctor appointments, designing and ordering our 20th Wedding Anniversary rings (Mine's being created by the wonderful team over at Todd Reed in Colorado, and Mike's having our friend Steve help him craft his own - I can't wait to see them both!!) and all sorts of other 'home' stuff to manage.

So, needless to say, I started to majorly stress out about the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop I decided to host this month. 

However, a friend nicely reminded me that although I'm hosting this hop, it shouldn't be stressful at all because it's just a "link up" type of hop. 

What's that mean you ask?  

It means that if you'd like to participate that all you have to do is come here on June 29th and 'Link Up' with us via the InLinkz link up tool that will be at the bottom of my blog post that morning. 

Simple as pie!  

So, I hope you'll link up with us here on 

Sunday, June 29th 

and join in the Pearl Fun!

In the meantime this week, I am going to give you a couple of posts to wet your whistle on pearls - I mean, how could I knot. I mean not. LOL!

First up, here's a couple of quick and easy reminders on how to care for and store your  pearl jewelry.

Always keep your pearl jewelry, whether it be real pearls or imitation pearls, out of the 'chemical baths' of perfume spraying, lotion lathering and hair spray fogging.  Seriously. Be sure to use your lotion, your perfume and your hair spray BEFORE donning your pearls - and yes, that goes for pearl earrings as well gals! 


Never clean your pearls with liquid chemical jewelry cleaners. I did this once. It was on some really nice Swarovski Crystal Pearl jewelry I created many years ago with sterling silver. I dunked the entire necklace into the little basket, put it in the jewelry cleaning liquid, sealed the lid and left it there for almost 15 minutes. When I came back and took out my beautiful Swarovski Crystal Pearl and Sterling Silver Necklace,...the silver was all shiny and gorgeous again, but the crystal pearls were, shall we say, a bit 'sticky'. 

I had thought, "I'm only dipping them for a brief moment, what could possibly harm them that quickly?"  Well, DUH!  It's a chemical that cleans,...deep cleans. And obviously eats away at certain substances,...like pearl coatings, plastics, pearl nacre, resins, the stabilizing materials in stabilized turquoise and other gemstones.   So, my advice, "No chemical cleaners for your pearls, okay?" 


Also pearls, if strung on silk, nylon or other cording, should not be hung up in your jewelry box or from those cool DIY jewelry displays made out of a old picture frames and vintage drawer hardware or hooks. Nope. It looks really cool indeed, but it stretches the cord more quickly than normal wear and tear, thus leading to having your pearls restrung sooner than is actually needed.

Not Knot on Etsy

Ideally, it's best to store your pearls in a flat box - not a zippy bag or sealed plastic container as they need to breathe - with a nice soft jewelry cloth around them. I've used antique hankies to store mine in and to wipe them clean (you'd be amazed at the damage oils from your own skin can do over time) before I put them away.   And, I feel good that my antique handkerchiefs are getting used and not just stored in a drawer somewhere. 

Okay - that's about it for today. 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Pearls, Baby!!

Cheers,

~Shel~