Among other pieces of jewelry, Mom had a strand of pearls that everyone in the family remembered her wearing with great frequency. The rope necklace was a continuous strand with no clasp, so she could wear it doubled or long. This year after her mother passed away, I met up again with this repeat customer. (Some years ago I created a set of initials for a watch band as a graduation gift for her daughter. )
I love pearls, also known as the tears of the gods and one of the birthstones for June babies. Pearls are organic gems and as such are easily affected by the environment. Usually after they are harvested, pearls are bleached to remove the color due to water contamination, then dyed. These are silver grey, but there is a rainbow assortment of colors to dye them! The Chinese perfected farming fresh water pearls to look like the saltwater pearls we know as cultured pearls. The Japanese began the cultured pearl industry that we know today. There are so many different types of pearls, grown in so many different waters by as many different types of mollusks.
How could they keep and honor the memory of that string of pearls, yet create age appropriate and fashionably current pieces of jewelry for granddaughters, nieces and daughters? That was the challenge.
After some discussion, we decided to make bracelets for the granddaughters and nieces and to personalize each bracelet with the initial of the recipient. But what to do for someone who does not wear bracelets? Earrings were the perfect gift, something dangling with movement and easy to wear.
We chose sterling silver, both for the affordability and the complement of the metal to the grey pearl.
- Silver grey cultured freshwater pearl bracelets with sterling silver initials and clasps
- Sterling dangle earrings with freshwater pearls.
- Location: Burlington, CT
