Category: Pearl Jewelry

There is nothing more beautiful to complement a wedding dress than a stunning strand of pearls. This traditional wedding jewelry is more popular than ever, with brides using all styles of pearl jewelry to add that finishing touch to their bridal ensemble. In addition to looking fabulous, wearing a pearl necklace on your wedding day has historically been known as a good luck charm, promising to bring the marriage years of happiness.

When choosing a pearl necklace for your big day, there are four main issues to evaluate. These issues will ensure your necklace and any other accessories complement your dress and add to instead of diminish your beauty.

1.) Color: The color of the pearl is usually the most noticeable aspect of any pearl jewelry. Pearls come in colors ranging from traditional white and off-white to pink, black, grey, and even silver. When choosing the color of your pearl necklace, be sure to think of your skin tone and dress. The color should accentuate your outfit and make the ensemble complete, so choose wisely for a color that you can wear on your wedding day and for many days to come.

2.) Size: Pearls come in several different sizes and are either strung for a necklace in a similar range or in a graduated range. Choose a size of pearl that matches your proportions, as well as that of your dress. Size of the pearl directly affects another issue to keep in mind, the length of the strand.

3.) Length: Pearl necklaces are available in several lengths:

Collar (12 13 inches)
Choker (14 16 inches)
Princess (17 19 inches)
Matinee (20 25 inches)
Opera (26 36 inches)
Rope (over 37 inches)

The difference in length directly depends on the style of your dress. The most popular lengths of pearl necklaces are the princess length and the opera length. Avoid wearing the longer lengths of pearls over heavily beaded or decorated dresses, as the impact of the pearls may be lost. You may need to try on several lengths to see how each individual strand fits your body.

4.) Additions: Many brides are choosing to forego the traditional strand of pearls and add diamonds or other gemstones to a necklace setting. This is a great idea if you have a preexisting pendant mount of heirloom gemstone you wish to include in your jewelry. Also, many brides are using an illusion or floating setting for a single or several pearls. This setting gives the pearl the appearance of floating weightlessly around the wearers neck, giving a more modern feel to this traditional element.

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At Shecy Pearl Jewelry, we not only provide awesome pearl earrings, pearl necklaces, pearl bracelets and pearl pendants, but also loose pearls and unfinished pearl strands. They are already for your own design. Pearls are popular craft product as they lend an element of mystery, natural beauty to jewelry designs, but making homemade pearl requires the ability to drill holes in dense, strong material that can’t be cut without special tools. However, you do not need to worry. We can drill for you for free!

We have many times been questioned about half-drilled and full-drilled pearls. Half-drilled and full-drilled pearls are used for different pearl jewelry. Half-drilled pearl is with a hole that goes only half-way through, instead of all the way through like a normal pearl. There are many findings that are made to take half-drilled pearls, like ring settings and earring posts. For half-drilled pearls, the hole length generally account for about two thirds or three fourths of the diameter of the pearl. Full-drilled pearl with a hole that a wire thread can go through. It is often used for pearl necklaces and pearl pendants. We drilled pearls by manual labor many years ago. Now, we use small drilling machines to make the whole process precise and easy. Various methods have been used for drilling pearls. Generally speaking, we place the pearl at a certain angle from the two sides, and the two holes meet at the centre at last. Some customers ask us if it is possible to drill pearls in size 2-3mm. From the technically perspective, the minimum diameter is 0.3mm for drill holes. As a matter of fact, it is really tough to drill in such small pearls.

The pearls are usually fixed onto a piece of jewelry using special glues, which make up of shellac, turpentine and colophonium. These special glues are used to stick the drilled pearl onto the metal findings. Mix and glue them, and push the metal end to the hole of pearl. It is common for pearls to come loose from pearl rings, pearl earrings and pearl necklaces because pearls are soft and easy to be damaged. Most glue will soften with heat and pearl can easily pull off from the peg. Therefore, they should also be protected from extreme temperatures and moisture. If the pearl on your ring or earring has fall off, just keep calm. You can repair it yourself. In fact, it’s quite easy to glue a pearl onto a ring or earring if it has come loose. Firstly, try to clean off as much of the old glue as you can, especially for the gunk on the post. Use good glue like E600 and apply it with the tip of a toothpick. When applying the glue, try to get some down into the drill hole. Dont use too much because it spreads easily and then the glue will on the body of the pearl. The pearl shouldn’t be worn until the glue is completely cured.

If you love handcrafted jewelry, why not do it yourself? Just take a first try!

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Shiraz is located in the province of Fars and it is a true gem of veritable Persian culture. It used to be the capital city of Iran, but only for a short period of time, and it is known as the place where the poets Saadi and Hafiz were born. Shiraz is known for its wines, especially for the one name Syrah and its reputation is well deserved. Over 1.3 million people call this city home and you may be surprised to see how much they enjoy life and how friendly they are towards one another. Family parties are wide spread as friends’ get-together quite often and the atmosphere is quite lively.

Shiraz is mostly a cultural destination, as the home of many monuments to honor its cultural heritage. You should not miss the Mausoleum of Hafez where the well known poet of Persian origin was born in Shiraz during the 14 century. He spent his life in Shiraz and died here. He asked to be buried in a garden located in the northeast area of Shiraz where his tomb is now located. A veritable place of pilgrimage, the mausoleum was renovated about half a century ago. In order to get to the tomb you need to take the stone stairs. The cupola of the tomb looks like the hat of a dervish, and you can see two poems of the regretted poet written on the walls.

The other great poet that lived here was Saadi and a mausoleum was erected in his honor. The tomb where his physical remains are kept is a place of pilgrimage for people in love with the poetry arts. At the beginning of the 19th centurythe mausoleum was renovated and even the tomb was revamped half a century ago. People also come here to admire the Iranian architecture marked by columns made of pink marble.

Among the places to visit and see in Shiraz you will find the Arg of Karim Khan, which used to be a prison but is now open to visitors who want to admire its fine architecture. There are also many gardens in Shiraz that you can enjoy such as the Eram Garden, Delgosha Garden, or Afif abad Garden.

Don’t forget to visit a few bazaars for a bit of traditional shopping. The most appreciated are Vakil Bazaar, Moshir-e-Now, and Mesgarha Bazaar.

Another tomb that is veneered in Shiraz is the tomb of Seyed Amir Ahmad, also called Shah Cheragh by the people living here. The architecture of the place is quite amazing and travelers from everywhere come here to admire the tile work and the silver door. The mirrors are also incredible pieces that will leave you in absolute awe.

Another place to see in Shiraz is the main gate called Qor’an or Dar vazeh Quran. Built about one millennium ago, the gate was actually replaced by a new structure that exhibits some of the finest designs in Iran.

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Girl with A Pearl Earring (Dutch: Het meisje met de Parel) was made by Holland painter Johannes Vermeer in the 17th century. The painting took the pearl earrings worn by the girl as the focus which was preserved in the Mauritshuis in Hague. This was a small baroque painting, not much larger than eight-paper. The paints had been cracked, but such a seemingly small painting appealed a lot of men of literature and writing and visitors. What shocked their hearts? It was the protagonist, a girl with a pearl earring.

The girl glimpse seemed to intake the viewer soul. Vermeer used the entire black background in this buy painting, and made a strong three-dimensional effect. The black background showed the charm of girl image, making her like a beacon in the dark, its brightness dazzling the eyes. The girl leaned in the body and turned to stare at us with her mouth slightly open as if saying anything. Her eyes showed strong feelings, whose head slightly leaned to the left as if lost in thoughts. The girl wore a chastity brown coat, forming a distinct color contrast with white collar, blue headscarves and lowered lemon color cloth.

Johannes Vermeer used ordinary, pure color and limited color range in the painting, then used levels and shadow effect. Another remarkable place of this painting was the teardrop-size and vague pearl earrings worn by the girl, which was the punch line of the whole painting. Pearl in Vermeer portrait paintings usually was a symbol of purity. Critics thought that this painting was likely to be made before the girl marriage eve. The girl’s temperament was extraordinary and she stared at the painter with no distraction. Seeing this painting, the viewer can be easily melted in the affectionate gaze. Holland art critic Gore Skei Jerzy de thought this was Vermeer’s finest works, which was the “northern Mona Lisa”. The charm of The Smile of Mona Lisa lied in her secret. No one knew exactly why this woman could emanate such a quiet smile, and artists were in what mood to draw such works.

Since the production of this painting, the world people marveled at the girl in the painting: brightness changes of soft clothing lines and earrings, especially girl’s side back, wanting to speak, but saying nothing, only the smile of Mona Lisa could be comparable. The girl’s true identity as well as Mona Lisa was a historic relic mystery. The Girl with A Pearl Earring was known as the northern Mona Lisa.

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Pearl necklaces never run out of style. They are always classy, elegant and quite flexible as wardrobe accessories. They are one of the most popular gift choices for weddings, being the birthstone of June and they have a lasting, mystical appeal that has been celebrated for thousands of years.

Pearls are rarer when they are produced naturally but while cultured pearls are quite affordable, their quality is in no way inferior to that of natural pearls. To an untrained eye, it is very difficult to tell a natural pearl from its cultured cousin. The only way to differentiate is probably to use x-ray where a nucleus’ will be spotted in the cultured variety.

Some of the more common types of pearls used in necklaces are Mikimoto, Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea Pearls. Mikimoto is the highest quality pearls and come in different colors. Akoya pearls often come in white, cream or silver while Tahitian and South Sea pearls have darker colors. Saltwater pearls are more expensive than freshwater pearls.

Choosing pearl necklace lengths
Choosing the right length of pearl necklace depends upon the wearer’s age, neck size and overall body composition. In general, long necklaces tend to elongate the neck and draw attention away from it, as opposed to shorter-length ones which flatter longer necks. Here are the different lengths of pearl necklaces recommended for every woman’s unique need:

Collar typically 10 to 13 inches long and are quite flexible either for evening wear or casual day wear. These are worn high on the neck, above the base. Another style is the dog collar, which is made of several strands, quite popular in the Victorian era and slowly making a comeback.

Choker 16 to 18 inches long, chokers surround the base of the neck. A good choice for ladies with long, thin necks because chokers can de-emphasize the throat’s length.

Princess at 17 to 20 inches long, this is the most popular length, classic enough to match any outfit or neckline.

Matinee 20 to 24 inches long. These work well worn with dresses, business suits and corporate wear and are a great choice for occasions requiring semi-formal wear.

Opera 28 to 34 inches long, usually worn during formal events and occasions. Because of its length, this pearl necklace may be doubled to form two strands. When worn as is, it should ideally reach below the bust line.

Rope or sautoir the longest, starting at 37 inches, worn best with pantsuits. Rope-length pearls don’t have to hang from the wearer’s neck alone. They could be doubled or knotted for more style flexibility. Some even come with multiple clasps, which allow the wearer to use the necklace in shorter lengths.

Short necks will do well wearing pearl strands that sit at least 2 below the collarbone while thick or heavy necks will look good in graduated chains with lengths beginning at 18. Long thin necks are flattered by shorter lengths, especially those that sit at the base of neck, following the curve of the throat.

Fleshy necks look better in necklaces that lie below the base, especially if the strand is segmented or comes with a square, rectangular or any pointed pendant. Necks that are wide at the base need necklaces that are at least 1 below the collarbone or longer strands.

Other pearl necklace styles
Other styles of pearl necklaces are the bib which, as the name implies, covers the base of the neck and the upper part of the chest in several strands of varying lengths. Another option is the graduated necklace which consists of pearls in graduated lengths, usually with the biggest pearl/s in the middle. A popular style is the uniform necklace where pearls of similar size are strung together.

Choosing pearl colors and size
While white, cream, pink or silver pearls generally will look good on anyone, they can best enhance fairer skin. Gold or yellow pearls will look best on darker-toned skin.

Generally, younger women should wear smaller pearls. At this point in their lives, they could show off their youthful necks with smaller-sized chains and pendants. Older women may want to use longer-length pearl necklaces to draw attention away from their necks. They can also wear bigger pearls with wider, double- or triple-strand chains.

Pearl necklace sets
One of the best ways to buy matching jewelry is to get ones that come in a set. This way, you have a necklace, a pair of earrings and either a ring or bracelet that come in matching styles. However, if you prefer just the necklace, some jewelers will allow you to buy one off a set.

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