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How To Style Jewelry With Your Outfits

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When it comes to jewelry, it’s important to see it as an extension of your outfit. They are the accessories that complement the other garments you’re wearing. That means you’ll want to shop around for jewelry that you can mix and match depending on the occasion.

With that being said, if you’ve not been a jewelry girl before, then here are some top tips for styling jewelry with all your outfits this year.

woman wearing necklace
Photo by Segal Jewelry on Unsplash

Make sure it matches the occasion

When it comes to the jewelry itself, check that it matches the occasion you’re celebrating. For example, you might want to wear an extravagant necklace if you’re going to a gala event or it might be a subtle bracelet and earrings combination for dinner with your significant other.

Finding jewelry that matches the occasion is important when styling an outfit because you don’t want the pieces to stick out like a sore thumb. Again, they should complement the outfit and not draw attention away from it.

Invest in statement earrings

Statement earrings are a great way to show off your jewelry collection and they’re often the only piece of jewelry you might need when it comes to dressing up an outfit.

There are plenty of statement-style earrings out there and while some might not be the most comfortable due to the weight, they are certainly something you might want to indulge with when it comes to dressing up an outfit.

Diamonds are a great way to invest in your closet

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and that can certainly be said for the closet too. There are lots of different jewelers out there like Hannoush Jewelers for example, who can provide a real insight into the benefit of diamonds. 

You should certainly consider investing in them when it comes to your jewelry, especially if you want pieces that last a lifetime. Not only that but it’s a great investment for any future generations of family that you pass it on to!

Experiment with subtly when it comes to your outfits

Every outfit deserves a different accessory, particularly when it comes to jewelry. However, not every outfit needs to be paired with something bold or statement-looking. For some, it might be a more subtle piece that’s required.

That’s why it’s always worth experimenting with the sizing of jewelry, as well as the colors and designs you can get. Often enough, it’s the subtly of an earring or necklace that rounds off the outfit perfectly.

Be selective with the amount of jewelry worn at once

Finally, when it comes to the amount of jewelry you’re wearing, make sure you’re being selective. You don’t want to be wearing too much at once, especially as it can end up making the outfit look a little cluttered and messy. Try on lots but when you think you’re dressed, take off one or two pieces of jewelry if they’ve been layered on.

Jewelry is a great way to style your outfits so make use of these tips to transform your looks this year.

Are all Tahitian Pearls Black? And Other Pearl Questions

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Black pearls are a type of pearl that is created from the black lip oyster. They come in shapes and sizes, but they have a dark, often opaque color with a metallic sheen.  They can be cultivated or natural.  Wearing black pearls is obviously quite a contrast to the usual white or ivory pearl colour that we tend to associate with the birthstone, pearl.  Black pearls might appeal to those who find ivory pearls too traditional.  Certainly they may speak to a younger, or alternative market.  The black pearl is a rare gemstone that has been worn by many celebrities. They are often worn as an alternative to the more traditional ivory pearl.

Are all Tahitian pearls black? What’s the difference between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl? Are freshwater pearls inferior to saltwater pearls? Are South Sea pearls really golden?

Good questions. With all the different pearl colours and types out there, it can be difficult to know just what you’re looking at. For those interested in buying pearls, or for gem enthusiasts who wish to learn more, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about pearls.

Are All Tahitian Pearls Black?
Not only are Tahitian cultured pearls not exclusively black, they’re also not grown in Tahiti. Called “black” because of their exotic dark colours, Tahitian cultured pearls can also be gray, blue, green and brown. And they’re grown in the lagoons of small islands that are part of a group known as French Polynesia. Tahiti, the largest island, serves as the group’s center of commerce, and not as a pearl growing mecca.

Tahitian pearls are cultivated for about two years in Pinctada margaritifera cumingi, a large mollusk native to French Polynesia. One of the ways this unique oyster differs from other species is its interior shell color, which is dark. This so-called “black lipped” oyster also has black mantle edges—the “lips” that give this animal its descriptive name.

Today, the most sought-after Tahitian cultured pearls are dark green-gray to blue gray with rosé or purple overtones. Pearl colors are determined by several factors, including variations in the host oyster, color variation of the implanted donor mussel tissue, the number and thickness of nacre layers, and variations in growing environment such as temperature and water quality. Tahitians are most often variations of gray, black, green and blue, but other colours exist.

At an average size of 8mm-14mm, Tahitian cultured pearls—especially those specimens that are gem-quality and round—are very expensive. According to the latest information from the Gemological Institute of America, up to 40 percent of implanted black-lipped oysters produce a gem-quality cultured pearl, but only about 5 percent of the pearls they produce are round. And only 1-2 percent of the entire crop will result in round cultured pearls of the finest quality. No wonder a Tahitian pearl strand is so costly! If you want to wear Tahitian cultured pearls, one way to do so without breaking the bank is to choose a pendant-style necklace with a single pearl, pearl stud earrings, a single pearl ring, or baroque (non-symmetrical) pearls. These designs are every bit as exotic and a lot more affordable than a matched strand.

What’s the difference between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl?
Natural pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a parasite, makes its way into a pearl-producing animal such as an oyster or mollusk. To protect itself, the animal coats the irritant in nacre—a combination of organic substances that also makes up what we call mother-of pearl. Over time, the layers of nacre build up around the intruder and eventually form the organic gem we all know as the pearl.

Cultured pearls are formed in the same way as natural pearls, with one big difference: they get their start not by chance, but deliberately, when man intervenes with nature. To produce cultured pearls, a skilled technician, called a nucleator, induces the pearl-growing process by surgically placing an irritant—a mother-of-pearl bead and a piece of mantle tissue, usually—into a mollusk. The animal is then placed back into the water and monitored, cleaned, etc. until the pearl is ready to be harvested.

The Chinese have been culturing freshwater blister pearls (pearls that grow underneath the mantle on the inside of the animal’s shell) since the 13th century, but Kokichi Mikimoto, a Japanese man, is credited with developing modern pearl culturing techniques. By the early 1920s, Mikimoto was selling his cultured pearls worldwide.

Natural pearls can be very beautiful, but due to overfishing, pollution and other factors, they are a rare find indeed. Thus, nearly all pearls sold today are cultured pearls. There are two main types: freshwater and saltwater. South Sea cultured pearls, Tahitian cultured pearls and akoya cultured pearls are all types of saltwater pearls. Cultured pearls of all types can be found in jewelry stores worldwide.

Are saltwater pearls better than freshwater pearls?
It depends on who you ask, but many pearl experts today agree that freshwater cultured pearls can rival the beauty of their saltwater cousins. Due to improvements in culturing techniques, freshwater pearl farmers are producing beautiful, round, lustrous pearls that are a vast improvement over the wrinkled, rice-krispie-shaped gems that typified the freshwater pearl crop of the not-so-distant past.

Produced mainly in China, freshwater pearls are often nucleated, or implanted, with mantle tissue only (rather than a mother-of-pearl bead). Because they do not contain a starter bead, tissue-nucleated freshwater pearls are 100% nacre. This gives them a beautiful luster and a durable surface that won’t easily flake or peel to reveal the inner bead. By contrast, pearls that are bead-nucleated and harvested too soon often have only a thin coating of nacre that will flake or peel. This is a major problem: Unlike many other gemstones, pearls cannot be polished back to perfection.

Freshwater cultured pearls come in many beautiful natural pastel colors including cream, white, yellow, orange, pink and lavender. (Universally flattering lavender pearls are very popular right now.) White pearls are bleached to enhance their natural shine. Black freshwater cultured pearls are treated with dye or heat to produce their inky color.

Overall, freshwater pearls are more plentiful than other pearl types, thus they are generally more affordable.

Are South Sea pearls really golden?
Yes. Pearls produced in the aptly named “gold-lipped” oyster (P. maxima) can be a gorgeous creamy yellow, referred to as “golden” in the trade. (The silver-lipped variety of P. maxima produces beautiful silver or white pearls.) Grown in the South Seas—which stretch from the southern coast of Southeast Asia to the northern coast of Australia—these pearls are grown in one of the biggest oysters used in pearl culturing. Because they can accept a larger bead and secrete nacre faster than their smaller counterparts, these big oysters produce large pearls of exceptional luster and beauty. South Sea pearls’ thick coating of nacre gives the gems a wonderful luster, or glow, that appears to come from deep within the pearl. The warm waters, abundant food supply and low pollution levels of the South Seas also help these oysters produce beautiful cultured pearls.

Although Australia produces 60% of the world’s South Sea cultured pearls, Indonesian farmers work more with the gold-lipped oyster, and thus produce more golden pearls. The silver-lipped variety produces equally beautiful pearls that come in white to silver and often have rosé, blue or green overtones. Aside from giving them a light wash, pearl farmers do not treat South Sea pearls after harvest.

 

Birthstones And Their Meanings

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gemstones birthstones
Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash

Birthstones are gemstones that are traditionally associated with a particular month in the Gregorian calendar.Each month, people’s birthstone is the gemstone that corresponds to the date of their birth. For example, if someone was born on January 1st, their birthstone would be garnet.  This is because garnets are the birthstones for January births.  But why should that be?  Where did the idea come from?  How seriously should we take the birthstone idea?  Does it need to be stuck to rigidly or is there some room for flexibility?  Do you like your birthstone or would you rather pick out a stone that you like?

There are a lot of legends and lore surrounding the practice of wearing birthstones. Many people believe that the idea of wearing birthstones started out as a marketing ploy by companies selling jewelry, but the reason behind the practice is much, much deeper than that. The practice of wearing birthstones has deep roots in religion and astrology.

The Myths Behind the Practice

One of the earliest stories connected to the practice of wearing birthstones comes from the Christian Bible. In the book of Exodus, the Breastplate of Aaron is described to have been mounted with twelve precious stones: ruby, topaz, beryl, turquoise, sapphire, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, onyx and jasper. These twelve stones represented each of the twelve tribes of the Hebrews.

Other ancient cultures, the Hellenics and the Babylonians in particular, have associated certain precious stones with their gods and goddesses, and later on with the planets and the stars represented in astrological signs. These stones were given attributes pertaining to the astrological signs they are linked with, as well as supernatural, protective powers. To wear the particular gemstone associated with a particular month on that given month is to invoke the protection offered by the power of the stone.

Over time and as Christianity came to rise, the Church tried to downplay astrology in the lives of the flock, and so wearing gemstones came to represent guardian angels and the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ instead. The idea that gemstones have the power to protect its wearer was nonetheless retained. However, since only wealthy people can afford owning a different gemstone for each month, most people have adopted the practice of wearing just the gemstone that represents the month of their birth. Since then, these gemstones were referred to as birthstones.

The Meaning behind the Stones

Here are the different birthstones for each month of the Gregorian calendar and the meaning behind these stones.

1. January. The garnet is the birthstone for the month of January. The bright red color of the garnet is associated with blood and thus, was thought to bestow good health upon its wearer. The garnet is also said to provide protection against nightmares and against the dangers posed by being alone in the dark. A person who favors the garnet is said to possess great patience and the capacity to endure hardships. This person whose birthstone is the garnet is consistent with his or her deeds and is blessed with a creative mind.

2. February. A person born on the month of February has the amethyst for his or her birthstone. Amethyst is said to bestow, among other things, peace and clarity of the mind to its wearer. This gem also brings him or her a heightened sense of self-awareness and intuition.

3. March. For the person born in March, aquamarine is his or her birthstone. This stone is said to nurture friendliness in its wearer’s personality, making him or her a fierce and loyal comrade and companion. Because of its sea-blue color, the aquamarine is said to grant its wearer protection when he or she goes swimming traveling by water.

4. April. The diamond, the stone of strength, longevity and innocence, is the birthstone of people born in April. Because the diamond is the hardest gemstone, it symbolizes success and excellence, and is believed to bring forth good fortune. The diamond is also said to bring forth the purity of its wearer and encourages him or her to be truthful always.

5. May. The birthstone of people born in May is the gemstone of peace and healing – the emerald. It is believed that wearers of emeralds are granted good health and protection against illness. Wearers of emeralds are also said to have a higher level of foresight and possess the ability to communicate well with others.

6. June. Pearls, produced by oysters and therefore the only gemstones that came from a living creature, is the birthstone of people born in June. June is the month of weddings in the Western world, and so the pearl has come to be associated with successful marriages, as well as with faith, loyalty and tranquility in life.

7. July. The sanguine ruby is the birthstone for July. Because of its blood-red color, the ruby is considered to be the gemstone for courage, strength and vitality. It is also said to nurture in its wearer integrity and contentment in his- or herself. The ruby is also said to inspire people to seek harmony with others.

8. August. People born in August have the peridot as their birthstone. The peridot is said to bestow a heightened sense of dignity upon its wearer, and to bring upon him or her good fortune. It is also believed to provide its wearer protection against evil intentions and against the terrors of the night.

9. September. Sapphire is the birthstone of September. It is a gemstone that is thought to build wisdom and clarity of thought in its wearer, as well as allow him or her the discernment to see truth no matter how deeply it is buried. The sapphire also inspires its wearer to develop serenity and tranquility in his or her soul.

10. October. The birthstone for October is the opal. The opal, with its varying colors, is associated with depth in emotions. A person who wears the opal is granted the ability to feel deeply for his or her fellow person, to look at life with hope and to burn subtly with an inner fire.

11. November. Topaz, the birthstone for the month of November, is a gemstone that represents health in body as well as health in mind. Wearing the topaz is said to hasten a person’s ability to heal his or her own body in times of illness or injury. It is also thought to nurture practicality and creativity in its wearer.

12. December. Wearing the turquoise, the birthstone of December, is believed to bring luck and prosperity to its wearer in time for the coming New Year. The turquoise is also said to banish negative vibrations that can hinder the wearer’s happiness and good fortune.

The practice of wearing birthstones goes deeper beyond any marketing ploy. It is a practice that has ancient origins, with deep roots in religion and astrology. Birthstones are versatile gifts to give on any season or occasion. Giving birthstones to loved ones shows caring and deep regard.

A Short History of the Wristwatch

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wristwatch history
Photo by Amin Hasani on Unsplash

Wristwatches have come a long way from being just a timekeeping device. They have become fashion accessories that are worn with the intention of making a statement about the person’s style.  Often people will pick out a watch for an outfit or change the strap to suit the colours they are wearing that day.  In the past people probably only owned one watch and didn’t have the opportunity to change the strap colour regularly, but now it’s much more easy to make a fashion statement of your wrist wear.  There are so many more options available and it’s more affordable to have a choice of watches.

Over the centuries clocks have been used as a status symbol by those who wear them. Their precision, elegance and convenience are just some of the attributes that clocks and watches represent. Often they are bought purely for their aesthetic looks. and at other times they are bought because of their technical attributes like being precise to the last second or even millisecond. This is what makes clocks and watches so collectible and in some cases they can command high sums of money.

Whether you collect the new high precision watches or ones that come from a past era, the fact is that over the years this hobby has become a high turnover business. And collecting watches is in a lot of circles regarded as a wise form of investing.

At the start of the last century the clocks that were available for men or women were firstly pocket clocks, and then clocks that held by a pendant attached to the lining of jackets or corsets. The advent of war, industrialization, and the development of the sport activities, brought over new trends which extended to not only the way we dressed, but also how we carried our clocks.

It is said that it was a nanny who invented wrist watches at around the end of the 19th century, who fixed a clock around her wrist by using a silk band. The first watches to be made were in fact smaller models of pocket clocks that were fitted with a leather strap. Once this product hit the market newer designs started to be produced based around this same concept.

It was Louis Cartier who first made the kind of watches we see today when he created a watch for a flying pioneer hero by the name Santos Dumont. By 1911 this same type of watch was on general sale. That same type of watch became the blueprint of what wrist watches look like to this day.

Soon after the design of wrist “clocks” began to diversify away from the classical round shape that had been in vogue up until that time. From the Cartier classical wrist watch other makes of watch started to emerge which were characterized by their shape. Movado is the perfect example of these new designs when it came out with the “Polyplan” shaped watch. Then came the famously and cryptically called “clock reference n. 1593” by Patek Philippe which was a rectangular shaped watch.

From 1913 onwards more and more watches started to be developed in all shapes and styles. From the “gondola” watch of Patek Phillipe to Louis Cartiers’ “Tank”; named thus because it was inspired by the shape of English armored cars of the time. These are watches which are very much sought after. There were other numerous watch makers like Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin who along with Patek Philippe and Cartier came out with many other designs which added other features to the watches like lunar phases, month and day most of which are found in modern watches now.

Of course we could not mention wrist watches without mentioning the most famous of them all: the Rolex watch. In the 1920s Rolex debuted in the world of wrist watches with the elegant Rolex Prince and its revolutionary “dual time” feature made famous for having the “seconds sector” larger than that of the minutes. At the same time Jaeger Le Coultre produced an even more advanced piece called the “Reverse”, also very revolutionary in that it could be turn 180 degrees within its case, thus protecting the crystal and dial. It became incredibly popular and was only prevented from achieving even greater success by the recession of the 1930s and the advent of world war 2.

These early watches of the 1910s to 1930s are what define all the makes of watches that we see and wear today. This short article has only scratched the surface of what is a very vast subject which has many more watch makers with diverse and revolutionary designs. However it is makers like Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger Le Coultre and the others mentioned that are amongst the most valuable and collectible, and should you ever be so lucky to get one then make sure you hang on to it – preferably to your wrist.

For more histories of clothing items, see our short histories of socks, neckties and gloves.