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June 30, 2009
The Royal Norfolk Show
Mai Pearls are off on the road again today in preparation for The Royal Norfolk Show that is held on the 1st and 2nd July. It is the largest two-day agricultural show in the country. There’s more than enough to interest everyone; from the latest farm machinery, and livestock to sampling some of Norfolk’s finest produce. So whether you are visiting for business, education or just pure pleasure you can be sure of a great day out. Plus Mai Pearls will be there in the Rural Crafts tent keeping cool in the shade and offering exclusive show discounts!
Posted: June 30, 2009 10:33 AM
June 29, 2009
Macmillan Dog Day
Macmillan Cancer Support's Dog Day is the canine social event of the year, taking place on Tuesday 30 June 2009 from 3pm - 9pm in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London. Macmillan's popular canine day held in Chelsea, is a fabulous afternoon with celebrity-judged dog classes, entertainment, stalls and stands including gorgous pearl jewellery by Mai Pearls. 10% of all sales go too Macmillan, so allow yourself to feel good about shopping just this once!
Posted: June 29, 2009 04:29 PM
June 23, 2009
Mother of pearl
I have recently been asked, “How does mother of pearl relate to actual pearls?” Mother of pearl is also know as nacre, an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. It is strong, resilient and iridescent. This is called “mother of pearl” because it is literally the “mother” or creator of real pearls. Pearls and the inside layer of pearl oyster shells and freshwater pearl mussel shells are made of nacre. Mother of pearl can be shaped into all sorts of things including flower shaped earrings settings such as these as seen above and more found on the Mai Pearls website.
Posted: June 23, 2009 11:05 AM
June 22, 2009
Imitation Pearls
Another question that I have been asked recently is “Do pearls get made synthetically now?” The answer is yes; synthetic pearls do exist and can be found in many high street shops. However, synthetic pearls are not real pearls and they are usually referred to as “imitation pearls”. These “pearls” are made of crushed shell which is then treated with a resin to stabilize and harden it into a solid mass. This mass can then be shaped, dyed and polished to resemble real pearl. Most synthetics are painted on enamelled glass or something similar. An important fact to note is that all the pearls used within the Mai Pearls designs are all Chinese freshwater pearls and no imitation pearls are used.
Posted: June 22, 2009 02:31 PM
June 19, 2009
What is a black pearl?
A black pearl is literally that, a black coloured pearl. If a pearl is naturally black in colour it is because it is a Tahitian pearl formed in a black-lipped pearl oyster. The colour will range from grey to black with green, blue or rose overtones. Tahitian pearls can be cultured or farmed and range from 10 – 18mm diameter. Natural Tahitian pearls can also be found throughout the Indian Ocean and western to central Pacific. Tahitian pearls are a speciality and therefore prices are a great deal higher than for example Chinese freshwater pearls. At Mai Pearls we have some Chinese freshwater pearls that have been permanently dyed black with green, blue and rose tones. For more information please see the website.
Posted: June 19, 2009 02:59 PM
June 18, 2009
The Wedding Girl SOS
A new blog has just been launched www.theweddinggirl.co.uk that focuses on the lead up to the big day. With all sorts of wonderful ideas for everything involved in planning for that special day, it is a treasure trove full of inspiration. For inspiration for pearl wedding jewellery, take a look at the Mai Pearls website, www.maipearls.co.uk full of stunning yet affordable wedding pearl jewellery.
Posted: June 18, 2009 04:36 PM
June 17, 2009
Designing Pearl Jewellery
One happy customer recently asked me how I come up with the Mai Pearls pearl jewellery designs. Whilst I am in the UK I cut out images of jewellery that I like and put it all in a scrap book which I later look at and use as inspiration for new designs. I also read trend prediction magazines to try to keep up to date on colour combinations and new looks. Most of the pearl jewellery design work is done in China with my suppliers. I am surrounded by pearls, semi precious stones and the clasps so I know what can be created and how it will look. I find the colours of the stones inspiring and thankfully I don't ever seem to have the equivalent of writers block whilst I'm there. This year I only had 6 days to put together the Autumn Winter 2009 and Spring Summer 2010 collections! Designing jewellery is not only a creative process but if you take on board future trend predictions, it is also very much a calculated decision.
Posted: June 17, 2009 11:43 AM
June 01, 2009
Pearls in Paintings
When we think of pearls in painting, a lot of us possibly automatically think of the Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer's however there are many more paintings out there where the sitters are draped in pearls.
Nicholas Hilliard’s painting of the Pelican Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I can be found in the Liverpool Museum. Here Queen Elizabeth I is depicted almost swamped in pearls that hang from her dress. They can also be found in her head piece and necklace which supports an incredibly large drop pearl, off set against her pale English rose skin.
But pearls have not always been just for women. In this portrait by Steven van der Muelen (c.1560), Sir Robert Dudley; the Earl of Leicester wears pearls in his portrait. They were a very clear sign to the viewer that the sitter was wealthy and in turn powerful. Both of these paintings share this in common and this is perhaps another reason why Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is so strange. From looking at her clothes she is obviously not a wealthy woman, yet what is she doing with not only a pearl earring but such a large pearl? Although I enjoyed the film that was based on this very painting, the answers it provided to these questions were possibly fictitious in order to make a good movie.
For your chance to “get the look” click here!
Posted: June 1, 2009 12:38 PM