Pearl Guide

Fourth in a series by Antique Jewelry Collector Paul Royse. See the first one here.

Antique Pearl Jewelry that YOU could own - The Victorian Period
By Paul Royse

The Victorian Era is named after the British Queen Victoria, and covers the period of her reign from 1831 to 1901.

During this time the industrial revolution rapidly progressed. Gaslights, piped water, and sewage systems were installed in city homes. Stream trains replaced horse drawn passenger carriages, the telegraph replaced...

If you have never met Betty Sue King, you are missing an engaging experience. Betty Sue King, affectionately titled The Pearl Goddess, is the owner of King's Ransom Pearls and she has a remarkable eye for color, quality and the unusual in pearls. She is a member of the American Gem Trade Association and has served on the board of directors for many years. King's Ransom can be found at the AGTA shows in Tucson and Las Vegas and at the SNAG show (Society of North American Goldsmiths)...

There are other designers that are noted for occasionally turning pearls into jeweled critters, but Emiko Pearls always has a virtual Noah's ark of glorious gem encrusted pearl animals and insects.

Last February, at the AGTA GemFair in Tucson, Ron Greenidge was very generous in allowing several photographs to be taken to share with Pearl Guide as Pearls of the Week. This perfectly detailed enormous scorpion pin is the first to be featured.


Photo: Blaire Beavers

Lavish is the word -...

To Jewelmer, the golden South Sea pearl is no less than a national treasure. On Tuesday, The Miracle of the Golden Pearl, their 35th anniversary gala, represented the Philippines National Gem as nothing else could.



It was a splendid multi-arts runway showcase that was set in a play directed by Robbie Carmona and Elmer Lape?a. Angel Aquino and Arnold Reyes played the main characters in a story based on the elements. (Angel seen below as a goddess.)



The show included the Manila...

Shaded Pearl Bracelet - Utopia Jewels

One look at their first display case at the Couture Show in Las Vegas, and I fell in love. This bracelet was my introduction to a brand that knows how to combine gemstones with pearls in a very big way. I invite you to visit their website and I am putting the link here, upfront, because they have a very entertaining introductory video that is not to be missed: http://www.utopia-jewels.com


Photo: Blaire Beavers

More jeweled beauties will appear...

A Historical Reprint from our Friends at Pala International
Pala?s Featured Gems: Natural Abalone Pearls

This month we feature something a little out of the ordinary?a local Californian/Mexican treat. Pala has found a new supplier of these ocean jewels and it has been exciting to see all the freeform shapes and iridescent colors nature can conjure up. Greens, blues, pinks, purples?oh my! These colorful metallic looking concretions spark in the viewer a wonder of formation and inspire...