Florentine Inspiration: Black Pearls

8/14/2013 Edit

I have written about pearls, their history and magic many times, yet pearls, are a gem I keep coming back to. Today I'm going you show you some of my most recent designs, this time using Tahitian black pearls as the starting point for these two very different but very beautiful earrings.

I designed these beautiful pieces with the the city of Florence as a background and inspiration. I was there recently, and fell in love all over again with the churches and the piazzas an and all of the city's Renaissance charm. The black pearls reminded me of all of the masterpieces I saw and the city with all of its intricate and irregular designs. When I was staring at the beautiful grey stonework and marble everywhere, I had to find a way for a woman to carry such beauty around town herself. That is when the idea to use black pearls came about. The black and white diamonds were an obvious complement and the rest is jewelry history.

People have been making jewels from pearls for centuries. They are after all, the oldest known gem. I keep the on the top of my list because due to their beauty and value, they have been able to transcend the test of time. In the 1900's pearls were so rare and valuable, that famed jeweler (and idol of mine) Jacques Cartier purchased the property for his store on Fifth Avenue by exchanging the property for two pearl necklaces.
Black pearls come in a range of colors such as peacock, dark blues and greens, to even multihued. All are super chic and unbelievably gorgeous.The shape of the earrings was also a direct reaction to the elongated and irregular silhouette of the churches, especially il Duomo, which I could not escape while I was there since it's such a landmark.

The pearl and white diamond drop-style earrings above are very avant garde, very modern, much like Firenze herself. What makes them even more compelling is the perfect balance of all the elements. The white and the black, tle light and the dark, the round and the elongated What do you think of my Florentine inspired gems?

Tahitian pearls, or black pearls as they are commonly known, are almost twice the size of the Akoya. These large, dark beauties are treasured for their rarity and exotic color and luster. Year after year, Tahitians increase in value, making them an amazing investment. These pearls are worshiped for their almost metallic color, which varies from light grey to dark grey. In addition to their dark color, Tahitians are favored due to their ability to display different shades of shine on their surface. The most desired are peacock and and cobalt blue colors, but aubergine, magenta, greens, golden-orange, and lemon are also available.

For these earrings I chose black gold because it would make the beautiful and shiny diamonds really stand out. I also went with black because it was super chic like the city it inspired, and looked beautiful against the pearls.

When purchasing pearls, remember that even though the size of a pearl does not determine its quality, it does matter when it comes to price. Because its very hard to grow a larger pearl, usually the bigger the pearl, the higher the price it will fetch.

I love working with pearls and have used them since I began designing jewelry. Due to their amazing characteristics and popularity with my clientele, they are always present in my collections. A pearl can be a symbol of love or a good investment. To me, they are a spectacle of nature and a world or inspiration. 'Till next time.

Love Always

Dani K

Florentine Inspiration: Black Pearls

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