Lightweight Akoya pearl jewellery designs and baroque pearls are hotly sought after by customers, UK suppliers say.
“The designs which have been most successful for us this year are those using small, top quality Akoya and freshwater pearls set with diamonds,” said Michael Hakimian, CEO of Yoko London, an exhibitor at IJL in 2019. “The overall look is lighter and more delicate, and clients have responded very positively to this fresh design approach.”
London Pearl, a Watford-based supplier of cultured pearls and cultured pearl jewellery, has also seen a marked uptake of Akoya pearl jewellery. “The main trend for the year has been the growth in sales in Japanese Akoya pearls with very strong demand for 7 and 8mm necklaces and earrings,” said Daniel Vecht, managing director of London Pearl, a longstanding IJL exhibitor.
Miranda Raw of IJL exhibitor Raw Pearls said: “There has been a huge trend towards baroque pearls in designs this year. We regularly supply loose material to designers and have noted this trend in our sales to those customers as a category this year.”
Pearls are incredibly versatile as they are available in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colours. As such, they combine well with almost any material.
“Most of our designs use diamonds alongside pearls, and we have used many other materials from precious stones like rubies, emeralds and sapphires, to semi-precious stones like morganite and amethyst,” Yoko London’s Hakimian said.
Vecht said: “At the lower end the demand is good for CZ’s with pearls; at the higher end our fancy natural colour diamonds go well with fancy natural colour pearls. We have done well with items that feature pink or blue diamonds.”
Yoko London’s Trend Collection has been one of its best sellers, in the UK and globally. It features easy to wear, everyday pearl jewellery, with a mix of classic and contemporary pearl pieces. Yoko London’s fashion-forward designs can be seen in its Raindrop and Starlight Collections, unveiled earlier this year.
For London Pearl, the best seller this year is certainly the Japanese Akoya pearl in any product. “Customers have become increasingly discerning and are moving away from the mass market freshwater pearls,” Vecht said.
Miranda Raw said: “Our best sellers at the moment are often hand selected, unique, interesting pearl necklaces. They have a vibrancy and lustre that is just fabulous.”
Yoko London anticipates a continuation of the latest trends for the foreseeable future. “Many of our clients are busy individuals who need jewellery which is comfortable and easy to wear in a variety of situations,” Hakimian said. “As a result, many of our new pieces use smaller, high quality Akoya and freshwater pearls, which results in lighter jewellery that can easily transition from day to night.”
Vecht said: “The trend is certainly towards versatile jewellery where a single item can be worn in many different ways.”
Register to attend International Jewellery London 2019 and meet leading pearl jewellery brands and suppliers including Raw Pearls, Yoko London, Samuel Jones Pearls, Ora Pearls and many more.