With your wedding around the corner, you must be keen to have all aspects of your attire sorted out, and bridal jewelry makes a real statement in conjunction with your wedding dress—so it’s not something you want to overlook. When in doubt, pearls are often an aesthetically pleasing, classic, and safe option, since they symbolize a neutral palette and are incredibly sophisticated if you know how to wear them.
What’s more, pearls match any style or tone of white gown you plan on wearing for your wedding. Pearls also signify the beginning of a story, since they emerge fully-formed from oysters—and, in many cultures, they are known to inspire purity, loyalty, and good fortune ahead.
The Types of Pearls You Can Choose
Pearls come in a few different varieties, which determine their rarity, price, and lasting appeal. Know that more than 90% of the high-quality pearls you can buy are primarily cultured pearl varieties.
Cultured pearls are derived from a mollusk which can be either saltwater or freshwater, and they have variations in their overtone, shape, and size. They even shine because they are naturally occurring and subsequently harvested. You could say each pearl has its own personality and story!
There is some man-made intervention in the production of cultured pearls, as they are typically grown in groups of mollusks, but the result is never under the farmer’s control.
Akoya saltwater pearls, in particular, are among the most commonly harvested varieties and have been adored for centuries because they come in neutral colors, have a sublime luster to them, and are what can be termed as a classic pearl. However, Akoya pearls can be harder to get than some freshwater pearls, so they enjoy customer preference, and many brides will choose them as their pearl of choice for wedding earrings.
As a bride, you can also invest in natural pearls found in oysters and mussels, which generally vary in size. They are created after some injury or interference occurs in the oyster, and a substance that resembles the mother of pearl (called nacre) is deposited over years and years to form the pearl. Conch, clam, and abalone, among other mollusk types, can also produce natural pearls.
Here are some synthetic varieties that are also high-quality, gorgeous, and popular:
Swarovski Crystal Pearls
These pearls are always the same size, shape, and level of luster. They are common (albeit beautiful) costume jewelry, but the upside is that they won’t get damaged too much with regular wear.
Shell Pearls
These pearls are made in various colors, from pastel to brown, beige, and pink. Oyster shells are used to obtain base beads or mother of pearl fragments that are powdered to coat a naturally occurring bead nucleus. The end pearl may be dyed and polished for an extra shiny finish.
Mallorca Pearls
Mallorca (or Majorica) pearls have an authentic pearl finish and usually come in pretty, realistic colors—but are made from a glass orb or bead dipped into an exceptionally high-gloss essence. The essence is typically made from fish scales and mother of pearl powder, among other ingredients.
Regal Pearl Earring Styles For Your Wedding
Every bride would love to look like a princess, and often, the most royal designs are the simplest ones that exude elegance and refinement. Here are a few pearl earring styles you can choose if that’s the vibe you are looking to create with your wedding attire:
Large Studs
Suppose you have invested in a beautiful natural pair of pearls. In that case, fashioning them into studs can create a simple, clean, classic effect—especially when paired with a more elaborate gown or made from vintage lace. In addition, studs look great with loose buns and half-up, half-down hairstyles!
Pearl Drop Earrings
Pearl drop earrings are a popular regal style, since they are often paired with a string of diamond, zircon, or plain gold and can impart either an old feel or a fashionable, modern one. A boat neckline, a low neckline, or even a strapless wedding gown can complement pearl drop earrings beautifully, as any dangling style emphasizes these types of dress cut.
Chandelier Earrings
Pearl chandelier earrings signify opulence and affluence like no other. They are elaborate, impactful, and often woven into an intricate design that employs various pearls of different tones. What’s more is that if you have opted for high-quality synthetic pearls embedded in your chandelier earrings, they will have an overall lustrous brilliance without attracting attention to the fact that they are not authentic or expensive.
Contrast with Colors
Pearls come in silver, copper, grey, brown, and many other tones, especially if they have been dyed and polished. These colors offer a pleasing contrast to your white wedding gown and can be worn to significant effect.
Bohemian or Contemporary
For the Bohemian chic or modern bride, there are various options to enthrall the world at her wedding and enhance her natural features. Here are a few of them:
Pearl Vine or Bloom Earrings
These types of earrings resemble a branch, a vine, or a flower stem with the pearls dangling from them or being encased in a gold (or rose gold) flower stud on top.
An Ear Jacket Pearl Moment
Choose a statement pearl with an ear jacket of smaller pearls for a modern and trendy look. Ear jackets have been very well-loved for the past few years!
Uncut Pearl Hanging Earrings
This style is inspired by the Baroque period and has made a fantastic comeback for bridal jewelry. The uncut aspect of the earrings also signifies a closeness to nature and an effortless charm that is far from trying to be perfect.
This style suits relaxed hair as well as loose buns and braided hairstyles! With uncut pearl earrings, you can also experiment with varying natural mother of pearl hues since they haven’t been perfected and polished.
Rays of Sun Statement Pearl Earrings
If you want a dazzling modern pearl earring, choose ones with gold spikes or a ‘beams of sun’ design for maximum impact and glamor.
If you believe pearls are outdated, think again! The coolest jewelers are reinterpreting the classic stone in new ways, which means there are many lovely accessory possibilities for your wedding day.
Pearls are a definite way to give a glamorous finishing touch to your big-day style, whether you consider yourself a modern, glam, or vintage-inspired bride-to-be. Furthermore, if they are vintage, pearls make a terrific “something old” (or an even better “something new” if you fall in love with a new style).