Faux Pearl & Beaded Necklaces

The faux pearl necklace, out of grandmother's display case

Pearls long had a reputation: sensible, formal, kept for special occasions and a certain age. They have changed sides.

What changed them is the way they are worn. A faux pearl necklace over a white T-shirt or a denim jacket says something quite different from the same strand on a tailored suit. The contrast does all the work: the faux pearls bring the softness, the clothes bring the rest, and the result steps away from the expected.

It is also the most flattering material for the complexion. It does not bounce the light back like metal, it diffuses it, and that soft light rises towards the face.

Faux pearls: what you are buying, in black and white

Our strands are made with faux pearls, or in acrylic and ceramic for the marbled, leopard, tortoiseshell and coloured effects. It is written here just as it is written in the specifications of every product page, and it is better to know before you compare prices.

A cultured pearl is grown by an oyster, over months. Its price follows, and so does its care: it is porous, sensitive to perfume, perspiration and cosmetics, and once damaged it cannot be restored.

A faux pearl reproduces the look (the slightly creamy white, the satin surface, the diffused light) without the rarity. What you lose: the value of a rare material. What you gain: a strand you can wear every day, replace without drama, and buy in several lengths.

We do not sell cultured pearls, and we will not give the impression that we do.

Ways to wear a faux pearl strand

The single strand, at collarbone height, is the version that goes with everything.

The faux pearl choker brings the strand up to the base of the neck. It has a more graphic look and needs an open neckline.

Larger faux pearls change the mood completely: the strand becomes a statement piece that stands on its own and suits a plain outfit.

Faux pearls mixed with charms add a motif to the strand (a shell, a starfish, a heart) and take the faux pearl from classic to casual.

Beaded necklaces: colour first

Alongside the faux pearl strands, this page gathers beaded necklaces, and the difference is worth knowing. A beaded necklace is strung with coloured beads in acrylic or ceramic: marbled, leopard print, tortoiseshell or plain colours, sometimes finished with a heart, a flower or a charm. The exact material of each bead is listed in the specifications of its product page.

Where a faux pearl softens, a bead plays. A colourful beaded necklace lifts a plain white shirt or a navy jumper; a chunky beaded necklace becomes the one bright point of the outfit and needs nothing else. A leopard print necklace brings a touch of print without committing a whole outfit to it.

The gold beaded necklace sits halfway between a chain and a strand: a gold bead brings the shine of metal to the rhythm of the beads, and it layers easily with a fine chain.

A beaded choker sits high and short, while a long beaded necklace drops lower for a relaxed, summery line. These bead necklaces for women are light to wear and easy to layer.

Faux pearls and metal: the pairing that decides

The colour of the metal changes how the white of a faux pearl looks, and it is the most useful choice on this page.

In gold, the white of the faux pearl is pushed towards cream and ivory. The whole piece warms up and becomes softer, more summery.

In silver, the white stays crisp and slightly cool. The strand looks sharper and more contemporary, and goes better with dark outfits.

Neither is more right than the other: your complexion and the rest of your wardrobe decide.

Where faux pearls appear elsewhere in the catalogue

They are not confined to this page. You will find them as drops on our beach and ocean necklaces, next to the shell necklaces. They act as a counterpoint to the heart necklace, which they soften. And a very long strand falls over the chest like a long necklace, to wear wrapped several times.

Giving a strand of faux pearls

It is a gift that long came with a code: pearls marked a milestone, a graduation, a wedding. That code has relaxed, and so much the better: a strand can now be given without ceremony.

It still carries some of that weight, and that is what makes it interesting to give. Even faux, a pearl strand is not read like ordinary costume jewellery: it has a gravity other materials lack.

You will also find it among our necklace gifts for her.

Care, and the one mistake to avoid

It fits in one sentence: perfume first, never after. Alcohol damages the finish and dulls pearls, faux or cultured, and spraying perfume once the necklace is on is the habit you fall into without thinking.

The rest is simple. Take it off before the shower, the pool and the gym. Store it flat in its box, away from your other jewellery, because a faux pearl scratches against metal. Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after wearing it.

Every necklace is sent in its gift box, ready to give just as it is.