By Åse Anderson
Every bride wants to look fabulous on her wedding day, but it is also important to stay true to your own personal style, not least when it comes to your choice of bridal jewellery.
If you’re a classic girl at heart, chances are that you are not going to feel comfortable walking down the aisle decked out in bold, modern pieces. And vice versa - if your style veers towards the edgy end of the spectrum, wearing a simple strand of white pearls will leave you feeling like you’ve raided your grandmother’s jewellery box.
Pearl jewellery has always been a popular choice for brides, but these days it comes in so many different guises, from black pearl earrings to baroque pearl necklaces, that there is plenty of choice for every type of bride.
For classic pearl jewellery with a timeless elegance, YOKO London should be your first stop. Established in 1973, the family-owned jeweller prides itself on sourcing only the very best pearls. This double-strand pearl necklace interspersed with an elaborate diamond pattern is a real showpiece for your wedding day and would look fabulous paired with a pair of classic pearl earrings, such as these South Sea pearls with a feathered diamond surround.
Even if you want a more classic bridal jewellery style, you can still play around with different types of pearls. These pearl earrings and matching pendant necklace by Japanese pearl master Mikimoto feature black South Sea pearls with diamonds in white gold.
If you prefer to shun the billowing bridal gowns and elaborate hairdos in favour of a sleeker, more pared-down wedding aesthetic, check out Mizuki's baroque pearls. One of our favourite pieces at the Couture Show Las Vegas was the Mizuki pearl choker with a Chinese freshwater pearl at one end of the delicate gold band and a diamond at the other. Baroque pearls also feature heavily in the designs of Dutch jeweller Bibi van der Velden, whose detachable baroque pearl earrings feature a lion crafted out of rose gold, silver and pavé-set with brown diamonds, which would work perfectly alongside Bibi's baroque pearl necklace, inset with tiny gold stars.
All these contemporary pearl jewellery pieces are unique and modern but with an understated elegance that allows them to blend in with, rather than overpower, your wedding-day attire.
If you hanker after a bolder, more rock-chic style, look no further than the vibrant Alessio Boschi jewellery from his new Volcano collection. Inspired by a raging volcano, the pearl necklace and matching earrings are set with grey and black Tahitian pearls, orange sapphires and yellow diamonds. With their intense fiery colour, this is the perfect bridal jewellery for a late autumn or winter wedding.
View Alessio Boschi's Volcano collection in our video
Your wedding day is the one day when you can really push the boat out on everything, including your bridal jewellery. For the ultimate in luxury, we turn once again to Mikimoto, which has an unrivalled heritage when it comes to creating exquisite pearl jewellery. The Sunset pearl necklace and earrings feature cultured South Sea pearls along with a colourful rhapsody of pink, purple and blue sapphires.
Gabrielle Chanel was renowned for her love of pearls and if there was ever an accolade for most glamorous bridal jewellery, this high jewellery pearl necklace and earrings set would definitely be one of the front-runners. Incorporating one of Mademoiselle’s favourite motifs, the ribbon, the Chanel necklace alone features 338 Japanese cultured pearls.
The epitome of luxurious pearl jewellery, these are jewels that will remain imprinted in the minds of your wedding guests long after the event itself.
