The latest pearl revolution began a few years ago as the younger generation started to look for more sustainable jewellery options. Pearls have become a classic piece of jewellery that is not just for special occasions, instead being combined with everyday clothes like jeans and a t-shirt for a really on-trend look.
We thought we’d take a look at the current pearl trends for 2022….
Are pearls still stylish in 2022?
Pearl jewellery doesn’t just belong in the past. In 2021 we started to see jewellery designers really playing around with pearl shapes, colours and sizes in a series of bold new pearl jewellery trends, which shows no sign of slowing in 2022.
All the big fashion houses, celebrities and online fashion gurus have jumped on the pearl movement. At the winter fashion shows and red carpets there have been so many interesting pearl jewellery pieces, as well as pearl-inspired detail on clothing.
The fashion world has gone crazy with putting pearls on clothes, shoes and every fashion accessory you can think of. The most popular idea is having them as buttons on a shirt, dress or sweater – they can transform just a simple white shirt look.
Colours make pearls pop and baroque pearls that aren’t perfectly spherical make a more creative and edgy look. Whereas once, pearls were only used for bridal hair accessories, now we see hairbands, hairpins and clips jam-packed with pearls.
A single pearl earring is one of the biggest trends, and we’re likely to only see this look become more popular as designers flaunt them on the runway. The pearl choker has gone oversized and will be a really popular piece of jewellery for 2022, as well as clusters of pearl studs. This year is sure to be an exciting time for the pearl!
Pearls on the catwalk
Fringe and Layering with pearls are really on trend this season. We’ve seen Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Jil Sander feature a pearl fringe with long beaded ropes swaying as necklaces, or built into the fabric itself. Jean Paul Gaultier and Prabal Gurung opted for a look with layered and jumbled pearl strands, both long and short.
Hair and waist pearls are really trending for the season ahead, sheer fabrics are on-point and designers like Giambattista Valli have twinned them with pearl headbands. Bejewelled belts were seen at Carolina Herrera, Dolce & Gabbana and Blumarine – pearls and gold link chains are popular at both the head and the waist.
Pearl Drop and Pearl Stud Earrings were really popular on the Winter runways, Carolina Herrera, Chanel and Alessandra Rich opted for pearl drops, with sizable baroque pearls. Christian Dior paired tweed and beaded fabrics with the simplicity and lustre of pearl studs. We saw pearl earrings making the perfect accessory for cable knits and designer sweaters from Altuzarra, Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Statement Pearl Choker Necklaces with large or layered pearls paired with floral motifs have also been really popular on the runways. Dolce & Gabbana featured oversized pearls with puffy coats and a swaying fringe while we saw Christian Dior sit a solid choker-length pearl multi-strand necklace on sheer fabrics.
Which style icons wear pearls?
Our pieces are inspired by incredible women and icons from History, right back to the days of the Fayum Mummy Portraits in the late 1st century BC and the Greek scholar Hypatia, born around 350 AD. More modern style icons you might be familiar with that are still inspiring us to wear pearls include Italian opera singer Lina Cavalieri in the early 1900s, Coco Chanel in the 1920’s, Audrey Hepburn in the 1950s and Princess Diana in the 1980s and 1990s, who was well-known for her elegant style, finished off with pearls.
Recently we’ve seen Adele rock gorgeous baroque drop pearl earrings, similar to our Extra-Large Baroque Pearl Earrings and Sarah Jessica Parker, in character as Carrie in the Sex and The City spin off And Just Like That, completed a look with a simple string of white pearls, which closely resemble our popular White Pearl Necklace.
We see pearls worn by some of the most powerful female style icons including The Duchess of Cambridge, Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama in some of their most classic and timeless looks.
How to wear pearls in 2022?
Our favourite pearl looks for 2022 are how these timeless pieces of jewellery can be perfectly placed with on-trend everyday fashion outfits. Musician Billie Eilish was recently spotted wearing a necklace that very closely matches our White Pearl & Brass Bead Necklace, inspired by this portrait painted by Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787).
A simple white shirt looks so fresh and elegant with our Plaited White Pearl Collar Necklace paired with a pair of White Pearl and Gold Hinge Drop Earrings. Our new Coin Pearl Drop Earrings can style up an everyday casual look or a more glamorous outfit – coin pearls are really on trend this season.
And finally, a Long Pearl Necklace will be a really versatile piece of jewellery to work with this winter. You can create so many different looks by adapting the length! The fashion world is fully embracing pearl jewellery this year and urging us to do it with sparkle and panache. It looks like the pearl jewellery trends are here to stay and you can make the most of the trend by exploring our full collection of pearl jewellery.
We’ll leave you with this quote from Forbes about pearls in 2022… “Pearls are a natural, organic, environmentally-sustaining and virtually-renewable gem. Pearls come in all shapes and colors, play well with other gems, metals and materials, and can be quite affordable compared to gemstones. What is more Millennial than that?”
