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So Fancy
So I was looking through my Pinterest boards to find my favourite recent images, and found I had pinned a few famous couples (ok so Dolly Parton and...
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Turquoise
I've been on the lookout for some turquoise stones to make pendants with and finally found some great ones - they are now available in the Natural...
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Star Signs
I just added some great star sign charms to the charms section - they are a great way to personalise your jewellery. Like most people, I often read...
UPDATES AND MUSINGS
Check in with the Black Pearl blog for updates, news and anything else interesting I can think of! If you feel the urge, you can log in and leave a comment, or just say hi!
Barcelona
Last year my Mum and I started what has now become an annual 'citybreak' holiday - last year was Rome, this year was Barcelona! It's a place everyone seems to have been to (so I had loads of great recommendations!) but I had never made it there. We were only there for three days but managed to cram a lot in. I definitely could have stayed longer. I took loads of pictures (as usual) so here are the ones that made the final cut. If this was the 80s I'd be making you sit through a slideshow in my front room - but thanks to technology, just scroll down!
Native American Fetish Beads
I just added some great new beads to the Natural Pendants + Charms section. They come in two styles - a bear and a hummingbird, and you can choose from five gemstone colours. Fetishes are small animal carvings traditionally made by Native Americans. They believe animals are more like deities and have more power than man, and that the animal spirit resides in the stone carving.
Where does the time go???
I realised I've been lacking a bit in blog posts and updates - and it's nearly October!!! Lots of great new pendants and beads will be arriving soon, like these gemstone horns which I love! I have just been super busy but next week I'll be adding them to the site and making up new necklaces and bracelets.
Paralympics Closing Ceremony
I was lucky enough to have a ticket for the closing ceremony of the Paralympics last night, which I thought was amazing. I know there were some complaints of it being a 'Coldplay concert' but to be honest I thought it was way better than the Olympics closing ceremony, where there seemed to be too many artists and too much hype (don't tease us with a David Bowie montage then not have the actual David Bowie!).
Tassels + Cords
I've been experimenting with dyeing silk ribbons, cords and tassels this week and here is a sneak peek of the results. I struggle with the ready make things you can buy as the colours are often really garish and generic - hence why I took to dyeing. It is really time consuming, but I looooove the results! Once I've tested them I'll add them to the website.
India Fantastique
Last Sunday I was reading the Sunday Times Style Magazine (as I do every Sunday), and came across an article about the Indian fashion design duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Although they are fashion royalty in their native country (apparently they are the equivalent of Karl Lagerfeld!) the article featured their incredibly lavish interior designs. I am partial to an OTT interior (their style reminded me a lot of the amazing Tony Duquette).
Rooftop Crazy Golf
Last night I had the pleasure of playing a round on the crazy golf course currently on the rooftop of Selfridges, which is running throughout the summer. It has been created by British jellymongers and food architects Bompas & Parr and designed to look like a giant display of cakes representing famous London landmarks. I hope this is making sense. Apparently this is not the first time crazy golf has been played on Selfridges rooftop, it was introduced in the 1930s after the depression to boost the spirits of Londoners. I think this is an excellent idea.
Olympics!!!
I think like a lot of people I was surprised how much I'm enjoying the Olympics - as well as the popular sports such as cycling, gymnastics and swimming I had no idea I would find ones such as archery, weightlifting and hockey so thrilling! There you go. Having not bothered to apply for any tickets I'm not going to watch anything live, but I did get to visit the Olympic Park yesterday and have a wander around.
Rings!
I just added these great new charm rings, they are adjustable so will fit most sizes. As usual, you can choose whatever charm you want to put on them, but here are some examples!
Better late than never...
So I meant to write this post last week to coincide with London Jewellery Week, but things got in the way and it's a bit late now, but let's just pretend it's this time last week! I had the idea of gathering images of jewellery I love by designers past and present, they are mainly pieces of incredibly expensive and amazing fine jewellery or vintage one of a kind pieces I have come across. So here they are...
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ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Fiona Deffenbaugh is the designer behind Black Pearl. Obsessed with jewels and trinkets from an early age, she now sources an exciting array charms and pendants from all over the globe which she combines to make eclectic pieces of jewellery. The beauty of the collection is that you can choose your own charm combination to make a piece that is personal to you.