Unless you have been living under a rock you will have heard about the BBC’s new adaptation of War and Peace! Set in Russia in the 19th Century this excellent drama is bringing Russian opulence to the forefront of the fashion world. Perhaps the reason for everything looking so fabulous is that all the jewellery on set is real and even had a bodyguard to lock up the pieces in-between takes! Pearls feature heavily within all the subplots, love and intrigue; set in tiaras, earrings and even sewn onto outfits.
A great deal of jewellery used in 19th century Russia would have been set with natural pearls and with all manner of precious gems. Although some pieces were set in gold, it was as common to see them set in silver, as white gold and platinum were not used at this time. Around this period their were three main styles of jewellery: Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism. Russian jewellers are famed for their metalwork and use of high quality pearls and gems – the most famous of these is probably Carl Faberge. Although Faberge was not in business during the time in which the novel was set, he came to prominence shortly afterwards with his designs which were also heavily influenced by the Neo-Classical style.
At Coleman Douglas Pearls , located in Beauchamp Place, London we have similar luxurious designs on offer to those on screen. These glorious pearl tassel earrings are more than a little reminiscent of the ones worn by the character Helene Kuragin. We also have pearl tiaras like those worn by other female characters in the production – perfect for those events when a little extra glam is needed!
If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for our services include; re-stringing, re-designing your existing jewellery, creating bespoke pieces to suit your needs and we also offer ear-piercing.
Pearls of Wisdom 
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