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Pearls of wisdom From Hong Kong to Cambridge, Cellini lovingly crafts the world’s finest gemstones to create timeless pieces of jewellery W ith the months of 2024 sweeping by – June is here and wedding season officially underway – it’s the perfect time to highlight June’s birthstone, the pearl, and Cellini’s long history of working with this unique and precious gem. Cellini Pearls Limited was founded in 1981 in the heart of Cambridge. At the time, its main commodity was pearls, bringing the produce of China, Australasia and Japan to the Cambridgeshire market and surrounding areas. To this day, Cellini remains a pearl specialist, with all its staff receiving extensive training in everything to do with this elegant gem; from localities, types of pearl, history and harvesting to how to spot simulants. Dedicated to perfection An annual highlight for Cellini is its trip to Hong Kong. One of the most important excursions in the calendar, a select team fly out to search for some of the highest- quality pearls available in the world. Trips like this are vital to guarantee
not only the quality of goods that Cellini supplies, but also to maintain the services it provides to its valued clients, such as pearl restringing, matching replacement pearls and the restoration of pearl jewellery. With simulants of pearls and other gemstones in abundance, acquiring pearls straight from source with no middleman or long supply chains means Cellini knows exactly where they come from, how they were produced and, above all, the quality is assured. This same ethos applies to all the precious gemstones and diamonds that Cellini showcases alongside pearl jewellery. A pursuit of passion The experience of hunting for these pearls is always an extraordinary occasion. Landing on the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport and heading straight to the pearl exhibition, the Cellini team are faced with the equivalent space of 12 football pitches full of individual pearl suppliers, each with their pearls laid out to select from. Often, it requires running
PURE LUXURY Decades of expertise mean Cellini knows how to pick the perfect pearl for you
between the halls to find the top 1% in the world before anyone else gets there first. Once back in the UK, these loose pearls are turned into the beautiful pieces of jewellery in the Cambridge workshop and showroom before being carefully displayed in the cases you see today. When shopping for these pearls, the team always has a list in mind, particularly for the timeless classics like round white pearls for earrings and necklaces. However, they are always on the lookout for the rare or weird and wonderful pieces – like last year, when they unearthed a row of dark grey Tahitian pearls with a natural pistachio green undertone. This year, a trip highlight
was three faceted pearls that have been cut to resemble a pearlescent disco ball! Whether you’re on the hunt for the perfect gift for a loved one’s June birthday, need to replace the lost earring from a jewellery set you inherited or want a suite for your upcoming nuptials, Cellini Pearls has you covered. Look for the blue canopies just off the Market Square in Rose Crescent.
Visit Cellini in store at 4 Rose Crescent, Cambridge CB2 3LL
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