Keshi Pearls on the Red Carpet + Natural Blue Coral

Donna Murphy wearing Jewel of Havana Keshi Pearls on the Red Carpet

I just returned from an exciting gemstone buying trip to New York. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a former Broadway Actress and this past weekend was the Tony Awards aka the Super Bowl for Broadway. Not too long ago two time Tony Award winner, Donna Murphy, was spotted wearing a Jewel of Havana White Keshi Pearl Necklace and Earring Set on the Red Carpet! (You may know her as the Witch/Mom in the Disney movie Tangled or the PBS series Mercy Street as the Mother to name a few)

What Is a Keshi Pearl?
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The word Keshi comes from the Japanese word for “poppy seed”. The term is used in Japanese for pearls that are formed without a nucleus and are usually the by-product of the cultured pearl process. The keshi forms when the oyster rejects the nucleus and begins to coat the irritant with layers of nacre.  Because keshi pearls consist of solid nacre, they tend to have a beautiful high luster. These pearls are not found in large quantities and can take 7 years to form. I love the unusual shape for making light weight pearl statement necklaces.

Keshi pearls are my most popular type of pearls and I’m often sold out. They aren’t easy to find in good quality at an affordable price but this last trip to New York, I scored some beautiful strands! I just put them out this week at Theatre Baton Rouge and have only a few left from the trip so rather than put them on the website, I’ve decided to offer them to my VIP list first. The necklace has one of my handmade sterling silver leaf clasps made from real impatiens leaves. This will probably be the last time I have Keshi’s at this price. I had to use every bit of Southern charm I could muster to negotiate the price for this quality.

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Natural Blue Coral Necklace

Natural Blue Coral

Another rare find from my trip was natural blue coral in a coin shape. Many of you have seen the beautiful blue coral sets I had from Indonesia. They recently sold out but on this trip I was able to find enough to make a few necklaces. They are natural and legally harvested as they washed up on the shores of Indonesia after the Tsunami. The coins are 25mm in diameter and approximately 20.5” long, handknotted with silk and finished with one of my handmade sterling silver leaf clasps made from real lantana leaves.

If you are on the VIP list and are interested in the Blue Coral Necklace or a White Keshi Necklace and Earring set, just follow the link in your newsletter for your VIP private shopping access. If you'd like to see them in person, we are in the lobby of Theatre Baton Rouge for two more weeks during the run of The Little Mermaid.

If you would like access to the Keshi Set or Blue Coral Necklace and other very limited edition pieces, join the VIP list here. VIPs are always the first to know about new designs, have access to special stones not on the website and receive free shipping codes each month. 

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JOIN THE VIPS HERE!

This is the table at the gem show where I first met the suppliers from Indonesia. They collected coral washed up on the shores after the Tsunami.