Tahitian pearl pendant with diamond accent - Designed and crafted by Nick King

The eligant luster and depth of a beautiful pearl makes it the natural object of a designer's affection. And why not? Even a pearl's inception is an amazing process: When a tiny grain of sand or mineral lodges in the body of certain mollusks, such as oysters, the animal secretes nacre, which forms a healing coating around the irritating grain. Over time this becomes a pearl; of course, the longer the pearl resides in the mollusk, the larger it grows. White, gray black, copper, blue - the hues exude the exotic sea flavor of the incomparable pearl.

Alexandrite: (not shown) This fascinating gemstone was first discovered in 1834 in Russia and named after the Czar Alexander II. Its most surprising feature is the change in colors it makes when exposed to different lights - from green or blue-green to red or purple-red. Gemstone-quality alexandrite is very rare and commands a high price; lab-created alexandrite is more moderately priced. The unique visual qualities of alexandrite make it particularly desirable in fine jewelry.