No-one I knew wore costume jewellery,and so I felt like I was learning about the world. As I got older, every birthday and Hanukkah gift was jewellery. That was all I wanted-and that was all I would get! “Describe the first piece you bought. “It was a 1940s tricolour gold ring with an emerald-cut amethyst. I got it at an antiques store in New York when I was a graduate student doing off-Broadway shows. It cost $112, and the owner let me pay her $10 a month.

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What style of jewellery do you like? ”

“I love anything oversized. It originated from a place of insecurity, actually. I felt my face wasn’t pretty enough for little, diminutive gems. I wanted something big and powerful to take the attention off my face. Growing up, I always wore big hoops, and now I feel there’s something more ‘me’ with large pieces.”Big works well on the red carpet, too. “Yes! I always wear big rings-they are part of my personality. Generally, I like to have bracelets on my arms as well. There is no other place where you can get away with having four diamond bracelets stacked on your arm. I take advantage of that opportunity. ”

What are your favourite gemstones? “I love diamonds,especially the white ones. My hands shake when I’m wearing them. People joke about it, but it’s true. I think it must be a magnetic or chemical thing that happens to me-I just go with it. I’m also drawn to rubies and emeralds too. ”

You wear so many different styles of jewellery, from the more classic, finer pieces to costume. How do you make sense of it all?

“For me, jewellery is a creative outlet, a way to express myself. If I’m going to a charity lunch, I’ll wear my personal antique pieces-one or two rings and maybe a pair of earrings. When I’m on Capitol Hill on behalf of YouthAIDS, I wear pearls. If I’m in a New York mood, I’ll get out my chunky pieces. Even when I don’t feel like going out, the thought of dressing up makes me think, ‘Oh, but I can wear jewellery for a couple of hours! ‘ And then I’ll go. “

Unlike other gems, the pearl is born of water and living creatures.Pearls begin as a foreign body embedded within a mollusk’s shell. The animal’s defense against the foreign body is to form a protective layer of nacre around the intruder. The culturing process simply entails planting a “seed” within the mollusk, normally either a plastic bead or a small piece of shell, nature takes its course and another pearl is born.

Our cultured freshwater pearls come in an ever growing variety of shapes, sizes and colors, so whatever your fashion preference you are sure to find the pearl to suit your needs. Ancient beliefs about the origin of the pearl include: moonlight filled dewdrops and Aphrodite’s tears of joy. Although not technically a stone, pearl is one of June’s birthstones. Currently, the International Commission of Colored Gemstones (CIBJO) recognizes only five organic (once living material) gemstones: Ammolite, amber, pearl, jet, and coral. Also be sure to check out our freshwater pearl mixtures and our flawlessly crafted glass pearls by Jablonex and crystal pearls by Swarovski.