Most of us have one pair of earrings we reach for on a busy weekday. They go on at seven in the morning and stay on through meetings, calls, the commute home and dinner. If that pair is fine jewellery, it is worth choosing with care. Here is how we think about pearl earrings for work at our Mumbai studio, with three pieces from the Garden of Pearls collection as examples.
Start with how long you will wear them
A workday in Mumbai can easily run for ten or twelve hours. So the first thing to look for is comfort. Light earrings that sit close to the ear are the ones you will happily wear from morning to night.
Gold weight is a useful guide. Our Classic 3-Petal diamond and pearl earrings use 1.6 grams of gold. The Classic 6-Petal diamond and pearl earrings use 1.92 grams. Both sit close to the ear and are made for continuous daily wear.
If this is your first pair for everyday wear, the Classic 3-Petal earrings are a lovely place to start. Its matching pendant and bangle make it easy to build a set from there.
Studs or drops?
A stud sits on the earlobe. A drop hangs just below it. Both can work in an office, but they behave differently through the day.
Studs are the quieter choice. They do not swing, they do not catch on a headset, and they look the same at nine in the morning as they do at seven in the evening. The Classic 3-Petal earrings are the most minimal piece in the collection: a pearl held within three small petals set with natural diamonds. The Classic 6-Petal earrings place the pearl at the centre of six petals, with a gentle line of diamonds that frames the pearl rather than competing with it.
Drops bring a little movement and length. They suit you if you often go straight from work to dinner or an event. The Inverted Lotus diamond and pearl earrings have diamond-set lotus petals that open downwards over a pearl drop. The openwork keeps them light, at 2.55 grams of gold, and the pearl is fastened to the lotus cap with a safety clasp so it stays secure through a full day.
Let the pearl lead
For work, a pearl does most of the job on its own. It has a soft glow rather than a bright flash, so it looks polished without pulling focus in a meeting room.
Look at how much diamond sits around the pearl. On the Classic 3-Petal earrings it is 0.05 carats of natural diamonds. On the Classic 6-Petal earrings it is 0.10 carats. That is enough to catch the light when you turn your head, and balanced so that the pearl stays the main feature. The Inverted Lotus earrings carry 0.20 carats, which gives a touch more sparkle for the evening.
Each of these pairs comes with Taiwanese pearls as standard. South Sea pearls are available as an upgrade, and on these three pieces the South Sea option uses a 12.5 mm pearl. Our team is always happy to help you choose between the two.
Choose your gold
All three pairs are made in yellow gold with white pearls. You can choose 14K or 18K gold on the product page. The Classic 6-Petal pair is designed for professional settings, travel and everyday wear. The Inverted Lotus pair works equally well with Indian dress and Western evening wear, so it can go from a formal meeting to a family dinner without a change.
IGI and GIA certificates are available for most pieces, and for the rest on request.
Think about the rest of what you wear
Earrings for work rarely stand alone. You may already wear a watch, a thin chain or a pair of bangles. Matching motifs make it easy to add pieces slowly without anything clashing.
Every pair here has a partner. The Classic 3-Petal and Classic 6-Petal earrings each have a matching pendant and bangle. The Inverted Lotus earrings have a matching pendant. You can start with the earrings and add the pendant later, for a birthday, a promotion or simply because you wear the earrings every day and want the set.
A simple rule helps here. Wear one piece that is clearly the focus and keep the rest small. If your earrings are the focus, a fine chain is enough. If you want to wear the pendant as well, the matching earrings keep the look calm rather than busy.
Find your everyday pair
Good earrings for work are the ones you forget you are wearing until someone tells you they like them. Start light, let the pearl lead, and pick a shape that suits the way your day runs. You can see every pair, with gold weights, diamond carats and pearl options, in the Garden of Pearls collection.