“White”, “Pure White” or “Stark White”
The brightest, crispest white- perfect for darker skin tones and winter weddings. (Thankfully, white is shrugging off its old-fashioned requirements.)
Swarovski- white pearls, crystal clear, crystal Aurora Borealis (AB), white opal
Metal- silver tone
Freshwater pearls- pure white

“Natural White”, “Diamond White” or “Silk White”
A softer shade of white, and hard to differentiate from pure white in photos, more flattering for paler skin tones than pure white.
Swarovski- cream or white pearls, crystal clear, crystal silver shade
Metal- silver tone
Freshwater pearls- off white

“Ivory”, “Candlelight” or “Eggshell”
A darker, more creamy tone- can be yellowish, peachy or biscuit.
Swarovski- cream pearls, crystal golden shadow
Metal- yellow/gold tone or silver tone
Freshwater pearls- cream or ivory

General Guidelines

Check the complete look
No matter what shade your bridal gown, be sure to try on everything together at least once, and also check how it looks in natural daylight, especially if you’re planning plenty of outdoors wedding photos.

Faux or Freshwater Pearls?
Freshwater pearls add a lovely natural, organic touch and crystal pearls have the look of flawless perfection.
If you go for freshwater then be careful about a couple of things- the quality and the colour. Freshwater pearls vary wildly in quality- I have seen near-perfect, very round pearls with excellent surface quality through to bumpy, pitted pearls with poor lustre and iridescence.
Also, pearls are very difficult to photograph accurately so matching the shade of your dress colour up to a photographic image is not a reliable method.
Swarovski pearls have a very pleasing lustre and weight, are harder wearing than organic pearls and, crucially, when you order “white” that is exactly what you will receive, plus you can get the exact sizes of beads that you require (to the mm).

Buying Online
There is a huge amount of fantastic bridal jewellery available online, but just make sure that they have a no-fuss returns policy in case the set you choose is unsuitable.

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