Simon Alcantara shows that you don't have to wear your grandmother's pearls all the time.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but with the wide selection of pearl shapes, textures, sizes, and colors, the jewelry design possibilities, as he so aptly shows us, are limitless.

First, a little about this talented jewelry designer: originally a ballet dancer, Alcantara started making jewelry as a young teen and selling it to all his little ballerina friends. Eventually, a severe injury changed his plans from becoming a famous ballet dancer into becoming a famous jewelry designer.

He is a self-taught artist and specializes in using natrual materials such as pearls (see his yummies below), natural stones, wood, and metals.




keshi pearls on gold wire






Both earrings - gray agat with pink Biwa pearls and 18kt gold



ryholite, citrine, keshi pearls, tiger-eye, 18kt gold