At Jewel Beetle, we're great fans of both Black Pearls and our very own New Zealand Blue Pearls. In this blog, we've compiled some interesting information about Black pearls - nature's beautiful creation. 

Unlike most other gemstones which are minerals, pearls are organic and are formed by living marine organisms. This natural occurrence happens when an oyster or  mussel receives an irritant inside its shell. To protect itself, the mollusc deposits layers of ‘nacre’ over the irritant. Just like the shell, the ‘nacre’ is made up of calcium carbonate. This iridescent coating is what makes these gems so beautiful. These layers build up over time and this is how the pearl is formed.

Is your insurance policy up to date? With the ongoing price rise of gold, Platinum and especially Palladium over the past few years we have noticed that some of our customers are now under insured. Some insurance companies will only pay up to the maximum threshold stated on their policy. If your jewellery valuation is out of date you could be losing out, should you need to make a claim.For...

As a jeweller, from time to time I encounter some unusual requests.  When Erin came to me holding a box of what looked like something from an archaeological dig I was surprised to find the objects in my hands were horse teeth.  Her beloved Horse Abby had died two years ago and she had an idea of using one of Abby’s teeth to create a commemorative piece of jewellery. I could see...

Our new website has totally consumed us over the past few months. We're really happy that it is finally up and running so we can return our focus to what we love doing most - making jewellery! Many hours have been spent photo editing and tweaking but we're hoping all the hard work pays off with some more jewellery orders via the internet. We would love to hear your feedback...