Pearls are a staple in every jewellery box, echoing a woman’s femininity and elegance and complementing just about every outfit. While perfectly round, white or cream Akoya and freshwater pearls have long been a favourite of many a stylish woman, other colours and shapes have come to make a recurrent appearance in the top drawer. Baroque pearls, for instance, are prized for their irregularity, since no two are the same, although they are also the most affordable. Tahitian pearls, cultivated in the South Pacific’s warm tropical lagoons, are naturally dark, with colours ranging from black, grey and silver to a rare greenish-black. But despite their unique qualities, none can hold a candle to South Sea pearls, which are the finest and most valuable of them all. Grown in waters around Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, they are produced from the pinctada maxima, the largest and most rare pearl oyster in the world. We bring you the top four pearl jewellery designers, in no particular order.