Welcome to About Honora. This section of our site will be the best place to stay up to date on the latest news and updates from Honora.  In addition to a thorough company history, we have sections on this site for:

• Honora Personalities
• Products and Collections
• Advertisements
• Our Brands
• Our Partners
• Upcoming Events and Promotions

Continue to check back for the latest information from Honora.   Be sure to sign up for our mailing list to receive important updates and to automatically be entered into many of the giveaways we will hold here at Honora.com.

If you have any questions about Honora, be sure to leave them below and we will answer them in the comments or in future blog posts.

While we always do our best to help you to learn more about Freshwater Pearls, nothing beats hearing it directly from our CEO, Joel Schechter.  Joel was one of the first to see the potential in these astounding Cultured Pearls back when they were only available in the small low quality shapes we lovingly called “Rice Crispies”.  This video is a little longer than the Honora TV episodes that we usually post , but we wanted to offer you the same video that we created for our retail partners to help them to better understand what goes into creating our pearl jewelry.

If you have 8 minutes to spare,  Joel can teach you a lot about the qualities that draw everyone here at Honora to Freshwater Cultured Pearls.  He helps you to understand everything from how these pearls are grown, to learning about the pearl colors and even takes you behind-the-scenes at a Freshwater Pearl Farm in China.  Joel even goes out of his way to explain why these pearls are so affordable.  It is a true beginners course that focuses entirely on Freshwater and a must watch for anyone who truly loves these astounding gemstones!

If you prefer text, you can also check out our Freshwater Pearls Made Simple series (new posts coming soon!), it is a great way to get to know these pearls a little at a time.  We hope you enjoy the video and feel free to leave any questions you might have in the comments section.  We will be sure to answer them here or in future posts!  We would also appreciate it if you would let us know what you thought of this video.  Is this something you would like to see more of here on The Honora Blog?

As those of you who received our monthly newsletter already know, almost everyone in the office is working frantically on the annual trade show in Las Vegas. It’s the countdown to JCK and the whole industry is scrambling to wrap up their new collections and to unveil them to the world.  The Design department, on the other hand, is a very different story.  While everyone else is focused on the now, we are already living in the future working out collections for 2011! It should be nice and quiet here next week…

What will be different at Honora next year? While we are just starting to work on this, I can tell you that we are looking to infuse more metal into the line alongside our popular pearl color mixes.  The past few years we have focused on creating our exclusive colored pearls, now we are ready to take this to the next level.  One of our thoughts for 2011 are to expand upon the popularity of these strands by adding sterling silver designs and gemstones to differentiate the line.

Just to get you thinking, here is what what we’re inspired by so far….

• Honora’s heritage: learning all about the company is inspiring me to design a collection that celebrates Honora’s history in the industry, we are after all heading into our 64th year!  Retire at 65?!  I think not!  We are just getting started!  The goal of this signature collection is to take traditional Honora elements that you know and love and present them in a fresh way.  Think modern classic.
• I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely crazy for Coin pearls! What a sophisticated shape! I love how smooth they are and how they lay perfectly flat against the skin. We are toying with the idea of complimenting these unique beauties with coordinating semi precious stones.
• Summer’s coming and I know I should be out looking for deals on swimwear, but the magazines are already showing Fall runway and I can’t help but be inspired by the wild new accessories! Croco, python, leopard, oh my!  I have a sneaking suspicion that something sexy will slither its way into Honora for 2011. These luxury materials easily translate to exciting new textures for sterling (& way more animal friendly in case you were worried!)
• There’s no time like Honora time! Never miss Ralph and Joel on QVC again! The girls and I are are working to make Honora one to “watch” as the design team plays up some ideas that really “tick”!

Ok, that’s enough top secret info for the moment.  Let me know which of these concepts you are most excited to see come to life in the comments section.  Perhaps I can arrange a sneak peek next month… tune in next time!  Your Girl with the Pearls – Julie

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York (Canarsie to be exact) and started making jewelry at a young age. My family belonged to the Seaview Pool for 3 years, all of which I hated- except for 5pm when the day camp would close and I would scrounge around under their picnic tables and find beads that dropped into the sand. I would collect them, take them home and wash them off, then sort them in Hot Wheels carrying cases- quite a process! Not only did that keep me busy for hours (when I could have been fighting with my brother) I was also producing stuff my mom would wear, so she was pretty happy!

I first heard of the High School of Art & Design through a friend’s older brother, I knew I had to go there! No, it’s not “the Fame school” (Laguardia) there was no dancing in the hallways- just design.  My best friend Renee introduced me to Sculpey modeling compound and Canal Street plastics.  I was making jewelry out of acrylic and beads as well as keys, bottle caps, nail polish, nuts and bolts from my dad’s garage- anything that wasn’t nailed down.  After graduating A&D as an illustration major I entered Syracuse University’s Metalsmithing program. I learned soldering, casting, wax carving and other bench working basics as well as doing a semester abroad in Florence.

I began working right after college for a few family run businesses like Erickson Beamon, Robert Rose, and Michael Anthony. I then started working for larger companies and designed for Nine West Jewelry and Avon. I can definitely say my varied experiences in different facets of the industry have led me to the right place- here with you!

I look forward to blogging with you on a monthly basis. I would like to use this platform to preview new ideas and get your (honest) feedback. I’ll also be giving you a behind the scenes account of what we’re working on, inspiration we’ve found, upcoming shows and places we’ve gone all in the name of pearls! Most importantly our conversations will keep you up to date with what’s coming next for Honora (before all the other kids see it!!!) and keep me up to date with what you really want from Honora. Please be encouraged to leave requests in the comments section, I promise I will read them!

See you next month!  Your Girl With the Pearls, Julie

This image depicts the words that most commonly appeared in all of your stories!

I really want to thank everyone who shared their touching stories for the “Nic Picks Your Most Romantic Story Contest”, I truly enjoyed reading each and every one!!!  Whether it was a friend, a spouse or family member, each story centered around one of my favorite themes, LOVE. As usual, everyone who shared made it impossible to pick a winner, as each story so romantic in its own way.  I really connected with Margaret Motto’s story about Jim and her sister Anne.  I love how fate brought them together in the end even though they had been right in front of each other the whole time.  I hope you all enjoy their’s story as much as I did (and Margaret, I hope you LOVE your new necklace!  Be sure to share it with Anne from time to time!).

In the Fall of 1998 my mother, a teacher, was assigned to hall duty during 7th period. A young man teaching 4th grade happened to have 7th period free as well and socialized with her in the hall. She had been his teacher years prior and having gone from teacher and student to then colleauges presented an interesting relationship. My mother would say to him ” you’re such a nice guy, why don’t you have a girlfriend”. He replied that in our small town there were not a lot of eligible ladies. My mother said “I have a daugher coming home from college for Christmas”.  It was all set. Jim, the younger teacher had been given the daughter’s phone number and the rest was “up to him”.
December 23, 1998 Anne, having arrived via train from college earlier in the day, was eating dinner with her family when the phone rang. Anne, the youngest, knew the call was coming and in hopes to avoid the ears of her siblings took the call in a quiet room. They talked for 45 minutes in which Jim asked Anne for a date on the day after Christmas and to a concert a month later. Anne was surprised that this guy was so eager to spend time with her when they had not even met, but she was excited and the anticipation of meeting him filled her for the next few days.
On December 26 Jim picked Anne up in the early afternoon. They spent a 2 hour car ride together talking easily as they drove to their destination. Jim planned a view from a lighthouse as the sunset, dinner at a nice restaurant, and a place with live music to top off the night. They returned to Anne’s house at midnight and continued to stay up talking until 3 am. The date lasted over 10 hours and they had not run out of conversation.

There was this feeling inside them that they were meant to be together. The conversation was easy but fruitful. The attraction to the whole person was there and they kept saying to themselves that it was uncanny that Anne’s mother had introduced them. And more surprising having grown up in the same small town and attended rival high schools they had many friends in common but had never met.

In July of 2003 Anne and Jim marry. In September of 2009 they welcomed their son, Samuel into the world. In June of 2009 Anne’s mother retired from teaching and in her retirement speach she thanked the school for having given her a job for so many years, the joy of the staff and the students and giving her a son-in-law she loves very much. She said in her speach – you never know when your destiny is putting people in your life or situations in front of you to prompt you to unite with what was always meant to be.

While Anne’s mother did the “matchmaking” Anne and Jim believe that their meeting was predetermined Divinely. And, they have the proof.   June of 1997, a year and 6 months before their first date Jim attended a party at a friend’s house. It was the last day of school for Jim and the end of his first year as a teacher. A photograph from that night has Jim standing with his arms in the air on his friend’s backyard patio. His smile fills the picture.   And underneath his right arm, sitting on a bench not too far away, is Anne.   As a gift to Anne, Jim framed the photo and gave it to her as a wedding gift because he said he wanted her to know that she was his destiny.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to share their stories with us and I cannot wait for the next Nic Pick’s You Contest here on The Honora Blog.  Let us know what you think of Jim and Anne’s story below and feel free to share your own in the comments section!

I cannot wait to read your entries and may even be inspired to share my own!  Don’t worry if this has nothing to do with our Freshwater Pearls, we just really would love to hear your own romantic story.  As it has been a while since our last contest, we have something special for the winner!  The author of my favorite story will receive one of our newest Cherry pieces, a 13-14MM Coin Freshwater Pearl 36″ Necklace valued at $490 MSRP that is pictured in this post.  This item is so new, that it isn’t even featured on our Pearl Jewelry Collection pages yet!

Please tell us your story in the comments section below to ensure that you are entered into the contest.  We will accept entries through Wednesday, February 17th and I will feature the winner and their romantic story here on The Honora Blog the very next day.  If you haven’t joined us on our Facebook Fan Page, be sure to check it out and be on the lookout for my weekly pics!  I am looking forward to a difficult decision!

As we start working on new posts for 2010 we would really appreciate it if you could take the time to answer a few brief questions for us.  Your feedback will ensure that we are sending you the most interesting and relevant content, so answering these questions will go a long way toward making sure we are on the right track.  If you would like to take the survey, please click here!

We look forward to telling you a lot more about Honora, our pearl jewelry and the Freshwater Pearls that we are so passionate about in the upcoming year!

It has been an exciting year for both Honora and for the Freshwater Pearls we are so passionate about and we truly appreciate all of your support and feedback.  We have lots of exciting and new pearl jewelry planned for everyone in 2010 and cannot wait to show you the latest pearl colors and designs that L’array and the team at Honora have dreamed up.

There are lots of exciting plans here on The Honora Blog for the coming year, but be sure to let us know if there are things you would like to hear more about in the comments section.  For now, thank you so much for an amazing 2009 and here is to a fantastic and colorful 2010!

The first winner was Averil McAllister, who is quickly becoming the official Honora poet.  Her poem was one of the first entries we received and it set the bar high for the rest of the competition.  We hope you enjoy her poem as much as we have!

A Poem for Honora – My First experience of the Fantastic–nesssss that is Honora Pearls.

Flicking through the channels on Sky TV, I came across a station… it was QVC
There was Julia, who’s stunning and sassy, always fun to watch– she’s my kind of lassie.
Honora pearls was the topic of the show… pearls weren’t really me but thought I’d give it a go,
I paused for a second, as the picture caught my eye, there was Ralph Rossini.. wow what a guy!
This truely handsome devil had me smitten, from that point on the Honora bug had bitten.
I watched contently as Ralph told the story, showing every item in all its glory.

Pearls in black, silver and green, every colour I’ve ever seen.
The designs were trendy, funky & fun, there was no debate, I NEEDED some,
A long black strand came on screen, not to buy myself that would simply be mean!
My heart was longing I had to give in, to miss out on it would be a sin,
Q-cut was the answer I had to get mine, before all sold out there was limited time.
I breathe a sigh of relief as my order is placed, to go on wait list I couldn’t have faced.
Five parcels arrive later that week, excitement was building I could barely speak
Opening each box I fell more in love, Honora’s Amazing-– a gift from above.
The strand’s as gorgeous as I thought it would be, so much so I now have three!
My little silk pouches have their own dedicated box, and its all because of that silver fox!
As I eagerly await Ralph’s next show, my credit card is quivering– this I do know!
I have an addiction– Honora is my fix, will I buy one?  No most likely will be six!
My boyfriend gives off about the money I spend, but we both know it’s not going to end
An ever-growing collection is my plan, I seriously am your No1 Fan
An Honora girl I am at heart, me and my pearls will NEVER part.

Our second winner, Sherry Downs Honeycutt’s, story is a more difficult tale.  We were moved by her deeply personal story and admire her immense strength and courage.  While Sherry’s story is very sad, it truly shows the resilience on the human spirit.

Five and a half years ago, my husband and I got divorced. Three and a half years ago, we reunited. Knowing my love of Honora Pearls, he gave me two strands: a yellow baroque strand and a black triple strand with a mother-of-pearl flower. Before we could move back in with him, my house burned down in the middle of the night taking my daughter’s life and almost mine too. When I got out of the hospital and was able to sift through the ashes of what had been my life, I found the set of black pearls. They were faded from the smoke damage, but I didn’t care. I haven’t been able to wear them since that day, but I keep them as a reminder. To me they are a symbol of reconciliation, of survival, and of hope. We can survive. We can be stronger. And forgiveness is possible. Thank you for letting me share my story.

After reading both of these, I hope you can understand why Nicole had to choose them both.  For those of you who missed out on this contest, we are currently in the middle of this month’s “Nic Picks You” contest.  We are celebrating the launch of our newest design, a set of 10 pearl bracelets we are calling Sugar and Spice.  We are asking those who love our pearl colors to create and name their own combination from the colors in this selection.  You can find all of the contest details here, but must enter by Wednesday, November 18th.  Averil was so excited by the fact that this item will be our December 4th QVC UK Today’s Special Value that she decided to write another poem for the occasion!

The waiting is almost over, Ralph will soon be back on our screen,
When Michael showed us our TSV, MY God I let out a scream!!
My eyes lit up, my heart felt that tug which only means one thing,
I need to be 1st on the phone, Q-cut I will definitely ring,
The Sugar & Spice wardrobe – is a must for every girl,
The rainbow of colours stunning – in the perfect Honora pearl,
My mind went into overdrive as I dressed my wrists in style,
1023 combinations – WOW!! That thought did make me smile!
I’m counting down the hours until that handsome fox is back,
My WANT list is ever increasing, getting harder to keep track.
The pearls are so addictive, I just need more & more
But only from Honora & RALPH that man WE ALL ADORE!!!!

We have always loved pushing the boundries of pearl jewelry here at Honora.  From the popular fashion items we have created over the years, including Pearl Floaters and Pearl & Leather, to the very introduction of Freshwater Pearls themselves, Honora strives to make pearl jewelry something that everyone can get excited about.

Over the past few years, this passion for a more fashion-forward pearl has led us to develop a way to infuse an unimagined array of pearl colors into Freshwater Pearls.  This pearl palette has allowed us to create color combinations that have exceeded even our wildest expectations.  While Joel and Ralph have been essential in developing the process through which we infuse our pearls with radiant color, no one in the pearl world has managed to do more with these pearl colors than our very own Larry Lippert.

25 years after Larry started working at Honora, he discovered a flair for putting color combinations together that have never been seen before in pearls.  Joel has even gone as far as renaming him “L’array” after the array of pearl colors that Larry uses to create his unique and colorful pearl designs. “The past 5 or 6 years have probably been the most fun and satisfying years I’ve had,” says Larry on his love of working with Honora’s amazing range of pearl colors.

Since Honora learned to infuse Freshwater Pearls in new and astounding colors, Larry had created several of the most successful collections, including Rainforest, Bluestone, Safari, Midnight and Santa Fe.  “I really don’t know where it came from, but now, I see color combinations in everything,” says Larry. “I take a lot of kidding about the L’array thing, but in all my years in this business I’ve never been involved in a product that is so fashionable, so much fun and has the value as the freshwater pearls do.”

This love of color is a passion held by everyone here at Honora.  Each morning, the women who work here at Honora go into Larry’s office asking to be L’array’d, their term for being dressed in one of his necklaces or bracelets.  We are constantly astounded by the color combinations that Larry creates and cannot wait to show you all of the colors to come.

Let us know your favorite color combination or  suggest one that we are yet to create in the comments section.