Most people see a pearl and gold DNA necklace as a pearl strand first and a DNA piece second. That is the point of it. The Pearl and Gold Pattern DNA Profile Necklace carries no coloured stones. Instead, a gold filled sphere sits at every one of your marker positions, and genuine freshwater pearls hold the spaces between. From across a room it is a classic strand. Up close, the gold is doing something no other pearl necklace does. So this post explains how the pattern piece works, who it suits, and how it differs from our stone pieces.
Why there are no stones on a pattern piece
On most DesigNA pieces, each marker value appears as a stone in the colour of its dye. The laboratory reads 23 Short Tandem Repeat markers, tagged in five fluorescent dye colours, and records two values for each. Every value then becomes a stone, placed along the strand by fragment size. On a pattern piece the laboratory work is identical, but the jeweller swaps every stone for a 4mm gold filled sphere.
The identity therefore lives in the positions, not the colours. Because every marker sits exactly where your fragment sizes put it, the gaps between the gold spheres are yours alone. Two pearl and gold necklaces from two different people would carry gold in different places, and the certificate in the box shows exactly where each marker sits. We explain the colour version in the five dye colours of a DNA profile.
What the pearls and the gold are made of
The pearls are genuine freshwater pearls, round and 6mm, the same size we use on the Pearl DNA Profile Necklace. Freshwater pearls grow slightly off round, and we leave that alone, because it is the sign of a real pearl. In fact, a perfectly matched strand would be the warning sign. The Gemological Institute of America explains how a pearl forms inside the mollusc, layer upon layer, which is why no two match perfectly.
The gold is gold filled. In other words, a thick layer of gold bonded to a base metal core, far thicker than plating. So we use it for the parts that touch skin all day. The spheres at the marker positions are gold filled, and so are the spacers, the accents and the extender chain. The piece closes with a single clasp and an extender ending in a small disc, with the oval DesigNA tag in gold at the clasp end. For the difference between the two finishes, read gold filled vs gold plated.
Who the pearl and gold DNA necklace suits
This is the piece for someone who wears pearls already, or who wants a DNA piece that does not announce itself. Coloured stones read as modern, while pearls and gold read as timeless. So the pattern version suits a wedding, an anniversary or a milestone birthday, where the wearer wants something that goes with everything they own.
It also suits anyone who likes the idea of a secret. After all, nobody looking at the strand can tell that the gold marks a genetic profile. Only the wearer, and whoever they choose to tell, knows what the pattern means. The same thinking applies to our Silver and Gold Pattern DNA Profile Necklace, where silver spheres take the place of the pearls.
How the strand is strung
Our partner jeweller in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter strings every strand by hand, with no needle. The work starts at the extender chain and runs towards the clasp. First come the pearls of the opening run. Then, at the first marker position, a gold filled sphere, with a gold filled spacer either side. After that the pattern takes over, pearl after pearl, with gold wherever your reading places it.
Two kit facts hold here as on every DesigNA piece. The first marker is almost always D2S441, and the last is always Penta D at the clasp end. On a stone piece you would see those as a yellow stone and an amethyst. On a pattern piece they are simply the first and last gold spheres. The jeweller then lays the finished strand beside the certificate and checks it position by position before it goes into the box.
The Pearl and Gold Pattern DNA Profile Necklace, £289
The Pearl and Gold Pattern DNA Profile Necklace is £289. Choose 16, 18 or 20 inches, each with a 2 inch extender. It arrives in the matte black DesigNA box with the certificate on top and the navy sleeve beneath. Inside the black jewellery box, the strand lies in a double helix curve.
The kit arrives in 2 to 3 working days. The wearer takes their own cheek swab at home, posts it back in the prepaid envelope, and the necklace takes 2 to 3 weeks from the day the laboratory has the swab. Free UK tracked delivery covers both. For Christmas, order by Sunday 15 November 2026. Our jewellery care page explains how to keep pearls away from perfume and chlorine.
Frequently asked questions
Does the pearl and gold DNA necklace have any stones?
No. A 4mm gold filled sphere sits at every marker position instead of a coloured stone, and freshwater pearls hold the spaces. The identity lives in where the gold sits, not in colour.
Is the gold real?
The spheres, spacers, accents and extender are gold filled, which is a thick layer of gold bonded to a base metal core, far thicker than plating. It is the finish we use for parts that sit against skin all day.
How is it different from the Pearl DNA Profile Necklace?
The Pearl DNA Profile Necklace, £275, marks each value with a coloured stone between the pearls. By contrast, the pattern version marks the same positions with gold spheres and carries no stones at all. Behind both, the laboratory reading is identical.
Can someone tell it is a DNA necklace?
Not by looking, because it reads as a classic pearl strand with gold detail. The certificate in the box is what shows that the gold follows a real profile.
How do I look after the pearls?
Warm water and a soft cloth. Also keep perfume and chlorine away from the pearls, skip ultrasonic cleaners, and store the necklace flat in its box.
Ready to see your code in gold? Explore the full DesigNA collection.
Your genetic code, profiled from a simple cheek swab and handcrafted into the exact DesigNA necklace. No two are ever the same.
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