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New York, NY—Pearls are always in style, but some seasons they’re even more in style than others and fashionistas can’t get enough. One way to spot a trend is to see where else the look shows up, such as colors and finishes being used in home décor and automobiles, or what kind of hardware is being used on handbags, shoes, and for buttons.

For example, dark bronze is very popular for faucets and fixtures in upscale kitchens and baths, while oxidation—i.e. blackened gold and silver—is a parallel trend in luxury designer jewelry. When handbag hardware began transitioning from sharp white to warm gold tones a few seasons back, trend watchers took it as a sign that a switch from white to yellow gold wasn’t far behind in both fine and fashion jewelry. Meanwhile, remember the onslaught of teal-colored automobiles in the early 1990s? Correspondingly, that’s when Paraiba tourmaline started taking off, along with the less-costly teal gem, apatite.

This spring, the lustrous look of pearl is shaping up to be a strong trend for accessories in spring 2012, according to Women’s Wear Daily. It’s showing up in everything from eyeglass frames to wristwatches to handbags and shoes. At top left, a pastel baroque pearl necklace from Yvel taps into the delicious candy colors we’ll be seeing lots of this spring.

Spring will be pearly, so let's also hope it's early!  Meanwhile, below, here’s a closer look at what’s coming in both accessories and jewelry:

Ippolita, left, another fashion favorite, pairs mother of pearl with quartz and 18k gold in a bold necklace, while at right we see a pearlized Brian Atwood python bootie and a shell minaudiere from Rafe New York. (Photos above and sunglasses below, Women's Wear Daily.)

Pearly sunglasses from accessories juggernaut Coach, left, and baroque pearl and diamond pave brooch by Yvel, right.

Left photo, left watch: Glasshutte stainless watch with diamonds, sapphire crystal, and mother of pearl on alligator strap. Left photo, right watch: Bvlgari stainless watch with diamonds, mother of pearl, and an alligator strap. (Photo, Women's Wear Daily.) Right photo, Philip Stein celebrates the look with a mother of pearl face and diamond bezel on a stainless steel watch, with interchangeable straps.

All wrapped up, left: 125-inch baroque 6-7 mm freshwater pearl strand with sterling silver, by Honora. At right, golden South Sea pearl and diamond earrings by Mastoloni.

10-11 mm Tahitian cultured pearl bracelet has 5.20 cts. t.w. of colored diamonds. From the Museum Collection by Tara.