Dark coloured pearls, daring metals, teardrops and even fur are what jewellery hunters should keep their eyes peeled for this season.

The dominant hues for winter are muted, rich jewel-like tones. For jewellery, black and white is back and you can't go wrong with brown pearls, black crystal and black semi-precious stones.

Pearls, especially dark-coloured types, are showing up in high-end designs. Rare brown pearls are the highlights in the newly released coffee pearl collection by Emperor Watch & Jewellery. Set off by the sparkling diamonds, white and yellow gold, the brown pearls are elegant and luxurious.

Himalia, Cartier's new jewellery line in the newly openned Fuxingmen Flagship store, is emphasising Tahitian pearls, the expensive colourful pearls grown from the silver-lipped oyster in the seas of South Asia. Blue pearls are matched with the collection's earrings, while brown and rosy pearls are strung with diamond pendants.

The pieces in Gross' winter collection, featuring a simplistic style, are made with mixed black-and-white pearls, said to be a good match with a fur tippet, heavy coat or sweater.

For chunkier casual jewellery, try wearing two or three necklaces wrapped and twisted together. For example, a strand of Biwa stick pearls are wrapped with round freshwater pearls and seed pearls, and then interspersed with rough, carved natural chip or semi-precious stones.

Teardrop shapes are everywhere perfect for stones in pendants, rings or chandelier-style earrings. Armani has great examples of briolette-cut earrings in its latest collection, and Chou Tai Fook's Achievement collection also features teardrop diamond rings.

As the New Year and the wedding season in China approach, many brands have also released the new designs for wedding rings. The classic solitaire diamond in platinum continues to be a good buy. But simple rings without any stones are also expected to become a hit among couples. Chou Tai Fook's new collection features platinum rings with lovely angles and hearts, while Dior's gold ring has vivid red roses that appear to bloom on the finger.

Fur on bracelets? Absolutely. Dark fur bracelets with dangling steel pieces create a wild and sexy look.