Australian brand Autore specialises in jewellery featuring coloured South Sea pearls, and Global Marketing Director Ruby Autore shares that: “in terms of demand, we see the demand for pearl colour change with the trends. White pearls maintain a consistent popularity with gold and black pearls peaking at different times and in different regions. The colour of a pearl is really a matter of personal preference, so it depends on the buyer!”
Melanie Georgacopoulos is another innovative designer whose niche is in pearl and mother-of-pearl jewellery. Having collaborated with the Japanese pearl brand Tasaki, as well as creating designs as an independent artist, Melanie truly adores these materials and their unique properties. She comments on the increase in desire for jewellery which incorporates coloured pearls: "over the years people have become more widely accepting of pearls in general, the recent popularity of pearls started with white pearls but as they have become increasingly popular, people are beginning to look for more special pieces and this means embracing colour, from golden South Sea pearls to beautiful pink freshwaters and the deep tones of Tahitian pearls. As people gain confidence in wearing pearls, they are open to being more playful and because of this coloured pearls are becoming more appreciated."
Mikimoto, a 127-year old Japanese company founded by Kokichi Mikimoto, who succeeded in cultivating the world's first cultured pearl and then established the very first black-lipped oyster pearl farm in Okinawa, Japan, over 20 years late in 1914. These innovations are considered to have revolutionised the pearl industry forever, and the brand's significant history in the pearl industry means that their creations tend to defy trends; but their selection of black, silver or golden cultured pearl jewellery is finding fans in a new generation of trend-setting models, DJs and creatives.
Assael Owner and CEO Christina Assael and Vice President of Product Development Peggy Grosz opted to highlight the natural colour undertones in coloured pearls by pairing them with complementary gemstones in The Colours 2020 collection. The line features aquamarines, spinel, precious topaz, jade, morganite and demantoid garnets, combined with South Sea, Fijian and natural-colour Tahitian pearls in trilogy rings, earrings with jackets, and unique statement drop earrings. Tahitian pearls appeal in particular because they contain a range of tones “eggplant and magenta to light green and peacock varieties,” explains Grosz. Assael does not only focus on spherical pearls, but Keshi pearls as well (which are non-nucleated and nacre pearls formed as by-products of the cultivating process) in gold and rainbow varieties.
With a focus on more traditional, classically glamorous pearl designs, YOKO London state that: “whilst we find that our white pearls are always the most popular and readily received, we find that our coloured pearl pieces always draw people’s attention. There is something very special and alluring about natural coloured pearls that people are drawn to, especially when they are set in modern, unique designs.”
Coloured pearls are becoming more widely recognised and understood to the jewellery-loving public, and as more people realise that there is a rainbow of pearl hues available, the more opt to wear jewellery incorporating this rare, unique and unconventional precious material.
