Performance Pearls: Theatrical Jewels for Creative Personalities
The traditional vision of pearls – a single strand sitting just above the collar bone, coupled with a pair of staid white pearl studs – is a far cry from the modern vision of pearl jewellery that blends theatrical, colourful and creative elements worthy of even the most gregarious attention-seeker. What was once associated with reservedness is now pulling the spotlight on the main stage and being worked and reworked in new and exciting ways. Here are some exceptional pearls to get you noticed.
Pearls have a tougher job than most other gem materials in getting swept off the shelves. This isn’t because they’re not beautiful, extraordinarily rare (in some cases) or set in remarkably inventive designs… it’s because of the reputation they carry like a weight about their lustrous shoulders. Outside of our community of jewellery aficionados, there’s still a lingering idea that pearls are the mainstay of uptight, formal dressing and twinsets with little in the way of personality.
Of course, dear reader, we know better! Pearls are a versatile resource for fine and high jewellery and are being used in numerous ways; set, carved, studded with diamonds, and decorated. They can be spherical or baroque, shades of luminous gold or deep petrol-hued black, cultured or natural, freshwater or saltwater… the list goes on. And let’s not forget mother-of-pearl – that most ubiquitous of nacreous product – as well as ‘speciality’ conch and Melo Melo pearls that aren’t nacreous at all, but rather calcareous concretions with flame-like ripples on surfaces of blush and bubblegum pink and deep yellowish-oranges, respectively.
Today’s designers have become adept at seeing the potential in pearls, whether they’re combined with coloured gemstones and diamonds, or positioned as the headline act. I especially like when pearls are ‘injected’ with gemstones – a sort of layering magic act where gems are set into baroque pearls, like the pieces of Nina Runsdorf and Little H, for example. Of course, pearls really come into their own in high jewellery, where they are chosen for their colour, size and, in much rarer cases, their completely natural origins. What unites the best designs is the spirit – the designer has looked at the pearl, ignored centuries of classicism, and has had the imagination to invent something new. Not that we needed another reason to adore jewellery, reader, but this is a good one!
Jacquie Aiche
Jacquie Aiche
Boghossian
Boghossian
Amrapali
Amrapali
Dior
Dior
Assael
Assael
David Morris
David Morris
Boghossian
Boghossian
Boghossian
Boghossian
Assael
Assael
Ana Khouri
Ana Khouri
Bucherer
Bucherer
Nina Runsdorf
Nina Runsdorf
Tasaki
Tasaki
Nina Runsdorf
Nina Runsdorf
Boucheron
Boucheron
Bucherer
Bucherer
Sarah Ho
Sarah Ho
Fernando Jorge
Fernando Jorge
Picchiotti
Picchiotti
State Property
State Property
Ara Vartanian
Ara Vartanian
John Hardy
John Hardy
Sarah Ho
Sarah Ho
State Property
State Property
Pomellato
Pomellato
Picchiotti
Picchiotti
WORDS
Katerina Perez With more than 12 years’ experience in the jewellery sector, Katerina’s expert knowledge spans everything from retail sales and management to content creation, including brand building, jewellery writing and styling. Born and raised in St Petersburg, Katerina’s favourite hobby as a child was playing with the treasures in her grandmother's jewellery box, inspiring a lifelong love of jewellery from a very early age. She spent five years in St Petersburg University of Culture and Arts studying not journalism but business studies and languages, and her writing skills have developed as her passion for her favourite subject – jewellery – has grown. This is why her writing comes straight from the heart rather than the pages of a book. Daughter of an entrepreneur mother, Katerina exchanged her retail management job for jewellery writing in 2013 and hasn’t looked back since.
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