Why pearl jewellery is suddenly looking cool once again
Experimentation by Prabal Gurung, Hisano Shepherd, Bibi van der Velden, Nicholas Lieou and Melanie Georgacopoulos has helped transform pearls into avant-garde gems
Sliced, spiked and hollowed out, the lustrous pearl is undergoing some brutal experiments in the hands of contemporary jewellery designers, but the results are thrilling, innovative and like nothing you have seen before.
Pearl jewellery is suddenly looking really cool. Fashion is having an influence, with more pearls seen on the catwalks as accessories and embellishments, and that is opening up opportunities for jewellers to get creative with one of nature’s treasures and transform the classic pearl into avant-garde jewellery.
In Los Angeles, Japanese-born Hisano Shepherd is hollowing out freshwater soufflé pearls that she buys in Hong Kong and setting precious gems in the voids. Her Chinese clients are particularly fond of the more colourful pearls and those set with rubies.
It is the imperfections in nature that inspire me most. [It is ironic that] mutilating something can add to its beauty.
In Amsterdam, Bibi van der Velden seeks out Tahitian and South Sea Baroque pearls with imperfections and spears the blemishes with gold stars and little diamonds for her Galaxy collection.
“It is the imperfections in nature that inspire me most,” she says. “[It is ironic that] mutilating something can add to its beauty.”
Japanese jeweller Tasaki is the biggest pearl specialist, ditching the dowager associations and viewing pearls with fresh eyes, which is going down well with its Chinese and Japanese customers.