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. Could pearls replace diamonds as a girl’s best friend? 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. Bibi van der Velden 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.” Pearls make a comeback, with rising interest from connoisseurs and collectors 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. Tasaki has encouraged fashion designers Thakoon Panichgul and Prabal Gurung, and sculptor Melanie Georgacopoulos, to give pearls a fresh, playful makeover. There are not many pearl specialists who would happily let a designer slice their freshwater pearls in half and cut a wedge out of the spheres, says Toshikazu Tajima, president and CEO, and certainly the concept at first horrified the craftsmen in Tasaki’s workshops. However, opening up the pearl revealed the inner beauty of the treelike rings of nacre, or mother-of-pearl, and suddenly they understood. Gem Dior launches US$2.1 million necklace – and 98 other high jewellery pieces – for 20th anniversary “It is about thinking outside the box,” Tajima says. He has a background in the fashion world at Fendi rather than jewellery and has nurtured a contemporary vision for the brand. “Suddenly the craftsmen see another way with pearls.” 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. Prabal Gurung was named creative director in 2017 and now presents Atelier, his pearl jewellery collection, on his catwalk. How China has inspired Cartier and the world of fashion, jewellery and timepieces throughout history “One of the reasons I joined Tasaki is that they are prepared to take risks,” he says. His fluid swirls of gold feature perfect Akoyas and South Sea pearls in provocatively modern designs. The Berlin-based Georgacopoulos, who first sliced a pearl in half for her Royal College of Art graduation collection in 2007, now cuts wedges out of her Tasaki pearls and cups them in gold for rings and earrings. She says she likes the way the company looks to outsiders for fresh ideas. “The jewellery business is so focused on rarity that it stifles creativity. I approach pearls simply as a material – maybe that is my sculpture training.” Nevertheless, she is not using Akoyas but the more plentiful freshwater pearls for this. “Pearls are inherently softer than other gemstones, so the technique that I [and Tasaki’s craftsmen] use is similar in the grinding, sanding and polishing [of gemstones], but the tools to do it are less hard.” Her M/G Tasaki collection is positioned, Tajima says, “to capture the eyes and interest of edgy consumers who are particular about their style”. Very few people would ask me why I cut a perfect pearl. The greatest feedback I’ve been getting from the industry and the Chinese pearl farmers is how innovative the designs are Hisano Shepard Georgacopoulos’ eponymous jewellery creations, meanwhile, feature a few sliced pearls in her new Cube collection. These, with delightful simplicity, contrast the pearl sphere with cubes of dark mother-of-pearl (mother-of-pearl tiles assembled like marquetry on a cube) for her necklaces, or are left untouched on rings. STYLE Edit: Plan your dream dinner party and we’ll help you decide what jewellery to wear In Hong Kong, Nicholas Lieou, formerly head of high jewellery at Tiffany, is working with natural, cultured, freshwater and keshi pearls, creating fierce avant-garde jewellery for his Mr Lieou label. “I feel that the market is ready for something new and that is what I am attempting to achieve,” he says. I love working with pearls and my designs, while irreverent, still retain the elegance and femininity associated with pearls. I feel that the market is ready for something new and that is what I am attempting to achieve Nicholas Lieou, Mr Lieou “I love working with pearls and my designs, while irreverent, still retain the elegance and femininity associated with pearls.” Why are Cartier, Chopard and Qeelin using semi-precious gems in high jewellery? Particularly daring are the Geode and Finestrino collections at little h jewellery, by Shepherd. She is also pearl buyer for her husband’s Californian business, Pearl Paradise, and was inspired by a trip to the Tucson Gem Show where a large number of geodes were on display. “I was mesmerised and thought that this is something I can do with pearls. So, I began experimenting.” She seeks out odd, interesting shapes with excellent lustre and then carves out any blemishes and painstakingly sets them with gemstones. “Very few people would ask me why I cut a perfect pearl,” she says. “The greatest feedback I’ve been getting from the industry and the Chinese pearl farmers is how innovative the designs are.” Her latest collection, Spiral, is a fresh challenge. Using a new type of freshwater pearl that has a thick nacre called “Ming” pearls, she carves them radially and encrusts them with marquise and princess-cut rubies and tourmalines with stunning results; they resemble delicious macaroons. 11 dazzling high jewellery watches that tell time in fabulous fashion To some people these techniques might be considered provocative, but they are resonating with customers in Hong Kong and mainland China. Thakoon’s Balance Unite rings, which sandwich South Sea pearls together, and Refined Rebellion collection have, according to Tajima, done particularly well on the mainland with celebrities and key opinion leaders, and Prabal Gurung’s Atelier collection is now filtering through. What is happening with pearls on the catwalk is also influencing jewellery shoppers. “Modern pearl jewellery has definitely gained traction over recent years with a younger audience – with a fresher and contemporary take from brands such as Tasaki and [Danish jeweller] Sophie Bille Brahe’” says Lianna Man, vice-president of beauty, wellness and jewellery at Lane Crawford. Why floral high jewellery by Chinese designers is blooming all over the world Tasaki appeals to a broad range of people, but, Man says: “We find the fashion customer is more open to this type of creative design. I think fashion is playing a big part and shaking up the classic jewellery houses.” Want more stories like this? Sign up here . 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