Could pearls replace diamonds as a girl’s best friend?
For centuries, the lustre of pearls has captivated jewel aficionados. The range of colours the gem comes in is surprisingly wide, from pure white to luminous peacock-blue and green, while shapes range from perfectly round, oval and pear to free-form baroque. Such versatility lends the pearl to varied aesthetic and artistic styles, and upscale jewellers are putting the gem at the centre of their creations.
Unique among top-grade gems, pearls are organic. Up until the late 19th century, natural pearls were collected from pearl-bearing oysters, and those of gem quality were coveted for their rarity.
In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto, the founder of the storied Japanese brand Mikimoto, successfully harvested the world’s first cultured pearls. The variety, cultivated in seawater, is known as the Akoya pearl. Mikimoto’s pearl-farming enterprise contributed to a broadening of the gem’s worldwide appeal. Because it is expensive, labour-intensive and time-consuming, only the most pristine waters are suitable for pearl farming.
One of the largest, most beautiful varieties is the South Sea pearl, with production concentrated in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Australia’s South Sea pearls are mostly white, while those from the Philippines are usually golden. Sizes range from 8mm to 20mm in diameter.
“The most popular type of South Sea pearl is undoubtedly the round white kind. The better the lustre, the more sought after it will be. In terms of size, pearls between 11mm and 12mm in diameter are always perceived as the optimal size for all kinds of jewellery designs,” explains Ichimura Mirai, executive director of Mikimoto Pearl Jewellery, Hong Kong.
While freshwater cultured pearls are mainly produced in mainland China, the Tahitian pearl – or black pearl – comes from the waters off the French Polynesian Islands. While they are widely known for their dove- to charcoal-grey hues, some Tahitian varieties are now available in a rainbow of overtones, including peacock blue or aubergine, which can usually be seen as an iridescent secondary tint.
Mikimoto’s strands of basic Akoya pearls, known for their exceptional lustre, are part of its Best of The Best Collection, while the brand’s high-jewellery Jeux de Rubans collection uses White South Sea pearls with a variety of precious coloured gems and metals.
The versatile Boucle Précieuse (precious buckle) bracelet from the Jeux de Rubans line, in white gold with Akoya pearls and diamonds, can be worn stacked on the wrist or as a choker. Another creative design is “the magnificent single ear cuff with a white South Sea pearl”, says Mirai.
Other prestigious jewellery houses have also shaped their contemporary high jewellery collections around pearls. Chopard sets avant-garde South Sea pearls in glamorous designs in an exuberant burst of colours. For the high jewellery “Silk Road” collection, Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s co-president and creative director, collaborated with celebrated Chinese haute couturier Guo Pei. The stunning architectural pieces are based on Pei’s lavish designs, traditional Asian motifs, and a blend of Chinese and western aesthetics. Besides pearls, the pieces feature emeralds, rubies, diamonds and jade set in a range of metals, from gold to aluminium and titanium.
For instance, an extravagant multistrand South Sea pearl necklace is anchored with an exquisitely crafted clasp, inspired by a Chinese ink painting of birds and blooms heralding the arrival of spring.
Another set of necklace and earrings in stylised floral designs has Tahitian pearls mounted in textured petals of rose-coloured gold and aluminium, mixed with white and coloured diamonds, South Sea pearls, peridot, yellow quartz, green sapphires and tsavorite.
In sharp contrast to Chopard’s vibrancy is Chaumet’s Valses d’Hiver collection. It references European sophistication and glamour as represented by Vienna’s famous Opera Ball, and showcases classic foliage motifs in a millegrain setting. Of note is the Valses d’Hiver necklace of pearls and diamonds. The lower part of the necklace – in white gold, set with a pear-shaped D VVS1 diamond of 1.70-cts, fine pearls and brilliant-cut diamonds – can be detached and worn as a brooch.
Coco Chanel was a fan of diamonds and pearls. She famously said that “women need ropes and ropes of pearls,” and her personal style reflected that she did indeed accessorise by this mantra. Pearls continue to find its way into Chanel’s high jewellery creations, often in a dramatic fashion as multi-strand necklaces. From the 1.5 1 Camélia. 5 Allures collection are pieces that combine the sparkle of diamonds with the lustre of pearls. The designs also feature the camellia, another icon at the house of Chanel.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
- In brooches, bracelets, chokers and necklaces, top brands Tiffany & Co. and Chopard are using pearls in high-jewellery collections – with fantastic results