Pearls have a renewed hold on jewellery designers. The aquatic gem has been topping both one-of-a-kind high pieces and more casual designs made to be worn every day.
It’s the first – the kind that would not be out of place in an art gallery display – that Hemmerle specialises in. At its Munich showroom, the German family business displays unique pieces such as a new copper and rose gold ring with one Melo pearl, a rare variety found in Southeast Asia. A pair of round earrings encircles natural pearls in aluminium, bronze and white gold, dusted with pink diamonds. “We are always interested in allowing a material to guide the design. Rather than imposing a preconceived idea, we seek to reveal and celebrate its unique qualities,” Christian and Yasmin Hemmerle, the couple leading the brand today explain. “Pearls have long captivated us because no two are ever truly alike; each possesses its own character, shape and subtle nuances of colour.”
Pearls also star in Mythica, the new high jewellery by Louis Vuitton. Unveiled in Marrakech, the maison’s collection includes the Fortune necklace, where 530 custom-cut yellow diamonds are matched with 25 yellow pearls. The Bird on a Rock has been an important mascot at Tiffany & Co. since Jean Schlumberger first placed a cheerful avian on a cut gem in 1965. The Bird on a Pearl is a recent interpretation of the design classic; part of this year’s Blue Book high jewellery offering, a Bird on a Pearl brooch centres on a white baroque-shape natural saltwater pearl of 36.79 carats.
At Chaumet, a new white gold Mint Leaf set comprises a necklace, two brooches, a ring and earrings set with azure blue emerald-cut aquamarines and white Akoya pearls. “The spherical shape, sensuality, and luminous reflections perfectly counterbalance the severity of the stones’ emerald cut, creating a design that is both modern and poetic,” explains Olga Corsini, the director of the creative studio at Chaumet. “The maison’s enduring connection to pearls is deeply rooted in our history. Our first muse and ambassador, Empress Joséphine, held a profound love for these natural treasures.”
More rare pearls can be found at Buccellati. It was pieces from the Milanese brand’s Rete Con Perle line that Kendall Jenner paired with her Zac Posen designed GapStudio gown for this year’s Met Gala. “Buccellati has always used and loved pearls in all their forms,” says global communications director Maria Cristina Buccellati. “For us, they have truly been a creative element that we still use today; they are truly timeless.”