Once something of a novelty (the phrase “not your grandmother’s pearls” certainly demonstrated our disbelief that pearls could be cool), modern pearl jewellery has become a retail staple.
I’m not saying that the jewellery industry and its consumers haven’t always loved pearls. On the contrary, they are so essential to a well-stocked jewellery box that a simple strand or pair of stud earrings feels like an obligatory purchase. Do you like jewellery at all if you don’t have pearls in your collection?
But more recent iterations seem to want to explore – and celebrate – the pearl. While a strand of them may make the case that pearls are more impressive in numbers, designers are doing away with the pristine image pearls can convey and instead creating art that focuses on some of the gemstone’s natural characteristics.
In these jewels, you won’t find designers painstakingly searching for ideally matched pearls to assemble a strand (a beautiful sight and a fabulous purchase in itself). Instead, you’ll see a statement pearl or two – usually of the baroque or soufflé variety – its irregular shape used as a canvas for jewelled art. Sometimes it looks as if the pearls have been embellished with diamonds or other gemstones, or with metal embellishments. In other pieces, the shapes are left to stand on their own, like fluffy clouds dangling from expertly designed bales.
Whether the aesthetic is contemporary, organic or vintage-inspired, the new pearl can be a welcome addition to a classic necklace or bracelet, allowing both to exist in a world that now sees pearl as anything but matronly.
