This article first appeared in the Pearl Report 2023-2024.

Leading pearl producers and traditional wholesalers are stepping up design efforts to reimagine the pearl as a fashion-forward, chic and aspirational adornment. By collaborating with innovative designers, companies can now offer jewellery pieces that elevate pearls into the category of avant-garde designer jewellery.

A larger and more important development and a cause for excitement is that pearls are at the centre of the new gender-fluid ethos in jewellery design as more men embrace pearls, including strands, as an accessory.

Overall, strands are hugely fashionable, and a current trend is to mix pearl colours and varieties. As a result, all pearl types are seeing solid demand, with fine South Sea and Akoya leading the way.

Multicolour strands have indeed become trendy but there is also strong interest in white pearls, especially Akoya, according to Pierre Boite of Paris-based pearl specialist Alain Boite. At the same time, the availability of large freshwater pearls in lustrous colours has made these gems designers’ darlings. Mixing of pearls with colourful gemstones or complementing them with diamonds is a continuing trend and many brands are reporting good success with these.

Additionally, mother-of-pearl shells as well as sliced and carved pearls and even heart-shaped golden South Sea pearls, which are cultured in this shape in Indonesia, add to the widening palette of pearl jewellery designs.

New technology

And now, pearls are taking on a new role. Chi Huynh of California-based Galatea Jewelry has combined traditional techniques with new technology to frame his designs as “digital communicators of love, romance and commitment.”

His new collection, Message in a Pearl, features pearls embedded with a near-field communication (NFC) chip that allows the wearer to export images or video clips from a smart phone via the Galatea app.

Chi, known for his intricately carved pearls and artistic sculptural pieces, has been developing the idea of “pearl communication” for the past 15 years. NFC technology is an exciting development on this front.

He creates a cavity in 10.5mm to 13mm drop-shaped freshwater pearls and inserts the chip within, coating it with resin to conceal and protect it. The space is large enough to hold handwritten messages or physical love tokens – a strand of hair, a love perfume or essential oil.

“I wanted to combine the technology with a traditional idea, hence an urn or vase as the container with a decorated screwed-on lid and handles for the necklace chain,” shared Chi. “It provides endless possibilities to communicate in a relationship – love, passion, devotion, friendship – offering opportunities for both digital and traditional connection.”

Innovation and artistry

The design push is for fashion-forward styles that appeal to younger clients. Jewelmer in the Philippines focuses on versatile and wearable designs that attract younger buyers, shared CEO Jacques Christophe Branellec. At the same time, Jewelmer promotes the importance of conservation and education to ensure that natural habitats of pearl oysters are protected.

Branellec added, “It is inspiring to see younger generations also leaning more towards environmentally conscious acquisitions.”

Meanwhile, designers such as London-based Melanie Georgacopoulos uses innovation and artistry to produce evocative designs to entice a wider spectrum of pearl lovers. “Emphasis is always on the design aspect, and I find myself more and more drawn to various pearl colours and sizes, mixing different kinds of pearls together and bringing in gemstones for added layers of colour and meaning,” she revealed.

A decade ago, Tasaki, one of Japan’s oldest pearl houses, partnered with Georgacopoulos to create the M/G TASAKI brand of modern pearl jewellery. The brand is now extremely successful, especially in Japan. Georgacopoulos remarked, “This is a massive compliment, given the discerning and sophisticated clientele there. We continue to work together to push design and technical boundaries and have sold over 15,000 pieces so far.”

Similarly, pearl specialist Assael Inc in New York has partnered with designer Sean Gilson to produce dimensional and chic designs alongside new classics. “It is our best-selling collection,” disclosed Peggy Grosz, senior vice president at Assael.

Pearls becoming an important part of the gem palette for designers, manufacturers and brands is a welcome development. Grosz added, “Pearls are mainstream. Whether in classic, fashionable or innovative designs, pearls have a firm foothold.”

Assael’s design philosophy highlights the pearl, precluding the use of ornate forms and embellishments that would take the focus away from the pearl. “This includes accentuating colour tones via pairings with gemstones in our Colors Collection, one of our best-selling categories,” noted Grosz.

Yoko London mixes pearls with gemstones, too. Its recent Kaleidoscope Collection combines coloured gemstones with high-quality, lustrous pearls. “Each piece in the collection is as mesmeric as the view in a kaleidoscope,” shared Yoko London’s Isabella Daniels. “The new pieces in this collection use a deft blend of coloured gemstones, providing bursts of colour among the pearls. These include diamond, sapphire, tsavorite garnet, agate and amethyst as well as mother-of-pearl.”

The mother-of-pearl shell is also becoming a distinctive aesthetic element and innovative must-have, thanks to skillful workmanship. Georgacopoulos, for instance, designed an award-winning cuff adorned with peacock mother-of-pearl, recycled 18-karat yellow gold and old mine-cut diamonds. She said, “My intention is to raise awareness around the material through craftsmanship. There is a lot of potential for growth since customers are becoming increasingly interested in special designs that highlight their unique sense of taste.”

Dutch sculptor and jewellery designer Bibi van der Velden, who now lives by the sea in Portugal, draws inspiration from nature and the ocean to create mesmerising wearable art pieces. She explained, “The ocean is not just a huge part of my daily life – for me, it is a means to regenerate, a source of cleansing and connecting to an equilibrium with nature.” In her latest collection, Waves, pearls play the lead role that brings her worlds together in sculptural jewellery inspired by the sea and natural pearls.

Pearls for men

As a gender-fluid ethos enters the jewellery world, more men are turning to pearls as accessories. The surprise is that even male teenagers, particularly in the United Kingdom, wear pearl strands. The trend was kickstarted by fans of British singer and actor Harry Styles who dons pearls all the time as a “symbol of wisdom and good luck.”

Jewelmer’s Branellec is enthused by this new potential market segment, adding that pearls have become unique menswear accessories and a bold fashion statement.

The intricate pearl carvings of Galatea also appeals to men. Its King Pearl Collection features birds, animals and mythical beasts, which are favoured by men, said Chi.

Georgacopoulos, for her part, considers her collections as gender fluid and sees both men and women as potential customers. “There is no need to pigeonhole customers anymore, and I see people increasingly looking for individual designs and limited editions that reflect their own style. This is indeed the biggest trend and the future of jewellery demand,” she noted.