MARKET INTELLIGENCE 市场情报 PEARL REPORT | 64 | 2024-2025 online and has a strong global following, particularly in the US. Its design mantra is simple and classic, allowing the pearls’ shape, colour and extraordinary lustre to take centre stage, said Kamoka Pearls Brand Director Celeste Brash. Its fine jewellery pieces are in gold and silver. For Assael Inc, a New York-based pearl brand with more than 75 years of industry expertise, product distinction is key and is achieved through a strong design legacy that combines top-quality pearls with fine gemstones in recognisable jewellery collections. According to Peggy Grosz, senior vice president and creative director at Assael, “branding” a pearl business necessitates knowing which space to “own and defend.” Assael, for instance, stays within the fine pearl zone and does not deal in freshwater pearls or commercialquality goods. Grosz explained, “That is our ‘path’ to brand recognition and growth. It is working, and we are committed to these focal points.” Appealing to the consumer Milamore owner and designer George Inaki Root wears his love for pearls as a personal fashion statement and focuses on contemporary, androgynous designs that instantly make them desirable and wearable for a younger generation of buyers. “I see more and more Gen Zs enjoying pearl chokers with fun beads, even if they are artificial. They find pearls cool and sophisticated. I want to convey the idea that pearls can be worn as street style, providing a consistently elevated look,” remarked Root. He works with Japanese Akoya and South Sea pearls and all pieces are designed in New York and handmade in Japan. Root continued, “When I design, I do not think about gender or age but focus on the buyers’ personality. They can be in their early 20s or well into their 60s. It is always about people who are not typically into jewellery but resonate with my concept and designs.” For Coleman Douglas Pearls Founder Christianne Douglas, the concept of woven and flexible adornment is a core brand proposition. She pioneered the concept of pearl bodywear in the early 1990s and continues to “weave” pieces, mixing in high-quality Tahitian, South Sea, Akoya and freshwater pearls with coloured gemstones like amethyst, citrine, rose quartz and opal alongside finerquality sapphires and diamonds. Jewellery for men, meanwhile, is a new top-seller. Douglas said, “Male customers want unusual pearls and splurge on something special. They are open to wearing the pieces more frequently even if the focus is on highvalue pearls. Male buyers account for almost 15 per cent of the business. Hollywood actor and pearl lover Timothée Chalamet is among them.” Sales are mainly online, with the brand successfully building an international clientele in Europe, the US, Japan, Hong Kong and Mexico. “Online sales now comprise about 80 per cent by piece and about 60 per cent by value,” Douglas revealed. Requests for bespoke pieces are an important category while sales remain strong at London’s Fortnum and Mason’s jewellery hall. “Pearl bodywear is a perennial go-to product. Customers are aware that I pioneered this style of wearing pearls and requests come through for special occasions,” she added. There is no need to design separately for women and men anymore. The new customer wants jewels that reflect their style. – Melanie Georgacopoulos Morse Code lariat with black and white freshwater pearls by Coleman Douglas Pearls的Morse Code长链，采用黑色和白色淡水珠
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