PEARL REPORT 2021

PEARL REPORT | 21 | 2021-2022 設計 was a lot I could do with it,” revealed Georgacopoulos. Pearls are not only beautiful and versatile in terms of size and colour, they are also a sustainable gem option, she added. Defying convention, Georgacopoulos deconstructs age-old concepts of pearls, elevating them into the domains of wearable art and sculpture. She cuts, carves and slices her pearls, moving them away from their traditional context. “Lately, I’ve been combining pearls with mother-of-pearl. I focus on the design and concept rather than the intrinsic value of each pearl,” she noted. This is evident in her Nacre Necklace, which features South Sea pearls sliced into graduated spheres and combined with flat segments of mother-of-pearl to create a graphic, sculptural feel. A leader in the rare pearl market, Assael meanwhile injects modernity into its designs with a fresh take on the classic cluster style. Its latest Bubble Collection, designed in collaboration with jeweller Sean Gilson, uses new techniques to create light and effervescent designs that seamlessly float and merge to form bubbles. Peggy Grosz, senior vice president of Assael, remarked, “Many designers like us are also using pearls as sculptures, more so nowadays than ever before.” Singapore-based jeweller State Property first introduced pearls in its Unfold Collection, inspired by the life cycle of stars and their formation. The brand’s contemporary approach to design juxtaposes modern sci-fi themes with the classic pearl. State Property Co-Founder Afzal Imram explained, “We drew similarities between sci-fi concepts and how pearls are formed, and we decided that pearls would be the primary gem for that collection.” State Property weaves functionality into its designs. The Anaphora choker, for instance, features links doubling as clasps for easy wearing. Clean silhouettes and gold links paired with spherical pearls add contrast and modern sophistication to the classic pearl necklace. Other contemporary jewellery designers also offer ingenious ways to design around pearls. New York-based jewellery designer Matthew Harris of Mateo opted for sleek, minimalist contours for his “Not Your Mother’s Pearl Necklace.” Thai-Swiss designer Sophie Rogers of Pacharee, for her part, celebrates imperfection thus she works mainly with baroque and keshi pearls. Irregular shapes, raw edges and organic textures are framed by plated gold details for a natural and earthy look. Techniques and challenges Some jewellers use new embedding techniques to set other gems inside the pearl. State Property’s Arcane Collection, for example, features pearls as a backdrop to diamonds, achieving a soft iridescence that contrasts with the diamonds’ brilliance. Floating pearls studded with a diamond also appear in jeweller KATKIM’s range of modern ear pins and cuffs that curve around the ear lobe. Despite the pearl’s versatility, designing around it also has inherent challenges. KATKIM founder Katherine Kim explains how complicated carving and setting diamonds into pearls can be. “Pearls are very delicate and relatively soft so they can be susceptible to scratches and damage. This poses a challenge, especially when we are drilling them for stone setting,” she noted. ‘Nacre Necklace’ in 18-karat white gold with white mother-of-pearl and white South Sea pearls by Melanie Georgacopoulos Melanie Georgacopoulos 的 18K 白 金“珍珠母項鏈”，配上白色珍珠 母和白色南洋珠 Singer Harry Styles donning a pearl necklace. Getty Images courtesy of Assael 歌手 Harry Styles 佩戴珍珠項鏈。 蓋帝圖像，由 Assael 提供