Pearls come out of their shell

There was a time when pearls were the byword for polite, bourgeois elegance, the ultimate symbol of respectability being a single or multi-strand necklace. Not anymore! Pearls are back in the spotlight, gatecrashing the jewelry party and ignoring the dress code. Pearls are inviting themselves into graphic, asymmetrical, hybrid designs that are the antithesis of classic. They are mingling with materials, engaging with gemstones and branching out into shapes that are light years from the traditional round form, to express themselves in imaginative and, above all, strikingly contemporary jewels. Alongside their icons, traditional pearl houses Tasaki and Mikimoto are designing collections and pursuing collaborations with a distinctly rock n’ roll vibe, through deconstructed necklaces, statement earrings and oversized rings. A similar dynamic is at play at dinh van, which was making edgy pearl jewelry long before pearls became fashionable. Once again this year, the brand is asserting its bold aesthetic through original juxtapositions and, most of all, iconoclastic designs such as a 3 Menottes necklace and mono-earrings to wear solo or mismatched. Power to the pearl Not just women are wearing these “pearls with a twist”. The modern pearl is unisex, adopted by a new masculine guard and sported by celebrities such as Harry Styles, from the red carpet to around town. Pharrell Williams has reinvented pearls for Tiffany & Co. In the latest piece for his Tiffany Titan collection, the multi-hyphenate artist revisits the myth of Poseidon with dark and mysterious Tahitian pearls clasped between the gold prongs of a stylized trident. Independents such as Sophie Bille Brahe and Tamara Taichman (available from Whitebird) are taking a similarly creative approach. Pearls are floating, fluid, deconstructed. They move, they vibrate. Storied houses, the likes of Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Mellerio, naturally haven’t forgotten to include them in their collections. Pearls flaunt their luster in the highest spheres, with spectacular compositions that fuse bold concepts with pure luxury. From runway to ready-to-wear, from historic houses to avant-garde designers, pearls are everywhere. Playful, rebellious, irreverent, long live the pearl!