Designer Lines With Pearls

Designer Lines From the February 2021 Issue of #thisispearl Digital Magazine
Apr 02, 2021
Written by Jennifer Heebner

Designer Lines From the February 2021 Issue of #thisispearl Digital Magazine

From the February 2021 Issue of #thisispearl Digital Magazine

Face Time

Samira Sizdahkhani’s infamous pearl faces—baroque-shape South Sea pearls set with human-inspired gold components like teeth—were born around 2010, a period in which she had finished a stint with a pearl dealer and when she moved to Los Angeles. The founder of the Samira 13 jewelry brand was never a fan of pearls until she started learning about them, intrigued by the uniqueness of each one and their sometimes-odd shapes. And once she started carving and drilling into them, gluing diamond eyes in some, her anthropomorphist fantasy faces took shape. “They’re so soft and easy to work with,” she explains. “You can make a whole story on your neck!”

Some stories include a pearl husband or boyfriend or a pet, all given silly grins and sometimes, gold grills. Though she has help in making some of her jewelry, she makes all the faces herself, upwards of 30 in a year. The designs are a mix of her own visions and some requests. All faces are inspired by the look of the pearls. “Some pearls look like an alien or a ghost,” she maintains. And while none have hair, some have crowns. Someone once asked for a pirate-inspired pearl, so she slapped a patch on it.

Her own face pearls include a big Tahitian pearl with black gold accents that represents her husband, a small white pearl for herself, and two others with her daughter and son in mind. Her favorite activity? Personalizing pieces for clients. But before she takes on more requests, she has one special pearl to add to her own collection: a dog pearl for the pup named Mamba her family recently adopted.

Retail prices for South Sea and Tahitian pearls set in 18k gold start at $1,900, but she’ll soon add freshwater varieties to offer a lower price point.

Retail prices for Samira 13’s face pearls start at $1,900.

Samira 13 face pearls

Journey to Australia

Paspaley’s Magesti jewelry collection celebrates the journey between Greece (from where the Paspaley family hails) and the rugged beauty of the Kimberley in Australia, the birthplace of Paspaley pearls. “It’s been 100 years since Nicholas Paspaley Senior arrived in Australia,” explains the brand.

The story of this voyage plays out across roughly three-dozen styles executed in 18k white and yellow gold with Paspaley’s own white South Sea pearls as well as rubies, pink opals, mother of pearl, turquoise, lapis, and sapphires. The collection reveals the story of an adventurer and family patriarch, reflecting the beauty of the Australian landscape.

“Megisti honors the ancient landscapes of the Kimberley, with its geometric designs taken from patterns carved into stone over millennia by natural forces,” continues the brand. “Paspaley is constantly inspired by the natural habitat around the areas in which our pearls come from, so our jewelry often has qualities that depict the raw beauty of our wild and tropical environment. Our jewelry literally bursts with life and luster.”

Megisti by Paspaley is available in eight Paspaley boutiques across Australia or on Paspaley.com. Suggested retail prices in Megisti start at $3,880.

Suggested retail prices for pieces in the Megisti by Paspaley collection start at $3,880.

Paspaley Megisti collection

Designer Lines from the December 2020 Issue of #thisispearl Digital Magazine
Apr 01, 2021
Written by Jennifer Heebner
Filed under jewelry designer, pearl, pearl designer, pearl jewelry, pearls

Designer Lines from the December 2020 Issue of #thisispearl Digital Magazine

From the December 2020 Issue of #thisispearl digital magazine

Crowning Achievements

When a high-end department store called Assael earlier this year asking for a tiara, designer Sean Gilson and company vice president Peggy Grosz were happy to comply. With headpieces a fixture in myriad runways shows of late, the timing for a fresh fine-jewelry version—particularly one that converts to a necklace—seemed right.

So Gilson set to work designing a youthful one in the same design family as his Bubbles jewelry collection (think playful clusters of fine pearls) for Assael. He completed it just a few weeks ago.

The frame is made in platinum and features four articulated sections that allow it work as both a tiara and choker. The pearls? All white South Sea ranging in size from 8 mm to 15 mm, 27 in total. All the pearls have “a slight pink to them,” says Grosz. Assael CEO Christina Lang Assael weighed in with some requests: the largest pearl should be in the center position, and she didn’t want the whole tiara set too high less it be mistaken for a monarchical one.

The tiara converts to a necklace by unscrewing two of the pearls, lifting the necklace off the headband, and using clever concealed elements to connect it to the back half of the necklace—a half strand of graduated South Sea pearls.

Diamonds, too, have a place in the mix. But not brilliant cuts; Gilson used 5.44 cts. t.w. Old Mine and Old European cuts to soften the overall look. “They’re not perfectly round but they have a lot of personality and a subtlety to them that complements the luster of pearls,” says Gilson.

Email pgrosz@assael.com with inquiries.

Bubbles tiara from Assael

Shaking Pearls Up

Master of kaleidoscope shaker jewels—gems sandwiched between colorless sapphire—Moritz Glik recently added pearls to offerings. Two small collections dubbed Mar and Concha (sea and shell, respectively in Portuguese, Glik’s native language) within the Apura Collection put nacreous pearls in the spotlight. Mar has two pieces featuring saltwater pearls (think akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian keshi) and Concha has freshwater pearls set into a pair of earrings, a pendant, and a ring. Another pair of pearl earrings is part of Glik’s Voa series. The jewels are all made in 18k yellow or rose gold. Retail prices start at $1,900.

Concha ring in 18k rose gold with natural-color pink freshwater pearls encased in a white sapphire kaleidoscope shaker, $1,900; Moritz Glik

Concha ring in 18k rose gold with natural-color pink freshwater pearls encased in a white sapphire kaleidoscope shaker, $1,900; Moritz Glik

Golden Inspiration

Some of Jewelmer’s newest pieces featuring their golden pearls grown in the Philippines take inspiration from history—think of its Caravelles collection—and life, such as its heart-motif pieces in the Petits Coeurs collection.

Heart-style earrings in 18k yellow gold with golden South Sea pearls are from the Petits Coeurs collection by Jewelmer. According to the brand, heart motifs symbolize love and meaningful connection and its passion for artistry and the planet. Email marion.branellec@jewelmer.com for purchase.

Necklace in 18k yellow gold with golden South Sea keshi pearls from the Caravelles collection by Jewelmer. Caravelle depicts the fluid lines of excitement present in long voyages, like those taken by the Portuguese in the 16th century on caravel ships. Email marion.branellec@jewelmer.com for purchase.

Necklace in 18k yellow gold with golden South Sea keshi pearls from the Caravelles collection by Jewelmer. Caravelle depicts the fluid lines of excitement present in long voyages, like those taken by the Portuguese in the 16^th century on caravel ships. Email marion.branellec@jewelmer.com for purchase.