Designs for pearl jewels are getting edgier with a touch of elegance thanks largely to the creative use of baroque pearls.
Unlike round pearls, baroques have an irregular non-spherical shape. The source is largely cultured freshwater pearls from China (although there are saltwater varieties) that are mantle-tissue nucleated. Cultivated round pearls (whether freshwater or saltwater) are created by inserting a bead along with the mantle-tissue into the nacre-producing mollusk. The bead creates the spherical shape. Not including the bead results in pearls with all kinds of unusual shapes.
Once used largely for fashion jewelry because of their abundance and affordability, fine jewelry designers have been finding new uses for these pearls. Baroque pearls also can exhibit subtle rainbow-colored luminescence, similar to an opal.
Some jewelry artists like the organic nature of baroque pearls. High jewelry designers are pairing them with traditional precious metals and gems.
For example, Hisano Shepherd, founder of Little h, is taking soufflé pearls (baroque pearls with hollow centers), cutting them in half and filling them with micro pearls and tiny diamonds, rubies sapphires and other precious gems. Appropriately named the “Pearl Geode Collection,” she has created a grouping of earrings, pendant necklaces and rings with many styles, shapes and color combinations. The result is an organic and elegant look.
Yvel, takes a particular kind of baroque pearl, the keshi (non-nucleated pearls typically formed as by-products of pearl cultivation), and uses them to create a niche artistic, high jewelry brand, matching them with precious metals, diamonds and other gems.
Mizuki can take one or two baroque pearls and pair it with strands of gold for fashionable, elegant jewels that can be worn throughout the day.
The company, Michou, inspired by Balinese jewels and jewelry-making techniques, takes an artistic approach with these pearls. For example its Spring Frost collection, featuring granulated silver layered with blue topaz, African amethyst and iolite all set within tendrils of gold vermeil wire that appear like vines. Baroque fresh water pearls can be centered within the rest of the structure or appear like drops with other colored gems. Either way the work has a frosty appearance.
Yoko London deals primarily in traditional round pearls of varying colors. However, the company has no problem using baroque pearls paired with precious metals and other gems.
These are the types of well-thought-out designs that are appealing to consumers in search of contemporary jewels with an edge.
