Translated by Bethszabee Garner

Rid of its stuffy connotations, the pearl is experiencing a renaissance. Big names on the Place Vendôme and independent jewelers are reinventing this natural wonder with spherical contours composed of successive layers of nacre that give it a shining and iridescent appearance. Natural, fine or cultured, round, button or baroque, the pearl enchants rings, earrings and necklaces with playful contours and original ways of being worn. Mostly chosen for its flawless whiteness or anthracite reflections, its colored version (pink, aubergine, green...) is also making an appearance in inspired adornments.

This craze has not escaped the attention of the École des arts joailliers, which presents Paris, capital of pearls. This exhibition traces the history of pearls through the centuries. This small white ball, highly sought after since Antiquity and which was at the heart of intense trade between the “Pearl Coast” (the Persian Gulf) and France between the end of the 19th and the middle of the 20th century, is at the center of the luxury industry and Parisian culture.

This epic story is traced through a hundred exhibits on display, from around twenty of the most prestigious lenders, such as the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Petit Palais, the heritage collections of Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Fred, and even the exceptional private collection Albion Art. Throughout the visit, one thing becomes clear: pearls are synonymous with style, just like Coco Chanel.

The designer elevated them to the rank of essentials, on a par with the tweed jacket, the 2.55 quilted leather bag and the two-tone ballerina flat. Moreover, at the end of her life, in her room at the Ritz, the designer kept only the essentials: three beige suits and her pearls. Since the fashion brand embraced the jeweler's profession, its collections have drawn silk threads from its DNA, regularly blending its precious creations with specimens of virginal whiteness.

Inspired jewelers

During their stylistic epic journey, all jewelers have succumbed to the pearl, giving it a new lease of life, from Cartier to Buccellati, passing by Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels, Rouvenat, Vever and Harry Winston. Without forgetting Tiffany & Co., which has built a collection entirely devoted to the fine pearl. Called “Bird on a Pearl”, it was made possible thanks to a collaboration with the Al Fardan family, who for over a century have owned one of the finest collections of natural pearls in the world. The centerpiece of this beaded opus: the famous Bird on the Rock brooch, created by Jean Schlumberger in 1965. For the first time, the bird is perched on exceptional baroque pearls, one of which is 35 carats!

The collection includes a necklace with a flight of diamond birds that wander over three rows of pearls for a total of 371 carats, worthy of a necklace of Elizabeth II. Several pendants are available. On some, the cockatoo turns its head. Earrings that feature just the crest give a punk effect. Rings and brooches, featuring the jeweler's original designs, complete the collection.

The contemporary neo-pearl owes a lot to two Japanese institutions: Mikimoto and Tasaki. After inventing the cultured pearl – which requires six years of careful care in overprotected farms – the former established itself on Place Vendôme in Paris and became the address for non-conformist aesthetes. We remember that this venerable brand notably showcased its treasures of round safety pins, spikes and claws during a collaboration with the avant-garde fashion label Comme des Garçons.

The two brands designed fourteen “genderless” necklaces in silver and Akoya pearls for the smaller ones and treasures from the South Seas for the larger ones. Creations that are aimed at both women…and men. Because pearls are now popular with men. Previously, men tended to be completely devoid of jewelry. Apart from a wedding ring, a signet ring, cufflinks or a bracelet, they had little choice. But this jewelry pattern was shaken up by trends advocating “gender fluidity”, “non-belonging to the binary gender”, in short, the right to take on the physical and material attributes that once defined the female gender.

Men too...

This mixed wave is also led by the iridescent reflections of Tasaki creations, the other Japanese brand specializing in pearls, which also illuminate the lapels of jackets collars and can be found around the necks or wrapped around the wrist of elegant men. The company, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, is known for its disruptive designs such as the Danger collection. The ring's iconic spikes are either gold or diamond set in pearls. Evoking sharp claws, the gems face each other and blend with the pearls and gold.

First presented in 2010 by designer Thakoon Panichgul, the Balance collection is renowned for its modern and minimalist aligned pearls. With its five Akoya pearls arranged in a perfectly balanced straight line, this innovative series has revolutionized the traditional image of pearl jewelry. An ultra-precious version has just been released on necklaces. It consists of five pearls arranged along three lines of different colors of gold, creating twelve distinct balance patterns and using a total of seventy Akoya pearls.

The current desirability of the pearl is also due to the boldness of certain jewelers with an ultra-creative spirit. Repossi unveils a limited-edition piece. For the first time since the 1990s, and based on her father's designs, Gaia Repossi rethinks the pearl through a new ring, the Limited Edition N5 “Pearl Variation”. This evokes classicism and pays homage to the jewelry symbols of the past, while retaining the codes of the “setting on void”.

Indeed, until the 1970s, the company's first pearls were set in large, regular and rare arrangements, creating unique pieces. Mounted on white gold, the three pearls have different characteristics: a dark gray Tahitian pearl next to a larger light gray Tahitian pearl, and floating alone on the other side of the white gold setting, a black gold pearl set with nearly 200 white diamonds of increasing sizes that modernize the composition, thus offering a perfect balance to the piece. And when Statement unveils the Unchained Pearls necklace, which embodies a bold encounter between the delicacy of pearls and the strength of links, Messika surrounds its favorite white diamonds with the reflections of carefully selected golden beads.

What is the difference between a natural pearl and a cultured pearl?

A pearl is born of a defensive reaction of an oyster, which secretes nacre to envelop its attacker. Fine or natural pearls have become increasingly rare as water pollution has increased - Chaumet's latest fine jewelry collection celebrated them divinely. Their rarity means prices with several zeros, for example for the Caribbean conch and the melo fished in Vietnam. Developed in 1893 by a Japanese genius named Kokichi Mikimoto, the cultured pearl, which is the result of human intervention, brings together very different qualities, from the Japanese Akoya, the most renowned, to the less esteemed Chinese freshwater pearl cultivated on mussels.

Article written by Fabrice Léonard, to be found in issue 10 of OniriQ Magazine.