Universal appeal
With no more ‘rules’ about who can wear pearls – and how they should be worn – everyone from Gen Z tastemakers to rock stars are wearing them
Pearls are enjoying a renaissance. The #VivienneWestwoodNecklace hashtag on TikTok has 31 million views – mostly breathless unboxings of the British designer’s now cult pearl-andspaceship pendant necklace.
Then there are celebrities like Harry Styles and Hailey Bieber who have been showing off their fondness for pearl necklaces, and the growing popularity of social media “aesthetics” such as #OldMoney that reclaim staples of upper-crust and preppy styles.
But pearls have always been timeless. It’s more that they’re shaking off any last vestige of stuffiness, or “rules” about who can wear them (and how).
Pearls can be posh and punk, pretty and pretty subversive. They appeal to everybody from rock stars and Gen Z tastemakers to a grand matriarch who believes a martini to be a breakfast food.
That 81-year-old queen of punk Vivienne Westwood has found such fervour for her pearl necklaces, especially among younger generations, is proof of this.
Pearls have also been trending beyond jewellery, spied everywhere from Simone Rocha’s pearly orb-shaped bags and pearland crystal-encrusted pieces to Jennifer Lawrence’s pearladorned Del Core dress with matching cape at the BFI London Film Festival in October.
Denmark-based jewellery designer Sophie Bille Brahe has amassed a cult following for her asymmetrical and graduated pieces in diamonds and pearls.
For Bille Brahe, who launched her brand in 2011, the connection to pearls is personal.
“Pearls took [on] a great meaning for me when I had my son. My mother gave me a pearl necklace that she had received from my father. I had always thought that pearls were a bit old fashioned and suddenly they had this enchanting and captivating look. They just needed a twist to become modern again,” she says.
“I am always inspired by the sea and pearls symbolise purity, innocence and femininity. They have a personal connection to my own life, and they have become a natural part of my design.
“When I had to design my first collection, my son was only one month old, and I found it very hard to be away from him. So, I needed to create something with a strong meaning behind it, and that is why I decided to work with pearls for the first time. The way they’re nurtured in an oyster reminded me so much of my pregnancy. It just felt right.”
Bille Brahe’s approach to fine jewellery – that it should be worn easily and with anything – works particularly well for unpicking formalities around pearls.
“Women have always worn pearls. They have always loved them because it is an eternal classic, but I think for a very long time, pearls were associated with a special style, precisely because they are so classic. Most women wouldn’t wear a pearl necklace every day,” she says.
“But now their image has changed – pearls have become part of the everyday jewellery that fits all types of clothing. You can wear pearls with a pair of jeans, and they instantly become more modern. Because they are a simple, raw material, pearls come alive when worn. Every woman can make them their own.”
Bille Brahe wears one of her bestselling Peggy necklaces – a strand of pearls in graduated sizes – every day with a slip dress or T-shirt. “I like the very clean expression [the necklace] gives me. It’s very simple, classic in a way but with a modern twist so I never get tired of it.
“I want my jewellery to be something you want to pass on, like a family heirloom, and I look forward to giving my Peggy to my daughter one day, so that they can have their own story.
“Meanwhile she sometimes wears the Petite Peggy. It is a smaller version of the Peggy with the same idea of graduating pearls which she got as a gift at her christening.”
I had always thought that pearls were a bit old fashioned [but] they just needed a twist to become modern again
DENMARK-BASED JEWELLERY DESIGNER SOPHIE BILLE BRAHE
Micro pearls … can be stacked with other necklaces to create … intrigue
CLARE HAMMON CO-FOUNDING DESIGNER
OF MEADOWLARK
Clare Hammon is co-founding designer of New Zealand jewellery label Meadowlark, which makes pearl anklets, pearl drop earrings and strands of pearls among other pieces. She says the clientele for pearls is varied and people are wearing them in different ways.
“Micro pearls seem to be popular with younger customers, as they can be stacked with other necklaces to create layered texture and intrigue – the delicate design of our micro pearls exudes a summer vibe,” she says.
“Some customers are opting for classic, singular baroque pearls across earrings or necklaces. Our most popular pearl style is the Vita Drop Earrings inspired by Italian designer and sculptor Carlo Giorgi’s Ginkgo Leaf Lamp – this style is often purchased for weddings, but I love seeing people wear the earrings in a super casual way.”
The imperfect and organic nature of pearls is something that Australian jeweller Holly Ryan says contributes to their appeal, especially among younger wearers.
“Classic pearls are timeless, but a new generation of wearers are beginning to celebrate the imperfect nature of keshi pearls such as those I use in my designs,” she says.
“From elongated to misshapen and baroque, I can use almost any pearl to create an object of natural, organic beauty that may have otherwise been discarded due to its ‘flaws’.”