In September, when Tiffany & Co. introduced a pearl-infused update to Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams, the Blue Box retailer underscored the trend du jour in pearls: the juxtaposition of hard-edged metal with organic, lustrous pearls.
The collection, which pays tribute to Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, features white freshwater pearls set in yellow gold with a diamond spear motif designed to evoke his trusty trident.
The combination of soft feminine pearls with the masculine look and feel of polished metal is ubiquitous, and utterly of the moment. Just ask Fran Mastoloni, a partner at Mastoloni, one of the pearl trade’s oldest and most established pearl houses, where sales of fashion pearl jewelry are on the rise.
“We’re a little slow on the traditional white round necklace but the mixes—chain and pearl, mixed color pearls, bangles and pearls—are doing pretty well,” Mastoloni tells JCK.
The mere fact that the multihyphenate Williams—a singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, fashion designer, and, soon, Lego movie star—has embraced pearls speaks to the gem’s relatively recent transformation, from demure accessory to power bauble.
Gone are the delicate, simple looks that dominated the pearl category for decades. Filling that void are designs that, to paraphrase Tiffany, serve as “an expression of rebellion and creativity.” Fueled by fashion tastemakers such as Williams and Comme des Garçons, whose 2020 collaboration with Mikimoto helped kick off the trend in punk-inspired pearls, the pearl’s new reputation as a symbol of iconoclastic—and decidedly unisex—style is nothing short of a revolution.
Top: Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams pearl earrings in 18k gold with 0.52 ct. t.w. diamonds, $12,000; Tiffany & Co.
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