‘Gothica’

Although not often seen today, the Japanese version of Keshi pearls are beautiful and look like liquid-spun silk. They range in size from that of poppy to sunflower seeds, and often require 50 to 75 strands to create an impact. ‘Gothica’ is made of two multi-strand ropes that terminate in gothic arch-inspired finials and a simple white South Sea pearl. These incorporate interchangeable bayonet fittings, allowing the pearls to be worn singly or as one long necklace with a variety of ornamental central clasps.

‘David, the Trout’

Following nature’s lead, I found the iridescent grey-black baroque Tahitian pearl seen to the right. The pearl reminded me of a friend, David, Trout, an Arizona jewellery designer who sadly passed away the previous year. With a little white gold for the head and fins, as well as diamonds for eyes, the pearl became David’s namesake, ‘David, the Trout.’

‘The World as it Once Was’

In 2012, the Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA) produced a video documentary about pearls of the Pacific Rim. As they visited pearl farms to shoot the video segments, they received donations of pearls from nine producers. I was pleased to be chosen as one of nine ‘pearl steward designers’ to participate in this project. We did not know which pearls we would be working with until the packages arrived, rather like a chef’s black box approach. We were each given a video camera with which to record the design process and creation of our jewellery pieces, while segments of our videos were incorporated into the final documentary.

At first glance, the two Chinese freshwater baroque ‘fireball’ pearls I was dealt left me baffled. They were an amorphous mystery, until I spent some time with them. Eventually, they revealed themselves, becoming a set of brooches titled, ‘The World as it Once Was.’ One is a woolly mammoth complete with diamond-set white gold tusks, rose gold trunk and tail, and brown diamond eyes. The other pearl became an abstract comet with a tail of pink, green, yellow, and white gold set with natural fancy-coloured and white diamonds. Perhaps this is the comet that crashed to the Earth bringing about the demise of mammoths. These two designs are an example of a situation where the pearls came first and gemstones chosen to suit.

‘Autumn Equinox’

The earrings in the photo above began with a pair of gems cut by Stephen Avery of Colorado: rubellite tourmaline, and spessartite garnet in warm autumn colours. It took a bit of searching, but I found two Chinese freshwater drop-shaped pearls to complement the gems. One had an orangey-peach body colour with a rose overtone, while the other had a rose body colour with a contrasting orange overtone. Natural fancy-coloured pink and yellowish diamonds added the final touch. Initially, I expected to pair similar colours, but in the end, I decided that opposites attract.

‘Bacchanalia’

‘Bacchanalia’ is a classical fantasy neckpiece initially inspired by a collection of baroque Chinese freshwater pearls I found at the Tucson GemFair. At first glance, it was obvious they were leaves, and being a lover of wine, that meant grape leaves. It took nearly three years to finish this necklace, as I slowly decided how it would evolve and assembled the materials. First, I chose the natural fancy-coloured diamonds to set in gold stems on each leaf. Next, I added grape leaves in yellow, green, rose, and white gold in different sizes. Lastly, I created clusters of grapes from tiny freshwater pearls, while pear-shaped pearl drops provided texture and opulence. Depicting the wine god, Bacchus, an antique shell cameo surrounded by gold grape leaves became the central clasp of the piece.

I really encourage my fellow jewellery designers to take another look at today’s pearls. There has never been a greater selection or variety from which to choose. Pearls provide endless inspiration to challenge your imagination and create jewels to delight your clientele. From classic and elegant to bohemian and baroque, let your imagination run free!

Llyn L. Strelau is the owner of Jewels by Design, a designer-goldsmith studio in Calgary established in 1984. His firm specializes in custom jewellery design for a local and international clientele. Strelau has received numerous design awards, including the American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA’s) Spectrum Awards and De Beers’ Beyond Tradition—A Celebration of Canadian Craft. His work has also been published in Masters: Gemstones, Major Works by Leading Jewelers. Strelau can be reached via e-mail at designer@jewelsbydesign.com or (403) 228-0644.