Trend Alert : Pearls

Trend alert: pearl jewellery

Ah, the classics. Black and white movies. Chanel No. 5. A Birkin bag. The perfect pair of pearl earrings.

Some things will simply never fall out of style. In fact, as the world continues to quicken its pace, and trends are over almost before they go viral, the classics are holding firmer than ever.

Natural pearls have been prized since ancient times for their rarity and exceptional beauty. Among the most famous is La Peregrina, a late 16^th-century drop-shaped natural pearl pendant owned by a succession of Spanish kings over hundreds of years before coming into the possession of Elizabeth Taylor, who sought the assistance of Cartier to turn it into a jaw-dropping necklace.

In the 17^th century, Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer portrayed his Girl with a Pearl Earring, a portrait which continues to mystify and enchant viewers today.

By the turn of the 20^th century, Japanese visionary Kokichi Mikimoto had invented a method for producing cultured pearls, which finally brought this rarefied gem to the masses.

It was not long afterwards that Coco Chanel made wearing oversized piles of faux pearls de rigueur. Her revolutionary influence made costume jewellery acceptable for women of all classes in the 1920s.

By the 1960s, Audrey Hepburn had immortalised the pearl necklace in her iconic opening scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

NAJO’s newest pearl jewellery, meanwhile, is far more streamlined than Holly Golightly’s pieces, and somewhat more affordable than the La Peregrina (which sold at auction for an eye-watering $12 million in 2011).

The minimalist lines of our Desert Dreamer Rose Earrings recall Vermeer’s most famous girl, but will be equally at home with a pair of jeans as a little black dress. Match them with the two-tone Desert Dreamer Necklace in rose gold and sterling silver for a modern twist on a classic pearl strand.

The warmth of rose gold adds a luxe and romantic blush to the lustre of the pearl at the centre of our sleek Jupiter Necklace. One of the most show-stopping pieces in our new-season collection, La Selva, Jupiter is yet still simple enough to transition from the office to cocktails with ease.

On the other hand, the Pacific Jewel Necklace is long and delicate, perfect with weekend denim and resplendent with a fine silk slip. Layer it with shorter necklaces in sterling silver for a thoroughly contemporary interpretation that’s sure to make even Coco herself proud.

Shop NAJO’s complete collection of modern sterling silver jewellery now.