The Matriarch's Pearls Necklace

As I was looking through my personal jewelry collection, putting the stories together of which piece came from whom, I began admiring how my grandmothers and great-aunts would combine precious metals and gems with the most exciting costume jewelry pieces. It came down to what empowered them and what made a statement, and I realized that their influence is what has shaped my own design aesthetic.

My favorite takeaway from looking through my boxes is that what they valued was not down to the material, but how it was used.

Some years ago, I decided to make the switch to no longer use animal products in my work. This meant that I had to find an alternative to pearls.

I love pearls, like I have a serious love affair with them. Yet, this has presented an interesting design challenge. Questions came up where I decided I would be ok with using vintage stock if I happened upon a beautiful strand of antique pearls, or I explore options like glass pearls.

In the height of fashion and costume jewelry where women were wearing anything sparkly and fun, designers like Elsa Schiaparelli and Miriam Haskell were experimenting with the latest materials to create designer jewels that coordinated with the clothing styles they were designing. These new materials allowed for the jewelry to be more adventurous and bold.

Inspired by my grandmothers and great-aunties, this necklace is a nod to those designers and wearers who wanted to push the traditional into the contemporary. Each glass pearl was woven by hand, bead by bead, into a piece that honors tradition while embracing something entirely contemporary. It is made for someone who isn't interested in following tradition, but in reimagining it.

Glass pearls, seed beads, bronze, satin thread.