Pearl

Whether South Sea, freshwater, Keshi, Akoya, Melo, cultured or natural, pearls have long held a status equal to that of precious stones. Formed when a mollusc coats an internal irritation with successive layers of nacre, pearls emerge as softly glowing beads in shades of white, cream, grey or deep iridescent black. Once abundant in Tahiti’s lagoons, natural pearls declined sharply due to overharvesting and pollution, leading to the rise of pearl farming in the 20th century. They are also sourced from the Persian Gulf, Japan and the many archipelagos of the Pacific. Among the great historical pearls, La Peregrina remains one of the most remarkable: discovered in the 15th century in the Gulf of Panama, weighing nearly 56 carats, it was gifted to King Philip II of Spain, later worn by Mary Tudor and immortalised by Velázquez. In 1969, Richard Burton famously purchased it for Elizabeth Taylor, who had Cartier redesign it as a necklace. It sold at auction in 2011 for $11.8 million. Reinterpreted today by designers such as Sophie Bille Brahe, Lia Di Gregorio, WWAKE and Alighieri, the pearl continues to assert its quiet power. Its natural glow—subtle, refined, unmistakably tactile—offers a timeless balance between restraint and elegance.