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Evening Standard

Entertainment

Joe Bromley

Pearlcore: why it’s the only jewellery to be seen in right now

A$AP Rocky (Organization) Rihanna

When Rihanna broke the internet last week with her ice-cool pregnancy pictures, one thing — besides the bump — was centre stage: a jewelled cross and waist level string of pearls. Meanwhile, to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this weekend, the Queen layered three strings of pearls. It’s official: pearls are in.

“The amount of the younger generation wearing pearls has increased dramatically,” confirms Jack Cannon, one half of emerging jeweller Hatton Labs. In 2018 he and Joe Gelb began catering to the fast-evolving unisex market, to breathe youth into traditional freshwater necklaces (think strung pearls in daisy shapes, with pastel shade opals to add a little pop).

“Something that was considered for older elites has had a resurgence due to high-profile influencers,” adds Cannon. “And they require no special cutting or polishing, which means you get statement pieces without breaking the budget.”

Harry Styles goes Vermeer-style to the Met, 2019 (Getty Images for The Met Museum/)

A-list men have driven the surge. There was Harry Styles’s Vermeer-style earring at the 2019 Met Gala while A$AP Rocky is partial to the Comme des Garçons collaboration necklaces with Japanese pearl manufacturer Mikimoto. “Men have become a lot more comfortable wearing pearls, without fear of being berated in the pub,” Gelb says.

They don’t make them like they used to. At Farfetch, Head of Jewellery Min Lee has curated the most cutting edge. “The trend that’s grown shows pearls are not just a classic line,” she says. “They can be fun, humorous, innovative and statement. Tasaki started with slicing, drilling, and capping pearls. Delfina Delettrez incorporated them alongside evil eyes and enamel lips, and Sophie Bille Brahe and Mizuki really made them desirable for a feminine and fashion forward client.” You’ll find them clustered as drop earrings, split up by chunky silver hardware, sleek in gold and incorporating paper clips.

Pearls don’t have to be perfect, either. Alighieri, the jewellery brand awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Design Award in 2020, prefers them rough and ready. “I’m really attracted to imperfect pearls, from baroque to knobbly cornflake pearls,” says founder Rosh Mahtani. “I love rooting for the most irregular.”

If you’re not after new gen, stick with tradition. I started with my granny’s, before investing in an antique buy (heirlooms are not made for nights in Dalston Superstore). Pre-owned is the best way to get them cheap. Alternatively, go vintage Chanel for the rare. “Some of the most coveted modern designs were reinvented by Karl Lagerfeld in the spirit of Gabrielle Chanel,” says Jackariaeh Timothy Francis, the luxury reseller behind Parisian Sweet, where you can find plenty of covetable necklaces. A tip: get them long enough to go over a polo neck and they will serve you through all seasons. Mine haven’t come off for years.

Griff embraces pearlcore the Fashion Awards wearing Simone Rocha, 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

You can also go old-old (like, Elizabethan-era old). That is where designer Dilara Findikoglu finds inspiration. “Queen Elizabeth I is one of my favourite historical characters,” she says. Head to the National Portrait Gallery to find Lizzy the pearly queen. (You’ll also spot Anne Boleyn sporting the pearl drop “B” necklace that inspired Dilara’s bestselling “Boleyn” choker.)

After more? Pearlcore is invading beauty too. Machine Gun Kelly has tested stick-on pearls on his cheekbone, jawline and under his eyes, while Maya Jama wears pearls scattered across her face. Make-up artist Francesca Abrahamovitch was behind Jama’s look and suggests everyone tries it. “Pearls add a different dimension without having to spend ages creating a look,” she says. “They instantly have the drama and impact.”

Here is our pick of the best:

Mikimoto X Comme des Garçons