What’s the most romantic piece of jewelry I’ve created? I’d have to say it was a project that came to me years ago.
The client was even more in love with his wife than when they married 12 years prior. Over the decades, we worked together on an extraordinary collection of custom jewelry created to symbolize his love for her. One day, I came upon three strands of extraordinary pearls: One Tahitian black, one South Sea whites and other golden pearls from the Philippines.
I suggested creating a “love story” pearl clasps “written” in the private language of jewels.
Gorgeous pearls can look like luminous orbs – planets mysterious and inspiring orbiting around the sun.
For this love story, I suggested the title: “A Love not of this World” as their big love was best measured in light-years.
I started with a concept sketch, see the image to right.
One of the clasps represents the moon, crafted in white gold with scattered diamond and light blue sapphire “craters” of varying sizes.
The “sun” clasp is in yellow gold and packed with pave-set sapphires in varying hues of yellow and gold.
The third clasp represents Venus, the planet of love and beauty. The actual planet is covered with swirling atmospheric clouds so I created the clasp in rose and yellow golds with swirls of rare African Padparadscha Sapphire.
I always consider how to add as much versatility to my designs as possible. So, this wife can wear her pearls in many ways:
-One at a time
-Two or three nested necklaces
-Or as long strands by hooking the clasps of two or three necklaces together, depending on the length she wants.
Voila!
