Pearly: vintage inspired, bespoke jewellery with a twist

For those who love to inject a little bit of a twist into their outfits, the new modern-classic and vintage inspired jewellery brand, Pearly, ticks all of the boxes. We spoke to Pearl about what inspires her collections and her plans for the future.

What sets your brand apart from the rest?

Pearly bridges the gap between the big brands and the artisan designer. The Pearly line carries high-quality pieces that are all handmade in small quantities, with stones custom cut and fitted, at an affordable price.

What inspires you to design?

The people in my life give great feedback, and that’s one source of inspiration for me. For example, lately many of my male friends have been asking for cufflinks, so I dug up a pair from the 1950s that I bought 15 years ago. I’ve been tinkering with ideas a lot, looking at different eras of designs, and I’m going to hit the drawing board very soon!

What made you want to focus on gemstones/precious metals?

I have been collecting minerals since I was a child and natural gemstones have always been my obsession. Integrity in materials is important to me, and I put in a lot of work into designing something that will last and be cherished. It’s important to me that the pieces I create hold that quality as well, so I’ve always strived to design with that in mind while incorporating unusual and interesting gemstones.

Who wears Pearly?

The Pearly woman is cosmopolitan, fashionable and confident. She appreciates passion and quality and goes after what she wants in life. There’s a certain boldness to Pearly clients – they are free spirits and don’t take themselves too seriously. They have an appreciation for the classics, but dress to showcase their personalities and ingenuity.

Do you think you’ll ever expand to clothing/other accessories?

Definitely! My background includes product designing and accessories, and making beautiful things is just in my blood. I would love to grow Pearly into a lifestyle brand someday, bringing my past experience with flatware and metal hollowware into the mix, along with leather accessories.

Any major career highlights so far?

Yes – selling the first Mantra – Let It Go Bracelet to the RISD museum store and having it displayed in its own case next to a Dale Chihuly piece. That was a very special moment because I’ve worshipped Chihuly’s work ever since I discovered it in high school. The ironic thing is I was told that the bracelet couldn’t be made by many vendors that I approached – they said the design just wasn’t possible. It took a lot of tenacity, but it worked!

Do you have any big plans for your brand in the future?

I’m working on how to blur the lines between Pearly and Pearly Bespoke. I want to bring that effortless chic and easy-to-wear feeling to materials that are traditionally precious and slightly out of reach. It’s easy to go too wild stylistically, or make the designs too serious or expensive. Keeping these things in balance is something I’d like to bring into the brand.

Ellie Owen

You can find out more about Pearl and her brand here.