Pearlcore: a huge comeback for an elegant trend

Worn by icons like Coco Chanel or Audrey Hepburn, pearls are a standout feature at fashion week shows in Paris, New York, London and Milan. In the past, they adorned the necks of the sophisticated and preppy elite, but their popularity has now spread to fans of all styles and genres. The pillars of the Pearlcore phenomenon are French jewellery brands Charlotte Chesnais, Persée Paris, Alice Fournier and D1928, who have brought some outstanding creative designs to the market.

Charlotte Chesnais and her astonishing baroque pearls

Natural and asymmetrical, one of the standout features of baroque pearls is their unique shape. Charlotte Chesnais is known for her extraordinary gold, diamond and rhodium-plated silver creations, and has surprised the world of jewellery with characterful pearl designs. She is the talent behind the Slide Perles earrings. These curvaceous creations combine 18-carat gold, diamonds and baroque pearls, and match perfectly with the jeweller’s sculptural collections.

Persée Paris and its unmistakable cultured pearls 

An adventurer at heart, Nawal Laoui discovered her vocation while she was in Japan. She created Persée, a jewellery collection whose hallmark is freeing stones – and pearls – from their mounts. Her inventions have certainly grabbed attention, because Persée was singled out in June 2023 at the very select COUTURE Design Awards show, with a nod in the “Best in Pearls” category. The brand presented a magnificent pair of ear cuffs made of pearls and pear-shaped diamonds, delicately connected with fine gold chains. Worn on the ear, these jewels tumble gracefully like a waterfall, capturing and delicately reflecting the light.

Alice Fournier and delicate Akoya pearls

Alice Fournier is a gemstone enthusiast, but has also succumbed to the siren song of pearls. For her creations, she has chosen small pearls from Japan known as Akoya. The jeweller’s Vallaresso ring is composed of 12 Akoya pearls, delicately arranged on each side of the central diamonds.

They contrast with the nude effect of the pink gold, paved entirely with champagne diamonds, and the ensemble creates a sparkling and refined effect.

D1928 and precious stones and South Sea pearls

For her first collection entitled “Baie des anges”, Olivia Seitz-Porchet brings pearls of all backgrounds centre stage. Cultured pearls from the South Seas and Tahiti are admired for their strength and variety of shades from the lightest to the darkest (white, grey, pink and gold) as well as hard stones such as lapis lazulis, malachites and turquoise. To really set the pearly droplets apart, the designer enhances them with rows of gold, diamonds, emeralds and even sapphires, set in the jewellery tradition, like the La Réserve ring made from Tahitian pearls.

Pearlcore is the fusion of an elegant and sophisticated jewellery heritage and an avant-garde take on fashion. Pearls are transformed into symbols of refinement and modernity, and the boldness of these new must-haves from French jewellery houses is utterly captivating. The stylish creations challenge the boundaries of the jewellery genre while elegantly highlighting the timeless beauty of pearls. And the trend looks like it’s here to stay.

In its aim to accelerate the development of French watchmaking, jewellery and tableware, Francéclat studies and understands markets, drives creativity, stimulates innovation and brings the right people together to boost their international reach.