During the last week of August when all things fine and high jewellery were in full swing in Las Vegas, I was sitting in Toronto, enjoying those sights and sounds vicariously on Instagram. But the dark clouds of distance and travel restrictions could not stop me from enjoying some fabulous, exclusive, virtual viewings of spectacular jewels.
One of the highlights of these virtual viewings was an appointment with Assael at The Couture Show. Duvall O’Steen, Jewellery Publicist for Luxury Brand Group kindly hopped on a Facetime call with me and gave me a front row view of some undeniable pearlicious gorgeousness.
The viewing started with some new pieces from the Bubble Collection by Sean Gilson for Assael. The Bubble Collection, I feel, is pearl jewellery’s answer to VCA’s renowned mystery setting. In this case, we cannot figure out how the pearls are stacked one upon the other. However, we can sit back and marvel at the brilliance of these jewels. From this collection, it was the South Sea and Diamond Tiara (which also converts into a necklace) that truly stood out.
The Split Decision ring, a brand new addition to Assael’s pearl repertoire was another piece that made a serious impression. This ring can be worn on one finger as a double-pearl ring but can convert into a two-finger ring as well. Versatile and precisely crafted, this ring gives you two different ways of styling your jewellery look without having to change your jewellery or compromise on style. Currently available in a black Tahitian and white South Sea pearl version, a classic and elegant look, this ring will soon be available in other pearl colours. I vote a white and golden South Sea pearl ring, but any style in this ring is sure to be winner. With the Split Decision ring, Assael showed the world that you CAN have your cake and eat it as well!
But it wasn’t just black and white pearls at Assael. There were many, many colours, shimmering and scintillating. Deep gold South Sea pearl and turquoise jewels, earrings reminiscent of mid-century jewellery designs featuring Fijian pearls with pink and gold overtones and berry-coloured tourmalines, elegant and slightly flirty gold and Sardinian coral fringe earrings, gem quality Angel skin coral graduated necklaces – colours to make your heart skip a beat. However, even among all these myriad shades and tones, one piece stole my heart- a multicolour Akoya pearl and bi-colour tourmaline cocktail ring. This ring is a wonder of brilliance and lustre, especially in the way it catches and reflects light. A large, stunning bi-colour tourmaline, glorious in its pinky-peach and gold tints, is framed by a halo of baby Akoya pearls in unimaginably lovely, pastel pearl hues-blue, gold, purple, pink. It is difficult, no absolutely impossible, not to find yourself spellbound by this piece of jewellery.
Duvall also shared with me the exciting news that Assael had won both the Couture Design Award for Best in Pearls and the People’s Choice Award for their “Winter Branches” earrings at the Couture 2021 Jewelry Show. The Winter Branches earrings feature silvery blue South Sea and Akoya Pearls and sparkling diamond briolettes, which are suspended on articulated platinum branches. The earrings conjure up an image of a cold wintry day, the cool silvery blue Akoya pearls “snow-laden” branches gently move with the wearer while the icy white diamonds create the illusion of freshly fallen snow. That these earrings won not just in the pearl jewellery category, but also in the People’s choice category is a testament to Assael’s dedication to beautiful pearls and high jewellery craftsmanship.
Peggy Grosz, Senior Vice President of Assael, had this to share about Assael’s award winning “Winter Branches” earrings. “We made Fall Branches with the autumnal colors of some of our Fiji pearls, and then decided to make all four seasons. We had just acquired the shimmery silver-blue Akoyas, and they looked like sun sparkling on snow. We have a limited inventory of blue South Sea Baroque pearls, so we jumped up to get them from the vault, thinking they would make great tops from which the ‘branches’ could emanate… and the colors worked, big time! Both the blue of the Akoyas and the blue of the South Seas are unusual. That they are the same is crazy, as they come from completely different oysters in different bodies of water!
We had to consider weight and wearability. To be sure that the earrings would hang correctly and be comfortable, we did three things.
- Our craftsman formed the platinum on the back of the South Sea Baroques in such a way as to ‘anchor’ those large pearls. They have clips and those clips are angled, additionally controlling the position. The eventual owner has the choice of adding posts.
- The actual platinum branches had to be thin to control weight, but strong to be forever… hence the choice of platinum.
- We knew that these branches would need to be articulated… to move and flex at the right points. A rigid or stiff earring would not be acceptable and never look beautiful on the ear, so we played with the ‘points’ of articulation, until they seemed fluid and natural when moving.
- Also, the colors of the pearls necessitated extremely white diamond briolettes.
This virtual viewing made me realize two things about Assael. Their commitment to impeccable quality and their ability to take high jewellery to the next level is truly unmatched. For me, Assael stands for beautiful, modern pearl and coral jewellery and their exhibit at The Couture Show proved this in no uncertain terms.
Featured Image: Golden South Sea Pearl, Turquoise and Yellow Diamond Bracelet
You may also be interested in finding out more about The Exciting World of The Colors Collection at Assael
All images used in this post are the property of Assael. Any person or organization not affiliated with Assael may not use, copy, alter or modify any of the images used in this post, without the advance written permission of Assael.
