Go for Baroque: The Statement Pearl

By Brittany Siminitz | October 04, 2023

Once somewhat of a novelty (the phrase “not your grandmother’s pearls” certainly demonstrated our disbelief that pearls could be cool), modern pearl jewelry has become a retail-store regular.

I don’t mean to say the jewelry industry and its consumers haven’t always loved pearls. On the contrary, they are so essential for a fulfilled jewelry box that a simple strand or pair of stud earrings feels an obligatory purchase. Do you even like jewelry if you don’t have pearls in your collection?

But more recent iterations seem to want to explore—and in doing so, celebrate—the pearl. While a strand of them may make the case that pearls are more impactful in numbers, designers are doing away with the pristine image pearls can convey and instead creating art focused on some of the gem’s natural features.

With these jewels, you won’t find designers searching painstakingly for ideally matched pearls to assemble a strand (a miraculous sight and fabulous purchase in its own right). Instead, you’ll see a statement pearl or two—most often of the baroque or soufflé variety—its irregularly shaped form used as a canvas for bejeweled art. Sometimes that looks like the pearls are decorated, in diamonds or other gemstones or in metal flourishes. On other pieces, the shapes are left to stand out all their own, like fluffy clouds dangling from expertly designed bales.

Whether the aesthetic leans contemporary, organic, or vintage-inspired, the new pearl can be a welcome addition to a classic necklace or bracelet, allowing both to exist in a world that now sees pearl as anything but matronly.

Below, see how some jewelry brands celebrate the perfect imperfections that make baroque pearls shine. With their generous sizes and scene-stealing settings, they’re statement jewels to last a lifetime.