Constance Polamalu, designer of Birthright Foundry and chief operating officer of Zachary’s Jewelers in Annapolis, Md., describes herself as bilingual: “English is the only verbal language that I speak, but my second fluency is jewelry,” she tells JCK.
A natural storyteller, Polamalu’s approach to trends and design is informed as much by her American Samoan heritage as by her interest in how Gen Z is now repurposing 1990s trends. “During Covid, we started to see the Tin Cup pearl necklace take off,” Polamalu says, referring to the necklace of stationed pearls made famous by the 1996 romantic comedy Tin Cup. “We started to think, What are these Gen Z girls doing?”
Below, Polamalu shares her take on trending pearl styles, the difference between how men and women approach pearls, and which pearl suppliers she would recommend to her fellow retailers (Eliko Pearl and Royal Pearl). The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
On the love of layering
“The way pearls are being worn is really important and relevant. I’m seeing women who have classic pearl strands and are layering so many of them it’s almost shocking. ‘Wow, you’re wearing so many pearls.’ It’s not just a 16-inch strand of pearls. It’s a 15-inch strand, a 16-inch strand, an 18-inch strand, and a 20-inch strand that might be doubled.”
On how women are juxtaposing pearls
“It’s no longer pearls over a black dress. It’s pearls over jeans and a T-shirt, paired with chunky gold chains like in Tiffany’s HardWear collection, which features the stark HardWear styles combined with soft beautiful pearls. It’s this juxtaposition of hard and soft—there’s something sexy about it.”
On men’s embrace of classic strands
“What’s funny is that the most classic styles—say, a 16-inch pearl strand—isn’t what I’m seeing women wear, but it is what I’m seeing men wear. They’re wearing these strands right there at the collar, almost like we’d see women wearing them in the ’50s. It’s women wearing hard and soft styles and layering abundantly and men wearing pearls simply, which feels new and fresh for them.”
On the Tin Cup revival
“We sell a lot of Tin Cup pearl necklaces at Zachary’s. I thought the style was dead and never coming back, but from my experience, Gen Z is driving a desire for the Tin Cup again. And we’re seeing their mothers or older sisters recognizing that Gen Z has this appreciation for the Tin Cup and that’s brought them back to realizing, ‘Oh, I should wear my pearls.’ And that’s reinvigorated this sense of confidence for women of all ages because they’re saying, ‘Oh, these younger girls think pearls are cool.’
“All of our Gen Z salespeople have bought Tin Cups for themselves. It’s the right price point, it’s something different, and it feels classic.”
On how she plans to incorporate pearls into Birthright Foundry
“Birthright Foundry is a brand that I developed right after Covid to reinvigorate and cement my culture in precious metals and gemstones, something that would last a lifetime. In Samoan culture, we do use pearls but they’re not a focal point with Birthright Foundry because I wanted to create jewelry that was unexpectedly Samoan.
“I do think the brand is ready for pearls now. I needed a few years to build its true presence and that began with diamonds and gold. We recently started with platinum and blue akoya to keep it different. It’s a pearl with a silvery-blue hue, not crazy expensive but it’s got the same great sheen and nacre that we find in traditional white akoya. My favorite supplier of blue akoya is Eliko Pearls. We feature it at Zachary’s and plan to introduce more to Birthright Foundry in 2026.
“From the perspective of Birthright Foundry, pearls are absolutely in vogue and the way we highlight them is by merchandising the sharp edges of our pieces with pearls, as in the Nifo enhancer we add to a strand. Putting my retailer hat on, that’s where the trend is today: Pearls are edgier and sexier.
Top: 36-inch strand of baroque blue akoya pearls, $2,200, open Nifo Rainbow pendant in 18k gold with multicolored sapphires, $3,300; Birthright Foundry
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