When Naomi Sarna saw the concave natural pearl that anchors the design of this otherworldly brooch, she knew immediately what she wanted to do with it. “I said, ‘That’s the queen of the sea and she needs a crown,’?” recalls Sarna, who’s known for creating profoundly fluid shapes in her work. “I buy my pearls almost exclusively from James Peach from the United States Pearl Company—he really has an eye for unusual pieces. He showed me this pearl, and it really was my inspiration.” The brooch “went through a number of iterations,” says the New York City–based designer. “I was considering a jellyfish queen…but eventually landed on The Queen of the Sea. Think of pictures of Queen Elizabeth with the big ruffle around her neck. There’s a certain of-course-I’m-the-queen look about her. When I look at this piece, I see that same kind of regality.”