Exhibition Insight... Pearlescent
PEARLESCENT
Words by Caitlin Eyre
The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.
~ Grace Kelly (1929-1982)
Ever since the first perfectly round orb was taken from the mouth of an oyster shell, pearls have been highly prized for their radiant beauty, luminous lustre and iridescent sheen. With their glowing, moon-like appearance, pearls have been widely regarded as symbols of femininity, purity, virginity, wisdom and serenity, although they have also been utilised as symbols of tears and mourning. The undeniable allure of pearls has been felt throughout history, with the earliest written reference to pearls dating to China in 2206 BCE and the earliest known example of pearl jewellery found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess from 420 BCE.[i] Legend has it that ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra (69-30 BCE) dissolved one of her pearl earrings in a cup of vinegar and drank it to prove that she could drink the fortunes of a nation in one meal.
Throughout history and across different cultures, pearls have largely been worn by the social elite as symbols of power, wealth and status. They often formed part of the regalia worn by ruling monarchs and the adornments of the nobility, particularly in Russia, Iran, China and India. In the first century, Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE) passed a law stipulating that only members of the aristocracy could wear pearls within Rome’s borders.[ii] During the medieval period in Europe, pearls were also incorporated into the regalia of religious leaders as symbols of Christ and the Virgin Mary’s purity and chastity, with knights wearing a pearl beneath their armour as a talisman of protection. The dawn of the Renaissance saw pearls increasingly being worn as secular symbols of wealth and status by royalty, aristocracy and affluent merchants, a trend that continued throughout the following centuries. The Golden Age of Hollywood from the 1930s to 1960s encouraged the association of pearls to the glamorous goddesses of the silver screen, ushering the wearing of pearls into the middle classes and cementing their place in the jewellery boxes of contemporary fashionistas.[iii]
With their mysterious origins deep in the ocean, pearls have inspired many cultures around the world to craft myths and legends to explain their creation. In ancient India, it was believed that pearls were dewdrops from heaven that signified a connection between humanity and the gods. The ancient Japanese believed that pearls were formed from the tears of mermaids and water nymphs. In ancient China, black pearls were thought to form within a dragon’s head, with fully-grown pearls carried between its teeth. And, perhaps most familiarly, the Ancient Romans believed that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, was born in an oyster shell amidst the waves and that the drops of water on her body fell as pearls.[iv]
Unlike other precious gems, pearls are the only ones made by a living creature. A pearl is formed when an irritant works its way inside a particular species of oyster, mussel or clam, causing the creature to secrete a fluid of aragonite and conchiolin to coat the irritant and prevent damage to their fragile inner bodies. The layers of iridescent fluid, called nacre or mother-of-pearl, slowly builds up over months – sometimes years – until a lustrous pearl is formed within the shell.[v] For most of history, only natural, wild pearls cultivated by the molluscs themselves were available, with the rarity of pearls fuelling their luxury status and great expense. Innovations made by Japanese entrepreneur Mikimoto Kōkichi (1858-1954) in the late nineteenth century to artificially stimulate the production of pearls in natural oysters began the successful mass production and harvest of cultured pearls. Although natural pearls are still highly prized, it is estimated over 90% of the pearls sold today are cultured, with far more varieties, shapes and colours available than ever before – including both saltwater and freshwater pearls.[vi]
Inspired by the rich historical, cultural and mythological significance of pearls, Pearlescent features the work of nine contemporary jewellers who harness the radiant beauty, visual opulence and deep symbolism of pearls in exquisite and distinctive ways. Presented as a celebration of the timeless allure and exceptional materiality of these ‘jewels of the sea’, the exhibition includes work by Danielle Barrie, Seb Brown, Bobby Corica (Sguscio Studio), Melanie Katsalidis, Katheryn Leopoldseder, Gabriella Luchini, Victoria Mason, Nina Oikawa and Julia Storey.
EXHIBITORS
DANIELLE BARRIE
Danielle Barrie is a jewellery and object maker based on Kaurna Country in Adelaide and the Production Manager of JamFactory’s Jewellery and Metal Studio. Her jewellery often features contrasting, bold shapes and forms coupled with innovative making and quality craftsmanship to elude to a sense of history and time.
SEB BROWN
Seb Brown is a Melbourne-based artist with a jewellery and art practice spanning accessories, small objects, drawings and paintings. In his jewellery practice, Brown is inspired by the unnoticed nuances of daily life and explores materiality, texture and the evolution of form. His distinctive naïve style references jewellery shapes from antiquity and often features a bold and striking array of diamonds, pearls and coloured cut gemstones in a celebration of negative space and unconventional pairings.
BOBBY CORICA (SGUSCIO STUDIO)
Bobby Corica of Sguscio Studio is a designer and silversmith based in Naarm/Melbourne whose work oscillates between humorous and macabre. In his practice, Corica continually probes the limits of his materials to produce highly textured one-off pieces that reveal an admiration for form and respect for process.
MELANIE KATSALIDIS
Melanie Katsalidis is a Melbourne-based jeweller and the director and founder of respected gallery Pieces of Eight. Her practice focuses on finding beauty in pure geometry and form, with Katsalidis reducing forms to their essence as a means of expressing their elegance. Strong lines and bold structures are the main aesthetic features of her work along with elements of precision and balance.
KATHERYN LEOPOLDSEDER
Katheryn Leopoldseder is a Melbourne-based jeweller and exhibiting artist who makes limited edition jewellery collections as well as large-scale art objects. Her work reflects on the sacredness of life and the multiple connections between the human body and the natural world.
GABRIELLA LUCHINI
Gabriella Luchini is a multidisciplinary designer based in Sydney who regards jewellery as a form of treasure handed down from past generations and as a talisman that speak to a certain belief, superstition or desire. Drawn to the earthy yet romantic aesthetic of her Italian heritage, Luchini borrows elements of her designs from antiquity and romantic art revival periods, merging these details with contemporary refinement to create modern heirlooms.
VICTORIA MASON
Victoria Mason is a Melbourne based jeweller whose work references the themes of balance, architecture and family history. Each of her pieces tells a story, whether it is about the connection to place, relationships between people or the subtle shift of shapes.
NINA OIKAWA
Nina Oikawa is a Tokyo-born, Melbourne-based jeweller, RMIT lecturer, gemmologist and valuer. With a penchant for both kitsch and ornate royal jewels, Oikawa uses traditional goldsmithing techniques and brightly coloured gemstones to create jewellery that has a dramatic, eccentric beauty. Oikawa’s material curiosity and playful approach to making often leads her to experiment with drawing inspiration from an eclectic array of plants, colours, seasons and historical jewellery.
JULIA STOREY
Julia Storey is a Melbourne-based jeweller whose work is inspired by the structure and composition of underwater coral and plant forms. She is particularly drawn the natural, organic textures of the beach, ocean and aquatic life, as well as the materiality of precious materials such as gold alloy, diamonds and other gemstones.
Pearlescent is showing at JamFactory Adelaide in Gallery Two from 30 September – 27 November 2022.
[i] Pieces of Eight, ‘Lustrous Pearls: June’s Birthstone’, https://www.piecesofeight.com.au/blogs/journal/lustrous-pearls-junes-birthstone
[ii] The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ‘Pearls of Wisdom: Five things you may not know about pearls’, https://store.metmuseum.org/blog/pearls-of-wisdom-five-things-you-may-not-know-about-pearls
[iii] Victoria and Albert Museum, ‘Pearls: About the Exhibition’, http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-pearls/about-the-exhibition/
[iv] Long’s Jewelers, ‘Mythology of Pearls’, https://www.longsjewelers.com/blogs/estate/mythology-of-pearls
[v] The Trustees of The Natural History Museum, London, ‘How do oysters make pearls?’, https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/quick-questions/how-do-oysters-make-pearls.html
[vi] Pure Pearls, ‘Pearl Origins: Diving Deep into the History of Cultured Pearls’, https://www.purepearls.com/pages/pearl-origins-history-of-cultured-pearls