From the December 2020 Issue of #thisispearl digital magazine
Assael
New York City–based Assael took part in a virtual event on Zoom on Nov. 17, 2020, as part of New York City Jewelry Week. Christina Lang Assael, CEO, and Peggy Grosz, vice president, presented Come Play Among the Pearls from their Manhattan office and highlighted some of the brand’s exceedingly rare and responsibly sourced pearls, including conch and melo.
Assael also recently landed an impressive new account, Mindham Fine Jewellery in Toronto, Canada. The store carries a healthy selection of Assael jewels, including an akoya program, the Tahitian Colors collection, and Bubbles.
Left to right: Peggy Grosz and Christina Lang Assael
Barbara Heinrich
Pittsford, N.Y.–based jewelry designer Barbara Heinrich is participating in two holiday trunk shows. The first is at the Carol Saunders Gallery in Columbia, S.C. (this gallery does not have a website), from Dec. 3, 2020, through Jan. 10, 2021. The second is at Ladyfingers Jewelry in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., from Dec. 8, 2020, through Jan. 3, 2021.
Drop Shell earrings in 18k gold with black coral and white South Sea pearls, $5,000; email terri@barbaraheinrichstudio.com for purchase
Photo by Mark Nantz
Canadian Gem/Nishi Pearls
Montreal, Canada–based Canadian Gem/Nishi Pearls has raised $10,000 to date from sales on NishiPearls.com for Armenian relief as part of its Nishi Cares for Artsakh initiative, which aims to raise awareness of the attacks by Azerbaijan and Turkey against the Artsakh Republic (supported by Armenia). Nishi Pearls is donating all proceeds to the Armenia Fund, a humanitarian organization providing aid for the Republic. Efforts will continue based on more sales from NishiCares.com. Nishi founders Alique and Arka Akkelian are fourth-generation jewelers of Armenian descent. Click here to learn more.
In other company news, Alique was recently interviewed by MTL Blog about breathing new life into the pearl jewelry category. Click here to read the interview.
Judi McCormick
Manchester, Vt.–based jewelry designer Judi McCormick has a Pearl Gemstone clasp with a pending international design patent. The invisible and decorative clasp features a pearl of any type or shape that is set with gemstones and doesn’t look like hardware. McCormick calls it an artful part of a necklace or bracelet. The Pearl Gemstone clasps are available for purchase in jewelry or as individual clasps. They can also be custom ordered. Retail prices start at $450. Click here to see options.
Judi McCormick has a Pearl Gemstone clasp with a pending international design patent.
Ray Griffiths
New York City–based jewelry designer Ray Griffiths recently made a unique custom pearl ring for a client, sourcing an organic-shape coin pearl and designing and building a model around it. The client was delighted with the finished product. Click here to learn more about it and Griffiths’ process.
New York City–based jewelry designer Ray Griffiths recently made a unique custom pearl ring.
Rosa Van Parys
Westlake Village, Calif.–based jewelry designer and architect Rosa Van Parys took the Best Use of Color award as part of the American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards this year. Van Parys’s Links 3.5 necklace with the Zaha Tahitian pearl pendant and rainbow dagger are made in 18k yellow gold with tsavorite garnets, pink sapphires, and blue diamonds; a colorful front clasp is made in 18k rose gold with tsavorites, yellow and dark pink sapphires, and black diamonds. The Zaha pendant features a AAA 14.9 mm blue-tone Tahitian pearl and a dagger motif with colorless and blue diamonds, orange sapphires, amethysts, yellow and pink sapphires, and tsavorite garnets. The necklace and pendant are interchangeable with a removable add-on ring and add-on connector in 18k yellow gold with pink and yellow sapphires. The necklace retails for $39,795; email sales@rosavanparys.com with inquiries.
Parys is an architect and interior designer who strives to stay on the forefront of the new pearl movement in fine jewelry. Her nontraditional designs speak to her motto, Elegance with an Edge, with symmetry, composition, versatility, and the bold use of color all driving factors behind the brand’s fun and statement-worthy point of view.
Rosa Van Parys took the Best Use of Color award as part of the American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards this year for the Links 3.5 necklace with the Zaha Tahitian pearl pendant and rainbow dagger.
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