Japanese pearl specialist Mikimoto plays with a seductively dark aesthetic in the new ‘Passionoir’ collection. In the jewellery, black South Sea pearls are subjected to the Japanned Noir technique, which cradles the pearl in inky black rhodium coatings for an edgy take on a traditional aesthetic.
The designs place the lustrous black South Sea pearls in necklaces and bracelets, juxtaposing the gleaming orbs against heavy links of silver. In other pieces, different hues of the pearls are celebrated, in mismatching bracelets, for example. In the ‘M’ collection, for a more contemporary take, the pearls are held in jagged edgings of white gold treated with the Japanned Noir technique.
‘We always seek to maintain the importance and relevance of Mikimoto pearl jewellery designs regardless of age and gender,’ says Mikimoto CEO Mr Yasuhiko Hashimoto. ‘Our vision with “Passionoir” was to express this passion through new designs inspired by the strong contrast between the innocent beauty of pearls, combined with the powerful and mysterious black colour, further pursuing the possibility of pearls.’
Whether teased into modern silhouettes – perched on twisting ear cuffs or sitting in-between tough links – or strung onto a traditional necklace laced with black spinel, pearls are consistently at the forefront of the Mikimoto designs.
The new ‘Passionoir’ collection builds on Mikimoto’s 2021’s collection of high jewellery pieces, which plays with more feminine silhouettes and exquisite flowery scenes in pieces that nod to Japan’s ukiyo-e art movement of the 17th to 19th century.
More than 100 years after the company’s founder created the world’s first cultured pearl in 1893, Mikimoto’s emphasis on craftsmanship intertwined with modern design continues.
INFORMATION
The pieces will launch in London on 25th January 2022
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