Suzanne Kalan may be best known for her love of diamond baguettes, but for her new collection she’s fallen in love with the seductive luminescence of pearls. The collection, which pairs Tahitian pearls with both baguette-cut diamonds and baguette-cut emeralds, is the result of a collaboration with the Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA).
The capsule collection of earrings and rings celebrates the rich undertones of black Tahitian pearls, which can appear blue, green, purple and pink depending on the light. Kalan was approached by the CPAA – which had been given support from the government of French Polynesia to launch a collection – at the beginning of the year, and was immediately attracted to the idea. ‘So many incredible jewellery designers have not worked with Tahitian pearls before, so I was excited to be given this opportunity; especially by such a globally respected organisation as the CPAA,’ she says.
Suzanne Kalan’s black pearls
Her distinctive baguette cuts make a graphic foil for the sensual orbs of the pearls. Kalan celebrates the rainbow of hues in both, offsetting the pearls’ warmth against the sparkle of the diamonds. ‘I also love emeralds next to the colour of Tahitian pearls, hence I made emeralds a significant part of the collection. Tahitian pearls are also timeless, modern, classic, yet edgy and sexy – incredibly complementary to my work with baguettes and previous collections.’
Did anything surprise her about working with pearls? ‘I didn’t quite realise how many undertones of colour Tahitian pearls have – they’re beautiful!’ says Kalan. Adds CPAA executive director Jennifer Heebner: ‘Suzanne is remarkably talented, so I could not be more excited that she is our first partner in this project. I’m excited to introduce more people to the beauty, lustre and allure of fine pearls.’ §
