Pearl Legacy: Peggy Grosz Starts a New Chapter for Assael

July 11, 2022

By Katerina Perez

8 min read

At the end of 2021, we were saddened by the passing of Christina Lang Assael, a legend in the world of pearl jewellery and a tour de force for the namesake brand originally founded by her husband, Salvador Assael. Assael was founded in 1910 by Salvador’s father, James, but it wasn’t until immediately after WWII that Salvador started importing pearls. That is a 75-year legacy in the pearl business! Today, Senior Vice President Peggy Grosz is taking over the reins of the company and driving it into the future. Here, I speak to Grosz about her passion for jewellery design, the importance of legacy and the many lessons she learned from Mrs Assael, who remains a vital influence and source of inspiration.

Peggy Grosz didn’t start her career as a jewellery designer but, still, the profession found her, nonetheless. Some 25 years ago, she was distributing an Italian fine jewellery collection and was asking for tweaks and changes to improve its focus, relevance to fashion, and sales success. This input eventually landed her in the manufacturing facilities, where she worked with design teams and set herself on a path to product development roles. “I didn’t even realise that what I was doing had morphed into design until I began designing as part of my responsibilities at Assael,” Grosz explains. She’s been at the iconic pearl brand since 2017 and has honed her skills without the benefit of formal education in design.

Assael Japanese Akoya pearl necklace with 16.95 cts aquamarine drop and diamonds

Assael Japanese Akoya pearl necklace with 16.95 cts aquamarine drop and diamonds

 Assael South ring with Akoya and South Sea pearls and violane stone

Assael South ring with Akoya and South Sea pearls and violane stone

Sadly, in December 2021, Assael’s President and CEO, Christina Lang Assael, passed away aged 75. In the months that have followed, Assael has slowly built a new path without its eponymous leader, building on her incomparable spirit and continuing her passion for innovative, contemporary pearl jewellery designs. With Grosz now at the head of the company, we met at the Couture Show to discuss the art of pearls, her own creative process and the designs she is most proud of…

Peggy Grosz and Christina Lang Assael doing an Instagram Live together

Peggy Grosz and Christina Lang Assael doing an Instagram Live together

Katerina Perez: What are some of the most important lessons you learned from Christina Assael? 

Peggy Grosz: Perhaps the most important thing would be her dedication and laser focus on keeping Assael the finest company of its kind. From the pearls, coral, and gemstones we owned or sourced to the quality of our workmanship and marketing and the way our retailers should be accommodated, everything needed to speak of tasteful luxury. We were always on the same page about this. She had courage… jumping into the precious, sustainable coral business in a way no other American company ever had. Christina either did something or didn’t and when she did, she did so full-on with courage and conviction. I also learned that the most unlikely friendships can happen when you’re not even noticing them. I was given the gift of her friendship and her trust. I feel grateful that we had the time to talk about this and celebrate it before we lost her.

Top: Spondylus (Spiny Oyster) natural saltwater pearl & lavender spinel ring. Bottom: Quahog natural saltwater pearl & lavender spinel ring

Top: Spondylus (Spiny Oyster) natural saltwater pearl & lavender spinel ring. Bottom: Quahog natural saltwater pearl & lavender spinel ring

 Unusual saltwater pearl rings with spinels by Assael

Unusual saltwater pearl rings with spinels by Assael

 Assael Spondylus (Spiny Oyster) natural saltwater pearl & lavender spinel ring

Assael Spondylus (Spiny Oyster) natural saltwater pearl & lavender spinel ring

KP: When Assael started introducing new and creative designs that put pearls in a different light, what prompted this desire to take the business in a different direction?

PG: Christina Assael hired me to ‘shake things up’. So, we did that in organisational and business ways, but no company can stand still! We always sold strands of pearls and the basics. When the talented Prince Dimitri designed for Assael for about a decade (approx.1995-2005), he shook things up. But when I joined the company, it had been 12 years since anything new had been developed! If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards, right? Our pearl customers had a thirst for new things. Assael has the finest, largest inventory of pearls in the Americas, so it was only appropriate that Assael give them new ways to wear pearls and coral.

Assael rinngs with bi-colour tourmalines and multi pastel colour Akoya cultured pearls

Assael rinngs with bi-colour tourmalines and multi pastel colour Akoya cultured pearls

KP: What is your favourite thing about designing jewellery?

PG: That’s easy! It takes my mind away from some mundane business responsibilities (temporarily), but more importantly, it’s the challenge. To create something that adds to the collective choices of customers, while being relevant, physically producible and wearable, turns me on. A design can be wonderful on paper but if it’s not truly, dimensionally producible and wearable… what’s the point? There are so many incredibly beautiful jewels in the world, from the past and present. My favourite thing about designing jewellery is the times that I succeed and end up with something that I love, which I’ve never seen before, and that our clientele wants to own and wear. I can look at a piece and feel that it should absolutely exist.

"In Reverse" bi-color tourmaline and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

"In Reverse" bi-color tourmaline and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

Bi-color tourmaline and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

Bi-color tourmaline and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

Bi-color autumn tourmaline cushion cut and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

Bi-color autumn tourmaline cushion cut and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

KP: Can you pinpoint some of the designs you are especially proud of?

PG: I would have to start with the pieces using the unusual multi-colour tourmalines that we’ve paired with pearls. Most bi- or tri-coloured tourmalines have their distinct colours concentrated separately from each other in zones. It’s somewhat rare when the tourmaline rough with more than one colour can be cut in a way that causes the colours to magically mix and change depending upon the viewer’s angle and the lighting. That is exactly what happens with pearls of multiple colour tones!

Bi-colour tourmalines from Nigeria and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings by Assael

Bi-colour tourmalines from Nigeria and Tahitian natural colour cultured pearl earrings by Assael

KP: And what are your personal favourites in the collections right now?

PG: I love the combination of Golden South Sea pearls with the golden-woody natural veining in turquoise. I am particularly fond of a modernist pair of earrings using these gems. I must also add a very recent piece that we showed at Couture. It almost didn’t make it… I had to hand-carry it to Las Vegas with me. The combination of something as precious as ‘Angel Skin’ coral with the much less precious ‘Sunset’ chalcedony seemed right, as did the round shape at the top of the earring and square shape beneath. We completed the earrings with single-cut diamond pavé, as I didn’t want the traditional scintillation of brilliant-cut diamond pavé overpowering the softness of the coral and chalcedony.

Angel skin coral, candlelight carnelian and diamond detachable drop earrings

Angel skin coral, candlelight carnelian and diamond detachable drop earrings

 Aquamarine and angel skin coral ring by Assael

Aquamarine and angel skin coral ring by Assael

 Assael earrings with green grossular garnet, Angel skin coral and diamonds

Assael earrings with green grossular garnet, Angel skin coral and diamonds

 Assael earrings with golden South Sea cultured pearls and turquoise

Assael earrings with golden South Sea cultured pearls and turquoise

 Turquoise, fancy yellow diamonds and golden South Sea cultured pearl necklace by Assael

Turquoise, fancy yellow diamonds and golden South Sea cultured pearl necklace by Assael

KP: If you were to ask me what caught my eye at Couture, I would definitely mention the new ring with an unusual gem called…violane!

PG: I loved the violane the minute it crossed my vision. It was at Tucson and I had never seen anything quite like it. I immediately thought of a blue sky with clouds, in varying shades of white and grey. What better way to amplify white clouds than white pearls? I learned from the violane dealer that it was a diopside and therefore quite brittle. I knew that we’d need to set it in a way that totally protected it. The first piece has ‘clouds’ of South Sea, Akoya and extremely light silver Tahitians, set all around and higher than the violane. I should point out that violane is not ‘precious’ in the traditional sense. The rough material is inexpensive. It is the cutting and the risk of doing so, along with the risk of using such a material and the labour needed to set it properly that makes it precious. But perhaps even more precious is that the owner of the ring will be sophisticated enough not to need others to recognise her gems and won’t see other pieces like it.

Assael ring with Akoya and South Sea cultured pearls and violane

Assael ring with Akoya and South Sea cultured pearls and violane

KP: Where do you see Assael in the future?

PG: I see Assael exactly as Christina and I discussed; becoming closer and closer to a small luxury brand in the true sense of the word. People tell me that we are a luxury brand, but the truth is that we are a luxury trade name. Tiffany is a ‘brand’. The French luxury maisons are brands. Assael has all of the makings of a luxury brand. We have a legacy of 75 years, quite a story! We will continue along the path that Christina and I started – today’s version of the path that Salvador Assael began 75 years ago.

Assael coral and lapis earrings

Assael coral and lapis earrings

 Assael aquamarine and pearl necklace

Assael aquamarine and pearl necklace

 Assael ring with Sunstone and Tahitian cultured pearl

Assael ring with Sunstone and Tahitian cultured pearl

 Assael peridot and Fijian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

Assael peridot and Fijian natural colour cultured pearl earrings

I am sure you will agree with me that there is no one better than Peggy Grosz to continue the Assael legacy. I look forward to being surprised and delighted by the brand’s upcoming creations, whether they be set with coral, Tahitian pearls, South Sea pearls or rare coloured gemstones.

Romancing Rubies: Jaw-Dropping Jewels Featuring July’s Birthstone

continue reading

Birthday Wishes: Embracing the Power of Being Different 

Today, I want to share my thoughts on embracing your inner self and channelling all that power into your biggest passions…

by Katerina Perez

Flip the Script: Meet the Jewellers Creating Luxury Customised Watches

Jewellery designers are increasingly turning their artistic talents to the world of horology, customising luxury watches with unique embellishments that carry their personal style signatures. From reimagined Rolexes to gemstone-studded bezels, discover how jewellers are making their mark on the world of timepieces

by Rachael Taylor

Iconic Revival: Boucheron Reinvents the Serpent Bohème Jewellery

That nostalgic feeling of seeing past creations—sometimes forgotten, sometimes iconic—sparking a rush of inspiration to reimagine and breathe new life into what once was. That's exactly what Boucheron has achieved with its latest revival: the Serpent Bohème Vintage collection

by Hirshi Sujanti

Art Deco Innovation: Exploring the Iconic Van Cleef & Arpels Mystery Setting

The Mystery Setting by Van Cleef & Arpels stands out as a masterpiece of Art Deco ingenuity. As the world celebrates the centenary of Art Deco in 2025, we are taking the opportunity to spotlight one of the most technically ambitious innovations to emerge from this golden era of jewellery design

by Claire Roberts

Emerald Odyssey: Chopard Unveils its Insofu High Jewellery Collection

There's nothing quite like the thrill of a new collection unveiling. But what truly excites me isn't just the sparkle and glamour – it's when a brand takes a bold and unexpected approach. This is exactly what Chopard has done with its latest Insofu High Jewellery collection, which all started with the extraordinary 6,225-carat 'Insofu' rough emerald. Let's take a closer look at the creations that have emerged from this incredible mineral specimen

by Hirshi Sujanti

Watches and Wonders 2025: The Best Jewellery Watches 

From diamond-drenched serpents to enamelled blooms and secret talismans, these new jewellery watches unveiled in Geneva embody the artistry, emotion and extravagance of high jewellery watchmaking for women

by Rachael Taylor

Refined Character: The Ancient-Meets-Modern Allure of Dionysios Fine Jewels

The Dionysios signature is all about warm, soulful jewellery that’s characterful without being overtly historical or too starkly modern. Let’s take a closer look at some of the brand’s highlights…

by Katerina Perez

Blinded by the Light: The April Birthstone Through the Lens of Diamond Pavé

Let's consider pieces that showcase this method of craftsmanship in all its sparkling glory…

by Katerina Perez

Love Language: Introducing the Expressive Creations of Zome Jewellery

For designers like Meghna Biswas, the woman behind Zome Jewellery in the United Arab Emirates, the process of transforming coloured gemstones and precious metals into beautiful creations is an ever-evolving love language

by Katerina Perez

Diamond Garden: Creating Digital Delights with AI Artist Anastasia Rogozhina

Take a look and consider the incredible feats that artificial intelligence can achieve in empowering creativity and broadening our minds

by Katerina Perez

100 Years of Art Deco: Top 10 Pieces of Art Deco Jewellery Sold at Auction

From the legendary Van Cleef & Arpels Jarretière bracelet worn by Marlene Dietrich to a striking aigrette that was once part of the Al Thani collection, all the pieces below are infused with the fearless originality of the Jazz Age

by Claire Roberts

Spirited Jewels: The Expressive Creativity of Elena Semy Jewellery 

Today, I'd like to introduce you to the creative designs of Elena Semy Jewellery and Elena, the artist behind them

by Katerina Perez

Latest Stories

Add articles and images to your favourites. Just

Century of Splendour:Louis Vuitton Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds Chapter II

Creative Director Francesca Amfitheatrof offers her unique interpretation of a pivotal period in France’s history, marked by the French Revolution, the Napoleonic era, and the rise of industrialism

by Sarah Jordan

Jewels Katerina Perez Loves

Continue Reading

Writing Adventures:Co-Authoring the Book

Paraiba: The Legacy of a Color

by Katerina Perez

Jewellery Insights straight to your inbox

Style Guide

By using this website, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.