Imagine the vast expanses of sandy beaches and endless ocean views around Australia's North Coast in the late 1920s. This is where Nicholas Paspaley Snr began diving for natural pearls after crossing more than 8,000 miles from his native Greek island of Kastellorizo, kickstarting a family pearling legacy. When the industry changed in the 1950s, Nicholas turned his attention to cultured pearls, using the same Australian pearl beds that had yielded such high-quality naturals. Today, Paspaley is the last of the original Australian pearling families specialising in both natural and cultured varieties. Second-generation Executive Chairman Nick Paspaley Jnr has spent much of his time at sea pioneering new pearling techniques, many of which have been adopted throughout the world's pearl supply chain. He's joined in the business by Christine Salter, the third generation of the Paspaley family, who serves as Creative Director.
"My grandfather went to sea in a wooden boat in search of the most lustrous pearl oyster in the world, guided by a compass, instinct, and the map of the moon and stars. Now in its third generation, Paspaley has the most sophisticated pearling operation in the world – but my grandfather's obsession with beautiful pearls still lies at the heart of everything that we do," Christine Salter, Creative Director, Paspaley.
It is easy to forget that pearls are the result of a natural, organic and temperamental process. Changing temperatures, storms, water salinity and crashing waves are highly unlikely to impact sapphire deposits that are millions of years old, but they can wreak havoc on living molluscs. Part of Paspaley's expertise is navigating these changing conditions and nurturing the world's rarest, largest and most lustrous pearl oyster, the Pinctada Maxima. Only with ongoing care and attention do these oysters produce a single pearl every two to three years! Remember that when we explore the new additions to the brand's Lavalier and Dive collections below.
To showcase its new crop of pearl jewels, Paspaley has created a new nautical-themed campaign, titled Anchored in Paspaley, to really highlight the history and craft of South Sea pearl farming. It has really romanticised the "operational intricacies" that sustain the cultured pearl farming industry, right down to the divers in wetsuits and the twisted ropes, bollards and nets that hang over the side of boats. Christine explains: "A pearler's life at sea is one of adventure and romance, but our story of beauty and treasure-seeking doesn't exist without the tools and hardware that are used on pearling vessels. In bringing them to life in the form of luxury jewellery – rendered in precious metals and exquisite gems – we're honouring them, but above all, we're honouring the Paspaley story."
"What drives young men and women into a life of pearling has always fascinated me. Some of our divers are second, third and fourth generation pearl divers, and this is a testament to the contagious passion that the pearling industry elicits in those predisposed to adventure," Christine Salter.
There are 22 new pieces in total, including long-line necklaces, beautiful buoy-inspired pearl drop pendants, and minimalist rings with coloured gemstones and diamonds. Some are innovatively constructed to be worn in different ways, such as the pearl earring enhancers that can be looped onto diamond-set hoops and studs. Let's start with the new pieces in the Lavalier collection, which have large South Sea pearls encased in mesh-like pendants. These are inspired by antique glass buoys encased in rope nets that were once used to mark the pearl oyster beds. What I especially like about this golden net design is that it can be opened and closed with an innovative mechanism, allowing the pearls trapped inside to be released, changed and secured in place. This allows a pearl to be worn in its purest form, undrilled and unchanged in any way, exactly as it emerged from the ocean.
"The complexity of creating an evenly balanced net in gold that delicately wraps around the pearl and holds it securely in place, with a mechanism that allows you to remove the pearl so you can hold it in your hand, was so innovative that we were able to get a worldwide patent on the design," Christine says. "Aside from its innovation, it's simply a stunning piece and is worn by women around the world."
There are three new necklaces to discover. The first is the Turquoise Anchored Lavalier pendant with an 8mm Keshi baroque Australian South Sea pearl, diamonds, turquoise, blue sapphires and rainbow moonstones. This cage is designed to encase pearls of 18mm and over, giving the piece a full, round look. All this can be suspended from the Hero Dive Lavalier chain necklace that mirrors the shape of anchor links in diamond and turquoise set rondelles. These elements can be clasped at different lengths to give the wearer more flexibility, and entire sections can also be taken apart and worn as bracelets. A key feature to note is the elevated T-bar fastening that connects the chain to the pendant. Paspaley calls these 'Bollard' elements, and they're inspired by the posts used for mooring a boat… who said these can't be luxurious!?
The second launch is the Tassell Anchored Lavalier with details that are reminiscent of the frayed ropes found on Town Beach in Broome. These relics of another time have been coloured by weather and natural patination processes, which is why the tassel on this pendant gradually changes with ruthenium plating (to ease the yellow gold from its traditional hue to metallic black). This piece blends yellow, rose and white gold with pear-shaped diamonds, Sri Lankan black spinels, blue sapphires and rainbow moonstones. The Hero Dive Lavalier chain featured here is similarly crafted with anchor links, set with custom-cut black spinel rondelles and white diamond pavé, while the Bollard attachment is given a lift with blue sapphires.
Finally, there's the Moonstone Anchored Lavalier necklace with a sleek combination of 18k white gold, an 8mm Keshi baroque Australian South Sea pearl drop, white diamonds and rainbow moonstones with a subtle blue sheen. Again, this pendant can be worn on a third iteration of the Hero Dive Lavalier chain with diamond rondelles and a diamond-set bollard fastening. Paspaley imagines this piece with a plump South Sea pearl with a feminine pink lustre, although we can imagine it worn with peacock and golden pearls to create a striking contrast. Of course, it's the opening and closing mechanism that makes this possible!
The second half of the Anchored in Paspaley story is new additions to the Dive collection, including Anchor Link chains, new Bollard designs with channel-set sapphires and diamonds, and earring enhancers with lovely pearl drops. All take seafaring motifs and transform them into something cool and wearable for day-to-night dressing, notably the Bollard Split Pearl ring with a 14mm semi-round Australian South Sea pearl and an asymmetric line of channel-set diamonds that sit on either side of the finger. Elsewhere, the Diamond Sea Buoy earring enhancers are a great way to add interest to a pair of classic pearl studs. These detachable ear pendants are set with two 12mm semi-round South Sea pearls and white diamonds and can loop onto the Bollard studs with sapphires or diamonds for a mix-and-match look. Finally, a selection of Anchor Link pendants completes the offering perfectly with baroque and oval-shaped pearls suspended from diamond-set anchor motifs – the same one that appears in the Lavalier line.
Anchored in Paspaley isn't just about introducing new fine jewellery designs to the world; it's about celebrating the generational expertise of pearlers, the materials they use, the lives they lead, and the shapes, textures and patterns that surround their days on the ocean. These pieces are an ideal investment if you want to celebrate not only South Sea pearls but also the people and provenance that bring them to the wider world.
