Summer 2025: Fall in love with baroque pearls in mother-of-pearl
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Time to read 3 min
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Time to read 3 min
This season, baroque pearls are on everyone's lips (and every catwalk). Their unique irregular shape, somewhere between organic and sculptural, asserts a rebellious, authentic elegance. A trend that's very much in evidence on the spring/summer 2025 catwalks (Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Simone Rocha, McQueen), where these beads appear strung or mounted as oversized pendants, an assertive contrast to streamlined looks.
They symbolize an era when the imperfect becomes a stylistic asset: a shape totally in the spirit of summer 2025 - bold, natural and expressive.
Table of contents
Ancient roots
Since ancient times, pearls have been a symbol of refinement and spirituality. The first natural pearls were extracted from the Persian Gulf, India and Sri Lanka. They were perceived as spiritual symbols.
The dawn of cultivated freshwater pearls
The first modern attempt to cultivate freshwater pearls took place in Japan, in Lake Biwa, in the late 1920s. By the 1930s, pearls made entirely of mother-of-pearl, known as "Biwa pearls", were being cultivated, prized for their brilliance and unique colors. Then, in the 1960s, farms on Lake Kasumigaura introduced non-nucleated "keshi" pearls via Hyriopsis schlegelii mussels.
From the 1980s-1990s, China established itself as the world's leading producer of cultured freshwater pearls, with a variety of shapes (semi-baroque, rice-grain, round...) at affordable prices.
Natural formation and cultivation principles
Freshwater pearls come from mussels (Unionidae family) found in lakes, rivers and ponds. They are formed by the implantation of a fragment of mantle that triggers the secretion of nacre, forming coreless pearls.
Shape and style
Baroque pearls are characterized by their irregular shape - oval, asymmetrical, jagged, sometimes very expressive. They are particularly common among cultivated freshwater pearls, as they come from settlements without spherical nuclei.
Cultivated freshwater pearls are far more affordable and accessible than marine pearls (South Sea, Tahitian), while allowing for a wide variety of designs.
Origin
Mainly China (Hunan, Jiangxi regions)
Historic production in Japan, now limited
Some production in the USA, but marginal
Sculptural necklaces & layering
Baroque pearls are perfect as multi-strand necklaces or chokers mixed with gold chains or colored pearls - layered for an organic, modern look.
Statement earrings
Pendent, asymmetrical, combining a baroque pearl with minimalist metal or a colored accent: maximum effect guaranteed in 2025.
Mix of textures & materials
Marine or natural designs: mother-of-pearl, shells, rough stones. Bold alignments or raw/minimal supports.
Unisex style and organic motifs
From oversized rings with baroque pearls to gender-neutral chunky bracelets. Pearl jewelry now adapts to men's/women's or neutral styles, combining minimalism and baroque.
"Mother-of-pearl is the memory of the sea engraved in light.
On our website and in our Paris Boutique, we offer a wide range of mother-of-pearl products. Cabochons of different shapes and sizes, pendants, strands of pearls... Everything you need for trendy, elegant jewelry creations!
Baroque stringing beads: free shapes and intense mother-of-pearl, perfect for unique bracelets or necklaces.
Mother-of-pearl cabochons: various sizes and shapes to glue onto our pendants, earrings and other brackets.
Pendants: to highlight mother-of-pearl in minimalist or more elaborate settings.
Mounting/threading beads: ideal for creating dangling earrings or necklaces and bracelets.
Conclusion: mother-of-pearl, timeless brilliance at the service of creation
A symbol of natural elegance and delicate craftsmanship, mother-of-pearl has stood the test of time without ever losing its brilliance. Whether in the form of baroque pearls, glue-on cabochons or mother-of-pearl pendants, it enhances every creation with its unique, ever-changing, living reflections.
At Perles Corner, we're committed to offering you quality materials to nurture your creativity: beads to string, worked mother-of-pearl, elements to hang or mount... Each piece is an invitation to explore, to assemble, to create a jewel that's just like you.
Let the light play on the iridescent surface of mother-of-pearl, and together, we'll give it a new story to tell.
The author: Kevin Bruneel
Kevin Bruneel is co-founder of Perles Corner, and has always been passionate about creation. A former professional dancer and costume designer, he cultivates a keen sense of aesthetics and detail. Since 2012, he has been exploring DIY jewelry trends, selecting quality materials and sharing his world through inspiring tutorials and creative advice.
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