Golden pearls in NY exhibit speak of Filipino mythology

Hanan necklace weaves lustrous pearls with tendrils of gold, embellished with mountain berries and tourmaline spiders. INQUIRER/Carol Tanjutco

NEW YORK CITY — For the first time, Jewelmer Joaillerie has collaborated with renowned designer Wynn Wynn Ong to create the exclusive collection of golden South Sea pearls presented at Asia Society in New York October 25-26, celebrating the luxury brand’s success in the United States.

Minaden (Goddess of Earth) earrings command a price of US$18,500. INQUIRER/Carol Tanjutco

Manuel Cojuangco and French perliculturist Jacques Branellec established Jewelmer in 1979. The designs reflect a rich tapestry of Filipino myths: the story of a tempestuous woman whose wrath controls the tides; a goddess whose daughter lures men into shadowy depths for supper; a seemingly handsome farmer espied by young maidens, who watch him murmur ancient prayers into the wind to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Louvre

A major piece in the collection, Hanan, named after the Goddess of the Morning, is a jeweled garland of wild berries filled with lustrous golden and white pearls, whose vines are populated with tiny tourmaline insects. The spectacular piece shows the vitality of nature and its abundance perpetually renewed.

A featured pair of earrings, Minaden, is named after an ancient goddess who was worshipped for having created the Earth. Highlighting the piece are golden South Sea pearls, evoking a flower’s birth with raw tourmalines and faceted gems embodied in spiders and bugs, teeming with nature’s wonder.

Jewelmer Joaillerie cultivates its golden pearls through a process that takes up to five years and 377 individual steps. Its quality and heritage benefit from know-how and expertise of master craftsmen from Place Vendome, Paris. The results are wearable pieces of art set in 18-karat gold and accentuated by the finest gem stones and have captured the hearts of pearl

Roosters

lovers all over the world.

“Having the golden South Sea pearl worn by men and women all over the world is truly an honor,” said Jewelmer Joaillerie President and CEO Jacques Branellec.

“It symbolizes the beauty and skill of the Philippines, whose national gem is the South Sea pearl. It also shows the importance of caring for the environment. The pearl is the symbol of the health of the planet. Without a beautiful environment, we cannot have beautiful pearls,” Branellec added.

Other exclusive eye-catching designs showcase the golden sunset with a distinctive French flare, such as the Bollicine and Louvre collections. Currently, the company operates 13 showrooms in the Philippines and has a retail presence in 22 countries worldwide including North and South America, China, Europe, Australia, Hongkong, Japan and the Middle East.