Zephir by JLL Pearl

Zephyr is the freshwater pearl black spinel necklace I built on one opposition — white against black, smooth against textured. A 10mm round freshwater pearl sits beside a sphere entirely covered in black spinel pavé. Moreover, both slide on a short oxidized silver chain worn close to the throat. The contrast is immediate.

The two spheres

The pearl is round and white, its surface catching light with the quiet iridescence of something organic. Furthermore, the black spinel sphere does the opposite — dense, dark, every facet cutting into the light rather than reflecting it whole. Because one is organic and one is mineral, they belong together in a way that feels inevitable.

The chain and closure

The chain is short oxidized silver, sitting at the collarbone. Therefore, both spheres rest directly on the skin — no pendant, no distance between the piece and the person wearing it. Moreover, the spring ring clasp keeps the line clean and unbroken. In this way, Zephyr reads as a single graphic statement.

I designed this freshwater pearl black spinel necklace around the tension between two spheres. Still, it was not the materials that took time — I knew those from the start. As a result, what took longest was the spacing: close enough for the contrast to land, far enough apart for each one to exist. In this way, it reflects how I work: by hand, in Greece.

Zephyr arrives in its JLL Pearl pouch with a certificate of authenticity. Because I work with natural pearls and stones, no two pieces are identical.

Materials

• Pearl: round freshwater cultured pearl, 10mm, white
• Sphere: black spinel pavé ball
• Chain: short oxidized silver, choker length
• Closure: spring ring clasp
• Handmade in Greece by Patricia Mulko