Samos by JLL Pearl

Samos is the braided silver gold chain pearl choker I built strand by strand, looking for a way to make metal feel soft. At the centre, one large round freshwater pearl holds the piece — quiet and luminous against the texture of the braid around it.

The braid

I twist three elements together: a charcoal satin cord, a fine gold chain, and a fine silver chain. Moreover, I weave small lengths of chain in at intervals and leave them to hang freely — they shift when you move, and that small movement is what makes the piece alive. Because the braid mixes warm and cool metal, it reads differently depending on the light.

How to wear it

Samos closes with a sliding knot, so it sits close at the throat or falls just below the collarbone. Furthermore, two small round pearls finish the cord ends — a detail that carries through the material of the centrepiece. Therefore, it works well alone and equally well layered with a longer necklace.

I make Samos without a fixed template, working the three strands slowly until the tension feels right. As a result, each braided silver gold chain pearl choker is slightly different from the last. Still, I make this piece for every day — not for ceremony. In this way, it reflects how I work: by hand, in Greece, without shortcuts.

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

Materials

• Pearl: one large round freshwater pearl, high lustre, white
• Cord: charcoal satin cord, braided with fine gold chain and fine silver chain
• Fringe: small gold and silver chain lengths, free-hanging
• Closure: adjustable sliding knot
• Finials: two small round freshwater pearls
• Handmade in Greece by Patricia Mulko