Natural wonder
There's no gem quite like the Australian South Sea pearl. Natural yet luxurious, refined yet statement-making, it is a true modern classic and an investment to be worn forever.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Kailis Jewellery • PHOTOGRAPHY Jason Capobianco • WORDS Elizabeth Clarke
Kailis Jewellery’s pearls have a luminous legacy that spans four generations of merchant seafarers. The Kailis family hailed from the small Greek island of Castellorizo and immigrated to Western Australia in the mid-1900s. Son Michael met and married medical graduate Dr Patricia Hurse in the 1970s, and with a shared love of the ocean, the pair planned to pioneer the local seafood industry.
On a trip to the northwest of the state, they arrived in Broome, home to the world's most lustrous pearls. Captivated, the couple established their first Australian South Sea pearl farm there and, using Dr Kailis' medical expertise, overcame ecological challenges that had destroyed other pearl farms. In 1978, they opened their first pearl jewellery store. Today, Kailis remains family-operated and is known globally as a modern brand with precious West Australian roots.
Rare find
Kailis' pearls – descended from the rare Australian Pinctada maxima, the world's largest pearl-producing oyster – are untouched and naturally beautiful. Australia's nutrient-rich waters are the only place on Earth where they can be used for pearl cultivation, and the wild pearl fisheries of Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the first in the world to have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
"The Australian South Sea pearl is extremely rare and makes up just 0.1 percent of global pearl production," says Kailis general manager Tanya Tindall. "We don't enhance the pearl's colour, lustre or features, so we only select the most naturally perfect pearls."
Australian South Sea pearls have the thickest nacre (pearl layer), lustre, colour and size than any other, and each is unique.
Shape shifter
Every pearl that bears the Kailis name is hand-selected based on the five natural virtues of lustre, shape, size, colour and surface quality. "Every pearl is graded in line with its virtues," says Tanya. "Our pearls are available in brands 1, 2 and 3. Brand 1 pearls are the rarest and are naturally of higher value. The Australian South Sea pearls are our hero."
Natural masterpiece
Kailis Jewellery blends tradition with modernity and is designed to be worn, not put away for special occasions. Reimagining an Australian South Sea pearl is an exceptionally delicate process. Two to three suites and major collections are released every couple of years, their inspiration found in fashion, history or the pearl itself.
"No two pearls are the same, and this is our main consideration in the design process," says Tanya. "Lustre, complexion, shape, colour and size are all considered during the design process to ensure the pearl sits beautifully in its setting."
After the jeweller makes initial sketches, the final design is created as a 3D digital model to ensure it is workable. Next it is cast in wax, then silver, to ensure it is wearable before being made in gold as a Kailis Jewellery collection item.
Delicate or daring?
Look to the natural world for stylish inspiration in choosing a bold statement piece or opting for the understated elegance of more refined designs. Mix and match your pearls with other gems, or hark back to jewellery sets of the past, pairing a pendant with earrings and bracelets with rings for a refreshing return to polished elegance.
"Wear your pearls often," says Tanya. "Pearls are cold until worn and warmed up against your skin. Wearing them feels natural and beautiful and helps them keep their lustre."
Natural Wonders featured in Havenist Magazine Issue #2
Have you read?
