If pearls are seen as stuffy and conservative, mother of pearl is often seen as its cheap, sleazy cousin. But here, mother of pearl is used to excellent effect in a necklace set in 18k white gold and fastened with a South Sea pearl.

By Melanie Georgacopoulos, this is a sharp contemporary piece that makes elegant use of its materials. What more could you ask for? About the designer (who is now in charge of designs for Tasaki), who describes her aesthetic as, “challenging ideas about classic pearl jewellery. Here she set to capture the elemental quality of this organic, precious stone and to reinvest it with modern meanings far removed from tradition. Since then she has been exploring the endless aesthetic possibilities that the pearl can provide as jewellery. Her work constantly defies convention, bringing the pearl to the domains of art and high fashion, whilst retaining its quality as a wearable accessory.”