I was excited to attend an Assael breakfast at Mark’s Club, Mayfair to view Julie Parker’s Capsule Collection. Made for a great cause, the jewelry was created in aid of Tusk and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The selection of the most gorgeous pendants features endangered species, each with it’s own world renowned Assael pearl. It was almost impossible to choose but one of my favorite was an elephant pendant complete with a Baroque pearl. I do personally love the Baroque pearls with their naturally irregular shape. There were also pieces featuring my all-time favorite Tahitian pearls.

So precious were the jewels on display that they have instantly become collectible pieces, and very likely will be future auction pieces too. Some of the pieces in the Capsule Collection are limited edition only, there really is strictly a set number of these made. Creating limited edition jewelry is not a common practice for many fine jewelers in today’s industry, just adding to the Capsule Collection’s individuality.

These highly precious jewels really do stand alone, leaving other jewelry far behind! Each impressive fine jewel has a design advantage as well as including some of the world’s most exquisite pearls. Despite their very valuable nature, the Capsule Collection is also very wearable, it would be like wearing a work of art everyday.

The bejeweled trinkets are as rare as the animals they portray, each being made with more than 1000 diamonds as well as an exquisite Baroque South Sea pearl. The body of the pendant is as intricately detailed and created from 18-carat gold. Jewels that will always bring pleasure from being worn or simply admired for their fine craftsmanship as objet d’art in themselves.

I love how the collection has a deep rooted meaning too: created to benefit both the Wildlife Conservation Society and Tusk, a London wildlife conservation group set up twenty years ago in response to the poaching crisis in Africa. Tusk’s mission is to find a way to combine the interests of both people and wildlife while preserving Africa’s beautiful natural heritage.

These creatures are so adorable and full of love and kindness, this reflects the love of the conservationalists working tirelessly to save these beautiful creatures from an unknown and desperate future.

The location was well chosen! Mark’s Club is a private members’ dining club that is quintessentially British in style and feel. Set in the prestigious Mayfair townhouse, it’s discreetly located away from the busy city.

It’s the exquisite detail and workmanship unlike any other that marks out the jewelry. Assael is known as one of the world’s leading pearl houses, after having discovered them I am planning to learn more about the distinguished name, as well as visiting the NYC boutique.

There’s a real history to Assael, one that starts back in 1952 when Salvador Assael traveled to Japan to sell left-over army watches. He was frequently paid in pearls, in particularly the smaller Japanese Pinctada Fucata or Akoya pearl. It wasn’t long before he was seduced by the beauty of the largest pearls of all: The Pinctada Maxima or white Australian South Sea pearl and the golden Indonesian South Sea pearl. The stunning lustre, shape and feel of these pearls can make any heart melt.

Assael is attributed for single handedly creating the strong modern market for black pearls, a market that was always associated with the brilliant white pearls. The Tahitian Natural Color Black pearl first arrived in the United States in 1976, when Salvador Assael returned from his travels in Tahiti. He took his stunning new creation to legendary Fifth Avenue jeweler Harry Winston. Would the public fall in love with these new pearls? The necklace was sold almost immediately and Salvador J. Assael had successfully begun a whole new movement in pearl jewelry.

Wear these pieces as pendants or take out the chain to make them into a miniature ornament for a desk or display.

The kind and playful nature of the jewels is adorable with so much meaning in each. A piece from the Capsule Collection takes the top spot on our Christmas list this year!

Could you pick just one animal to save?

I would love to hear what you think by leaving me a comment below. Thank you!

SHOP MY FAVOURITE JEWELRY ONLINE:

I am extremely happy to announce that my new jewelry book – GEMOLOGUE: Street Jewellery Styles & Styling Tips – is now on Amazon. I’m so excited. It’s the first book of its kind solely dedicated to jewellery. 

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GEMOLOGUE by Liza Urla is a celebration of fine, fashion and vintage jewellery featuring exquisite global discoveries, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews.

GEMOLOGUE jewelry blog by Liza Urla is featuring talented jewellery designers, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews. This jewellery blog’s goal is to encourage and educate about jewellery online in a fresh and original fashion to inspire women and men across the globe in a fashion and travelling context.

Jewellery blogger, writer Liza Urla, the founder of GEMOLOGUE, is a London-based and NYC-educated gemologist, who has travelled to and lived in many countries. She is now one of the most influential digital jewellery tastemakers. Her jewellery influence has been acknowledged by Financial Times, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

*Photographed by Julia Flit. Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla. All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE.

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