Pearls, Abuelas and me

When I turned 12 years old, my dad gave me a pearl necklace as a gift. I loved that gift. It made me feel like a grown-up. I even asked to have a new outfit made, a bright turquoise polka-dot suit, to match my necklace and mark that I wasn't a little girl anymore. I rocked my pearls for any event that required a formal attire: first communions, weddings, and graduations…the pearl necklace was there. Still, by the age of 15, the strand was hiding in the bottom of a drawer because you know… pearls are for abuelas.

At 26, I was enjoying my corporate life, and the pearls came back. With a mix of longer and colored pearls, my maxi pearl necklace was a young professional's statement. Every time I arrived at a client's presentation in high heels and pearls, I felt powerful. The pearls worked like a symbol of professionalism; they made me feel the adult I wanted to be. By the age of 29, the pearls went back to the jewelry drawer. I was a new mom finding a modern style that worked with breastfeeding and playtime, and once again, pearls felt like for abuelas.

Last December, at 39, my tia Monica sent me a gift. A pair of pearl earrings that belonged to my Abuela Olga. What a joy! I wore the pair for Christmas' eve with a vintage silk shirt, and I felt like a confident mature woman wearing a family heirloom. Once again, the pearls were back in my life. But this time, I felt that these pearls came with a superior intention: to create and make others feel. In the same week, I wore them for the first time, I ordered a string of pearls and started to draw ideas for a new collection, the Pearl Collection.

The Pearl Collection

Inspired by my Abuela's earrings and the transformative symbol that pearls have been in my life, this collection is my contemporary take on pearl accessories. Mixing rhodium-plated silver cable knots with baroque pearls allowed me to create a chic and versatile collection. Keeping in mind my busy mom life, many designs have the duality to be worn with or without the pearls.

And If you take a closer look, you will see that pair of earrings has a feminine name. Each name has been selected to honor a grandmother-like figure in my life. Because something I've learned while looking back is that pearls can look for abuelitas, still they feel like the symbol of an empowered woman in transformation.

See you soon mom, hopefully wearing pearls.

Macy