MELANIE GEORGACOPOULOS

A designer who has brought extreme innovation to pearl jewellery and changed the outlook of these luminescent gems is Greekborn and London-educated artist Melanie Georgacopoulos.

Since her first encounter with pearls during her studies at the Royal College of Art, Melanie has sliced, diced, faceted, and drilled them. In the process, she has broken every boundary that confined pearl jewellery for centuries.

Her first piece evolved from her desire to look inside a pearl. This in turn gave rise to her controversial Sliced Pearl designs, which quickly became her signature and remain among her most popular.

Affirmation of her fearless design stance came in 2013 when Japanese pearl giant Tasaki invited her to collaborate under the M/G TASAKI label. This, she says, has turned out to be the highlight of her career. “Their amazing team of craftsmen enables me to create designs that I might otherwise not be able to produce,” shares Melanie.

She continues to create for her eponymous brand, and latest collections embrace iridescent Mother of Pearl (MOP) elements. Using three-dimensional marquetry inlay techniques, she slots precision-cut segments of MOP into the desired shape. “Metal components hold everything together, giving the pieces exceptional strength and comfort,” she says.

“I do dream of working with other materials, but there are still so many exciting things to do with pearls that for now other materials will have to wait,” she concludes.

For more information, visit www.melaniegeorgacopoulos.com.