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Distinguished, handcrafted jewelry offers so much more than a presentation or a statement. While finery can be used to assemble a flawless ensemble, the roots of character in jewelry run deep.
Pearls are in a category unique unto themselves. The freshwater pearl variety used in our bracelets and other pieces are organic in nature and are selected for their quality, painstakingly by one craftsman. The origin - the mussel - is an important part of our supply chain as we select sustainable practice providers over the rest. All this is done even before delivery into the hands of the second, human artisan.
These are the features that are on full display in our collection of freshwater pearl bracelets.
Peerless Production and Origin
Freshwater pearls are not rare in terms of production. They are among the most commonly produced of all pearl varieties. However, in their uniqueness and innate character, they are among the finest of all pearls.
Freshwater pearls are cultured around the world, from the United States to Japan and China, using several different species of freshwater mussels, such as Triangle Shell and Biwa Shell mussels.
In an artistically-precise process known as nucleation, these mussels are implanted with mantle tissue. After being seeded with this tissue, the mussels begin to secrete nacre - the pearlescent (nacreous), iridescent substance that gives pearls their unique, exquisite luster.
Like a miniature, underwater artist, the mussel toils and reflects over its art for years - in some cases, nearly a decade - slowly accreting these hidden beauties. Layer by layer, they painstakingly craft their handiwork, producing pearls that vary in size, shape, and color, each of which is imbued with its own unique personality.
Only at the point of harvest does the mussel divulge its lovingly kept secret to the world, passing the torch to a dignified designer, tasked with the crucial task of assembling pearl necklaces and bracelets that complement the inherent beauty of these wondrous natural stones.
Perfectly Imperfect
Freshwater pearls are available in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. They vary from nearly round - similar to an Akoya pearl - to baroque and often exhibit numerous minor irregularities that, like a fingerprint, make them unmistakably unique.
A rainbow of variety lives in the echelon of freshwater pearls, from nearly white to silver-toned, to warmer hues reminiscent of pink. Some freshwater pearls sport the glossy, nearly metallic surface that is customary of cultured saltwater pearls, whereas others feature a dimpled, dappled surface.
It is, in part, due to this variation and “imperfection” that freshwater pearls are so highly esteemed. Not only are these pearls highly variable in terms of color, size, shape, and luster, but even evidently similar pearls exhibit minor variations among these traits.
This makes freshwater pearl bracelets as individual as a memory, a snowflake, or a fingerprint. Each pearl, and by extension, each piece of jewelry carefully crafted using it, is indefinably unique from all the others. Attempts to create homogeneity are in vain.
Freshwater pearl fashion is unrepentantly, unapologetically, inseparably sui generis.
Mystique and Symbolic Weight: Clouded with Clarity
Freshwater pearl bracelets and jewelry are not only unique in their very nature. They carry separate symbolic importance from other precious and semi-precious stones.
Each piece that you’ll encounter on our website is the result of meticulous design and reflection; all are approved by Fabrizio Sassano before being hand-crafted in our studio in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Our skilled craftsmen work with exquisite freshwater pearls that have been many years in the making. Each piece carries the weight of history with it - not just the history of the living organism that created it, but of the symbolic significance of pearls.
Since time immemorial, pearls have been used to convey a sense of gentle femininity and an appreciation for all things beautiful. For thousands of years, pearls have been worn to communicate wealth, purity, wisdom, patience and deliberation, and tranquility.
Some believe that pearls, with their seemingly infinite depth and luster, also protect and embolden the spirit of the wearer.
Others see the tame luminous nature of pearls as reminiscent of the natural beauty of the moon. Indeed, pearls share the moon’s gentle luster, undeniable beauty, and calming, encouraging presence.
Freshwater Pearl Bracelets, Hand and Time-Crafted
Every design you encounter in our collection of freshwater pearl bracelets is the product of both skilled handcraftsmanship and time.
Each pearl recovered carries with it the careful caresses of its progenitor, the mussel, before being carefully selected and associated with other beautiful gemstones, such as quartz, opal, morganite, agate, and turquoise, which complement each other’s beauty.
Every bracelet is lovingly crafted with the same attention to detail, respect for aesthetics, and deliberate purpose as each mussel took in the creation of each pearl.
Our collection of freshwater pearl bracelets carries not only that natural splendor, but also the color and character of Fabrizio Sassano’s heritage, education, and respect for tradition and custom.
Attempts to communicate the resplendent aesthetics of our freshwater pearl jewelry will fall short. They defy description and must be absorbed. Take some time to become acquainted with our designs. Everyone is welcome.