Tiffany & Co.’s Chief Gemologist Victoria Reynolds on Why Bird On A Pearl is An Ode to the Middle East
“It is very much a homage to the Gulf, because it produced these incredible miracles of nature,” she tells Bazaar Arabia’s Natasha Faruque
She’s been with the brand for 36 years so when Tiffany & Co.’s chief gemologist, Victoria Reynolds, says that sourcing the pearls that form the foundation of the Bird on a Pearl capsule collection will go down as “one of the highlights of my career, for sure”, you know that these pieces are special. She continues that “It’s such a huge privilege. I really can’t understate what it’s meant to me to be able to spend time with Mr Hussein Al Fardan, to have a look at his passion, to learn from him… It’s truly been an honour.”
Natural pearls that have been carefully collected over generations by the Doha-based jewellery expert: that’s what has this seasoned veteran so excited. “For centuries, the finest pearls in the world came from the Persian Gulf. And unfortunately, now for the past 50 years, Mother Nature has stopped producing them.” Hussein is renowned for having the most prized collection, and he has never parted with a pearl – until now.
“He knew we were going to love them as much as he did,” smiles Victoria. She continues, “Truly, I don’t think he would give the pearls up to anybody he didn’t think would pay homage to them. Other houses have approached Mr. Hussein for years, and he’s always said no. But the book that he always references is a first edition of The Book of the Pearl by George Kunz, who was our first chief gemologist, so we were very fortunate. I think it’s the heritage of the house, also the authenticity. A lot of houses didn’t use pearls, but we’ve been using pearls in our vernacular for hundreds of years. But we never got this lucky.” It’s clear that this showcase was “inspired by the region. I think it is very much a homage to the Gulf, because it produced these incredible miracles of nature.”
But are pearls even gemstones? Victoria explains, “They are very much in rarity, scarcity and beauty. And those are the three ways that I gauge any gemstone. They check off all the boxes. And in the case of these pearls, they’re even more extraordinary. Cultured pearls have just a little bit of help from Mother Nature, whether it’s seed or tissue. But these are completely natural. Only one in 10,000 oysters will ever produce a natural pearl.”
Each creation was beautifully displayed, as part of the immersive Dubai Blue Book high jewellery showcase at Skooni, but one stood out: “It’s the most expensive in the collection, and there’s a reason: it’s a silver drop pearl, just over 31ct, a silver pearl. It is just sheer perfection, the lustre, the skin, it has incredible orient. That is the standard by which all other pearls will be judged because it’s so perfect.”
And although they just made their debut in Dubai, Victoria predicts they’ll find their forever home in the Middle East too. “They typically don’t leave here when we bring them,” she states confidently about the label’s high jewellery selection. “They’re so incredible that I think our clients understand their rarity.” Jean Schlumberger, who first debuted the Bird on a Rock design in 1965, would be proud.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s 2024 March issue