Internationally acclaimed jewelry designer Margot McKinney is redefining the way women wear pearls with a new collection created from the unusual beauty of Australian South Sea pearls. A celebration of the uniqueness of the swirling, irregular shapes of baroque pearls, these exquisite lariat, single, or multi-strand necklaces and pendants, earrings, bracelets, and rings render this popular gem with an all-new and thoroughly modern glamour.
At the heart of each piece are pearls harvested from the pristine waters off the coast of East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. These pearls are always white or lightly tinted silvery grey, easily distinguishable from other varieties, and well regarded for the quality of their luster, complexion, shape and size, which range from 10mm to a maximum of 25mm. But what make them truly special are their organic shapes, bursting with personality and individuality, the antithesis of a conventional, perfectly spherical pearl.
“These are nothing like the pearls made popular by previous generations,” Margot points out. And she has artfully created a breathtaking array of pieces decked with brilliant gemstones like rubies, tsavorites and pink and blue sapphires to punctuate and contrast strands of baroque pearls. “I mix faceted stones with cabochons to create irregular patterns on the surface of the beads that echo the flowing forms of the baroques,” she explains.
Margot sifted through some 85,000 pearls many times, to select the finest among them, and a few dozen “snowmen”, or double pearls – enough for just two strands. She then broke up the series of “snowmen” with nuggets of gold pavéd in diamonds and other gemstones, which she calls “planets” and “peanuts” to add a frosty sparkle to the creamy luster of the pearl. This ravishing collection not only elevates the elegance of any wardrobe but serves as heirlooms to be cherished forever.
ABOUT MARGOT McKINNEY
Based in Australia, Margot McKinney hails from a long family tradition of luxury retail dating back to 1884. Transcending mere adornment, her jewelry designs are statement pieces of pristine craftsmanship that lend any ensemble a touch of the sublime. For Margot, it often begins with the stone, sourced with extreme care from rare finds. Out of its intrinsic qualities, she fashions the ideal setting for the gem to shine at its most brilliant, to drape gracefully around the neck or from an earlobe or a wrist, and to bask in the admiration of the beholder.
Since its inception, her collection has been an intrinsic part of the wardrobes of the haute society set in Dallas, Palm Beach, San Francisco and Atlanta. A-List celebrities such as Dita Von Teese, Elizabeth Hurley, Andy McDowall, Idina Menzel, Rebecca Gibney, and Australian minister of foreign affairs, Julie Bishop, are consistently photographed wearing the jewels to red-carpet galas and film premieres. It continues to be among the pride of the prestigious jewelry salon of Neiman Marcus where more and more women from across the US and around the world are discovering the exquisite beauty of the Margot McKinney Collection.