As most people familiar with my jewellery will know extremely well, I have an unabashed and abiding love for pearls. They feature prominently in my designs – particularly the world’s rarest and most beautiful variety, the Australian South Sea pearl – and rarely does a day go past when I am not wearing them.
Throughout my life there has been an inexorable link between these perfect gems of the sea and my many wonderful memories of my mother, Anne. She would wear pearls almost every day, and she was always so effortlessly elegant in them.
I learned from a very early age that pearls possess a certain magic, and that they have the power to transcend the capricious whims
of fashion. And – possibly because they are the only precious gems to be formed by a living organism – there is an affinity with motherhood, as the pearl is carefully nurtured within the oyster before emerging… lustrous and strong, the beautiful scion of the mother-of-pearl.
In the following pages it is my pleasure to share with you some of my favourite pearl pieces, showcasing their limitless versatility and timeless allure.
My Best Wishes,
Margot McKinney oam
Atlantic Pendant, featuring an important aquamarine of 119.44ct surrounded by 9.07ct of diamonds on an Australian South Sea pearl strand
In Margot’s hands, pearls cast off any traditionally conservative and understated antecedents. Large and bold, they are integral to many of her designs, often complemented with colourful gemstones as the centrepiece of an arrangement. Their natural shapes, either round or baroque (those with an organic shape that is not perfectly round), are used in designs that enhance their extraordinary size and lustrous qualities.
Australia is the birthplace of the finest pearls in the world and the only place on Earth where the mighty silver-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster grows.
There is a very limited number of pearl farms in Australia, and the industry is tightly controlled by the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries to ensure its sustainability.
All of the South Sea pearls used in Margot’s designs are fully certified by the globally-recognised Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), acknowledging the farming process as leaving zero impact on the pristine environment.
“Once in a Blue Moon” is the finest, largest and rarest strand of round South Sea pearls in the world. Emanating from the pristine waters off the north-east coast of Australia the assembly of pearls for this piece took ten years to collect. Each pearl is perfectly round and each one matches perfectly in lustre and colour. In order to produce a pearl of this size the mother oyster must be at its most mature reproducing age and must be a healthy and robust specimen. Since less than 5% of a pearl harvest comprises round pearls, “Once in a Blue Moon” is the life’s work of the pearl farmer. Selected from millions of pearls over ten harvests this extraordinarily rare and important suite of pearls is a masterpiece.
“They are rare miracles of nature.”
Australian South Sea pearls are some of the best in the world. Known for the quality of their lustre, complexion, colour, shape and size, they range from 10mm – the size of a garden pea – to over 25mm. The silver-lipped Pinctada maxima, with a silvery-white mother-of-pearl lining to its shell, is the only oyster that thrives in the seas around Northern Australia. As it is the colour of the mother-of-pearl that dictates the hue of the gem, Australian South Sea pearls are always white or lightly tinted silvery-grey, which makes them easy to distinguish from Black Tahitian, Golden Philippine and Chinese fresh-water Pink Pearls. Australian pearls are nurtured through their two-year growing period in the most pristine waters on the planet. The oysters are tended to and cared for quite meticulously, as they are the mothers of this most precious gem.
“No other jewellery designer watches as each pearl comes out of the oyster…”
Margot’s pearl journey started with a phone call from an old friend Aji Ellies, who owns Australia’s only independentlyowned pearl farm located in the remote northern tip of Australia. The pristine waters off East Arnhem Land provide perfect conditions to produce the finest pearls in the world.
He invited her to make the long trip to the farm’s remote location in East Arnhem Land and to be part of the harvest, and this extraordinary experience had a lasting effect on Margot’s relationship with these gems of the sea.
Ever since that time Margot visits Aji Ellie’s farm every year, an experience she regards as a great honour. She describes as a rare privilege the ability to present pearls to clients in Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman that have come directly from the farm in Arnhem Land:
“No other jewellery designer watches as each pearl comes out of the oyster, designs and creates a jewel and then presents it to potential collectors.”
PEARL NECKLACES
Australian South Sea Pearl Strand
Featuring twenty-three 15-16.5mm silver baroque pearls with an 18-karat white gold diamond set bayonet clasp.
Length: 47.5cm (18.7”)
Double Australian South Sea Pearl Strand
Featuring twenty-four 14.5-17.5mm silver baroque pearls with an 18-karat white gold interchangable clasp.
Length: 47cm (18 5”)
Featuring twenty-six 15-17mm silver baroque pearls with an 18-karat white gold 0 10ct diamond set bayonet clasp.
Length: 50.5cm (19.9”)
Round Australian South Sea Pearl Strand
Featuring twenty-seven 15.15-19.35mm high lustre round Australian South Sea pearls and a 6.13ct diamond set ball clasp, crafted in platinum. Length: 48 5cm (19 1”)
Featuring thirty-six 12-14mm Australian
South Sea keshi pearls set with round brilliant cut diamonds and a 17.7mm Australian baroque South Sea pearl. Crafted in 18-karat brushed yellow gold.
Kiss Collier
Tribal Chic
Featuring twenty-five 15-18mm silver baroque pearls with an 18-karat white gold diamond set bayonet clasp and enhanced with an additional diamond in the home pearl.
Length: 50.5cm (19.9”)
PEARL RINGS
Pearl Rings
Australian South Sea pearl surrounded by diamonds, blue and pink sapphires and tsavorites, crafted in 18-karat white gold.
Australian South Sea pearl surrounded by diamonds, crafted in 18-karat brushed yellow gold.
Australian South Sea pearl surrounded by diamonds, crafted in 18-karat brushed white gold.
Reverie Swirl
Australian South Sea pearl surrounded by diamonds, sapphires and tsavorites, crafted in 18-karat yellow gold.
Laguna Laguna
Pearl Rings
Floral Abundance
Australian South Sea pearl surrounded by diamonds, sapphires, tsavorites, crafted in 18-karat yellow gold.
Australian South Sea pearl surrounded by diamonds, pink, orange and purple sapphires, crafted in 18-karat yellow gold.
Rosette
PEARL EARRINGS
Kiss Earrings
Margot’s Kiss earrings are available in a variety of colors and finishes, and feature detachable pearl drops for effortless versatility.
Diamonds and pink sapphires, with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Diamonds and tsavorites, with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Diamonds, yellow, pink and orange sapphires with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Diamonds and blue sapphires, with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Cookie & Jelly Bean Earrings
Both the Cookie and the Jelly Bean collections of earrings are available in large and small sizes, offering detachable pearl drops in a variety of styles. They also come in an array of colors to suit your individual taste.
Diamonds, yellow, pink and orange sapphires and pink tourmalines with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Diamonds and blue sapphires with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Diamonds, blue sapphires and tsavorites with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Diamonds, green sapphires, tsavorites, peridots and lemon quartz with Australian South Sea pearl drops.
Pearl Earrings
Australian South Sea pearls, surrounded by diamonds, blue sapphires and tsavorites, crafted in 18-karat yellow and white gold.
Australian South Sea pearls, surrounded by pink sapphires, crafted in 18-karat yellow and white gold.
Australian South Sea pearls, surrounded by diamonds, blue, yellow, pink and purple sapphires and tsavorites, crafted in 18-karat white gold.
Most of Margot’s earrings offer the luxury of detachable pearl or gemstone drops.
Passionflower Swirl
Bubblegum
Placing lustrous green pistachio pearls on center stage, the Bubblegum collection of rings and earrings matches playfulness with distinctive elegance. The earrings make their own unique statement, with or without detachable pearl or gemstone drops.
Green pistachio pearls and blue enamel with tumbled Paraiba tourmaline drops, crafted in 18-karat brushed yellow gold.
Tumbled Paraiba tourmaline, green pistachio pearl and pink enamel, crafted in 18-karat brushed rose gold.
Green pistachio pearls and pink enamel, crafted in 18-karat brushed yellow gold.
Green pistachio pearl, green enamel and blue sapphires, crafted in 18-karat brushed yellow gold.
BOW PENDANTS
Pink Sapphire & Diamond Bow Pendant
Featuring round brilliant cut pink sapphires and baguette and brilliant cut diamonds. Crafted in 18-karat white gold with a detachable diamond bail, the pendant has a clasp system that accommodates a strand of pearls.
The bow pendant accommodates a pearl size of 14-18mm (0.55” – 0.71”)
Mini Bow Pendants
The mini bow pendant accommodates a pearl size of 9 - 11.5mm (0.35” – 0.45”)
Pearl Bracelets
Australian South Sea pearls, three white peanut shaped enhancers and a brushed white gold magnetic clasp set with pink sapphire. The three peanut enhancers are set with diamonds, white sapphires and white moonstones.
Crafted in 18-karat white gold.
Length: 20.5cm (8.1”)
Australian South Sea pearls, three peanut-shaped enhancers and a satin finish yellow gold magnetic clasp set with pink sapphire. The three peanut enhancers are set with blue, yellow and pink sapphires and tsavorites.
Crafted in 18-karat white, yellow and rose gold.
Length: 20.3cm (8”)
Thank you for your interest in the art of
Margot McKinney. We encourage you to reach out to your Sales Associate at any time if you have any questions about Margot and her jewelry.
