These are Akoya pearl earrings.

I made a pink three-pearl chain and thought, “Now I’ll hang it from the earring fitting,” only to realize that I didn’t actually have the fitting on hand. So instead, I decided to hook the chain onto a stud earring.

Then, on a whim, I chose a blue baroque pearl.

There is something very distinctive about this combination of blue and pink.

It doesn’t feel old, but it doesn’t feel new either. It seemed to carry the scent of childhood, or of a time long ago.

As I let my thoughts wander, I suddenly felt that it resembled the atmosphere of after school in my student days.

Class had ended, the classroom was quiet, and from outside I could hear the distant voices of students busy with their club activities.

After school sometimes brought the kind of heart-racing little incidents that seem unique to youth.

Even if you hoped for something like that, those days were rare. Still, there was always that special feeling in the air, as if something might happen.

Should I just go straight home, or should I linger and chat aimlessly with friends?

It was that kind of soft, drifting time.

So, I decided to name these earrings After School.

Coming up with names is getting harder and harder, but I really like this one.

Explore three stories from the Flower Jem Library about crafting Akoya pearl earrings, the natural beauty of pearl colors, and the careful process of selecting and matching pearls. Each offers a glimpse into the craftsmanship and inspiration behind After School.

A Short Night with Pearls in Osaka

The Secrets of Pearl Processing: Crafting My Akoya Pearl Earrings

The Story Behind the Twenty Pairs

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