Hold Series 05 `Fall. Rise. Shine.`

This pendant was recently added to my shop, featuring a truly stunning blue baroque pearl. The surface displays vivid interference colors—fiery blues, hints of pink, and more. It reminds me of the brilliant hues you sometimes see in a gas burner flame.

Now, the way this pearl is mounted on the metal setting is slightly unconventional. Normally, pearls are drilled at the center of the back—what you might call the “spine”—so they sit flush against the setting. But this one is different. It was drilled not at the back, but near what I would describe as the “bottom” of the pearl. Because of this, the pearl doesn’t lie flat against the metal—it sits at a gentle angle, almost as if it’s rising upward.

That might be a bit confusing, so let me tell you the story behind it.

When I first found this pearl, I was enchanted by its colors and wanted to see how it looked in sunlight. So I temporarily attached it to the metal part of the pendant and stepped out onto my balcony to admire it. “Wow, how beautiful,” I thought, tilting it at different angles to catch the light.

And then—plop—it fell.
The pearl dropped from the third floor all the way to the ground.

I rushed downstairs in a panic to look for it, and fortunately, I found it quickly. But the pearl had been damaged. It had a small wound—almost the exact size of the drill hole—where the nacre had chipped away from the impact with the asphalt.

At first, I thought, “I can’t use this anymore.” I tried looking for a replacement, but I had made this metal setting specifically for that pearl, and emotionally, nothing else felt right.

Then I noticed something odd. The wound on the pearl almost seemed to suggest where the drill hole should be. As if it were saying, “Here. Drill here.” And so I did.

That’s why this pearl is set at a slightly unusual angle.
In the end, I think it turned out just fine. In fact, I like the way it sits now—quietly tilted, unique in its own way. You wouldn’t notice it unless you looked closely, but that’s part of its charm.

This pearl fell from a great height and survived.
That makes it a lucky one, I think.
And I hope to learn from it—to stay strong, even when I fall.

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The following is a reprint of the description on Etsy:

This is the fifth pendant in my Hold series.
The theme of this series is embrace.

A pearl is nurtured by an Akoya oyster. The oyster is nurtured by the sea. The sea is nourished by rainwater flowing from the mountains, and the leaves are the first to receive the rain. This pendant is inspired by this eternal and mysterious cycle of nature, using a pearl and a leaf as motifs.

To me, this cycle is not only a natural law but also a symbol of mutual care and love. When I expand this interpretation, I begin to see the relationship between the pearl and the leaf as that of a mother and child.

A pearl unknowingly receives love from the ocean, the mountains, and the leaves. In the same way, we too, though we may no longer remember it, were once cradled in our mother’s arms and showered with love in our early childhood.

Life can be hard. For some, the hardships increase with age. That’s why the theme of embrace is so important. Without it, our hearts may dry up. An embrace is like nourishing rain for the soul.

A life filled only with ease might resemble a pearl with a thin nacre and shallow luster. It’s often through enduring hardship that a thick, luminous nacre is formed—just like a beautiful pearl.
The more we experience sorrow, the deeper and richer our joy can become.

Perhaps many of us are quietly yearning for an embrace. I certainly am. But we must not only seek it—we must also offer it to others as an act of kindness.

While crafting this pendant through metalwork, I poured all these thoughts into it. I’m still a beginner at metalworking, and things don’t always go as I imagine. But precisely because of that, the joy I feel when a piece is finally completed is immense.

The silver part of this pendant is rhodium-plated. Rhodium plating enhances its resistance to scratches and tarnishing, while giving it a bright, refined luster. It’s a finish that helps preserve the beauty of the piece over time with minimal maintenance.

Let this pendant, in which a pearl is protected by a leaf, rest close to your heart.
And may you go forward with compassion for yourself and for others—just like the love you once received in your mother’s embrace.

I currently sell most of my pieces on Etsy, but I’m gradually adding more items to this official Flower Jem website as well.
If you subscribe to my newsletter using the form on the top page, I’ll send you a 30% discount coupon to use here.
Even if the piece you want is only listed on Etsy, feel free to message me—I’m happy to offer you the same discount as a subscriber.