Progress

This necklace features 7 mm natural-white Akoya pearls with no color-toning.
Each pearl is hand-knotted with gray thread in the All-knot style.

The result is a quiet and elegant presence.

This necklace originally existed as inventory, waiting to become a product.

One day, I received a message through Etsy from a customer who wished to purchase a necklace called Snow Gleam. She also asked if there was another necklace available.
So I showed her this one, and at her request, I used gray thread.

I didn’t originally have gray thread on hand.
A few years ago, a customer asked for it, so I ordered some just for that request.

Gray was not a color I would have chosen myself.
However, once I tried it, I realized how refined and understated it feels.
There is a beauty in subtlety.

The purpose of using the All-knot style, for me, is to highlight the knots.
But by using gray thread—which blends in rather than standing out—it creates an interesting contrast.

The knots are emphasized by technique, yet visually softened by color.
That balance feels very cool to me.

On the roads, you often see cars driving as fast as they can.
Some drivers may want attention, especially those in expensive cars.
But the truly confident luxury cars move quietly, smoothly, at a dignified pace—almost like patrol cars blending into the flow of traffic.

Lately, I admire that kind of calm confidence.
This gray thread gives me a similar impression.

Here is the making-of video for this necklace.
At one point, the thread becomes disastrously tangled, and I find myself in real trouble.
Even moments like that—Flower Jem shares them openly.

And here is the video where I selected the pearls for this necklace.
It is a rather slow video, but this is how pearl professionals quietly select pearls every day.

This necklace was shipped one week later than planned.
I brought it to my weekday home in Osaka and accidentally left it there, instead of taking it back to Kobe for shipping.

As a result, the customer received her two necklaces one week apart.
I apologized, joking that the excitement of receiving pearls would be doubled.
She kindly accepted it.

The first necklace, Snow Gleam, has already arrived and she loves it.
I hope she will love this one as well.

The name of this necklace—Progress—was chosen by the customer.
When I photographed this necklace beside Snow Gleam for her to compare, she referred to it as “Progress.”
I do not know exactly what she meant, but I really like the sound and feeling of that word.

Today is November 9, 2025.
Recently, I have been receiving slightly more custom requests than direct purchases of listed items.
This brings me great happiness.

I was not originally someone who made jewelry or accessories.
I was simply an employee at a company that cultivated Akoya pearls.
About three years ago, I began learning metalwork so I could create my own findings for unique pearls.

In other words, I am a latecomer to jewelry-making.
And that is why I feel so grateful when someone trusts me with a custom order.

Traditional jewelry brands and companies often have many constraints, making it difficult to tailor every detail to each client.
At Flower Jem, there are no such constraints.
If something is within my ability, I will do my best to make it.

That is how this necklace has come into the world.

If you ever find yourself curious about a particular pearl piece, feel free to tell me quietly.
Creating a beautiful pearl piece together can be a joyful process.

In October 2025, a customer who visited Japan purchased pearl jewelry from Flower Jem.
To my surprise, she even brought a gift for Lulu.

Just meeting a customer in person already feels like a blessing,
so receiving a present for Lulu was something I had never imagined.
She also kindly brought a gift for me as well.

About two weeks later, I went back to my family home to give Lulu her present.
It was also close to my mother’s birthday.

Lulu was very happy, and my mother jokingly asked,
“Is there no present for me?”
Of course, I gave her a proper birthday gift.

In the video, when I ask Lulu,
“Say thank you to the customer,”
she responds with a playful “Wan! Wan!”
as if she’s protesting instead — which makes the scene quite funny.