Water-Touched Blue(Reserved)

This is an Akoya pearl bracelet.

As some of you may already know, a 9 mm size is considered quite large for Akoya pearls.
A height of 180 cm is regarded as tall in Japan, but in some countries it may be quite average.
Similarly, in Tahitian pearls, 9 mm is not considered a large size.
In that sense, Akoya pearls and Japanese people may share something in common.

This bracelet came into existence through a combination of a customer’s request and my own misunderstanding.

A certain fan of blue baroque pearls once told me, “If you ever come across deep blue baroque pearls, please let me know.”
I always kept that in mind.

One day, while visiting a pearl dealer, I came across a large quantity of 9 mm blue baroque loose pearls.
The moment I saw them, I thought, “Ah, these are exactly what that customer was looking for.”
Strictly speaking, the customer never mentioned 9 mm.
Yet somehow, I had convinced myself that 9 mm was what they wanted.

I only needed around 20 pieces, but the dealer had 650 pearls.
If I wanted them, I had to purchase the entire lot.
If I only selected the highest-quality pearls, the dealer would be left with the rest, which would be difficult for them to handle.

However, buying all of them meant spending roughly the price of an inexpensive used car.

Still, the production of 9 mm blue baroque pearls in Japan has been decreasing each year, and there are not many farms cultivating pearls of this size.
So, I stopped overthinking and decided to take the leap.

When I informed the customer, they said,
“I never specifically asked for 9 mm baroque pearls, but I’m happy.”

I have never had the best memory, and lately, being busy, my mind has become as cluttered as my room.
My memories were just as disorganized.

And so, through this rather imperfect process, this bracelet was born.

In any case, as you can see from the images, this bracelet is beautiful.
The pearls used here were carefully selected from the 650 pieces—the ones with the deepest color and the smoothest surfaces.

But please don’t worry. There are still many beautiful pearls remaining.
In fact, I have already received requests from several people to create necklaces using these 9 mm pearls, and there are still plenty available (as of April 2026).

That said, this particular bracelet is already reserved.

Recently (as of April 2026), Flower Jem has gradually shifted toward creating pearl jewelry based on customer requests.
Not long ago, most of what I sold were designs I created on my own, but somehow, that has changed.

I feel truly honored to create pearl pieces together with my customers.

When I first started this shop, I honestly thought, “This probably won’t sell.”
I knew Akoya pearls well, but I was almost a beginner when it came to making jewelry.

So although I am busy every day, receiving requests from customers brings me genuine joy and a sense of honor.

I may not have achieved status, fame, or wealth in this life,
but the fact that I can connect with people through the pearls I love makes me feel that my life has been very fortunate.
I truly mean that.

Money and material things will eventually disappear.
But feelings and emotions remain.

Even after the jewelry I create leaves my hands,
there may come a moment when it is remembered, bringing a quiet sense of happiness.
Something like, “That piece was really difficult to make.”

This may be something often said,
but I felt compelled to put it into words now.

What I seek, ultimately, is resonance.

“There’s a chill in the air.”
“Yes, there is.”

There is a Japanese poem that expresses this simple exchange.
When I first encountered it as a middle school student, I felt that it contained everything about life.

A friend sitting next to me laughed and said,
“Teacher, isn’t that just obvious?”

And perhaps it is.

But in reality, there are many kinds of people.

“It’s cold.”
“Wasn’t yesterday colder?”
“It’s cold.”
“Really? It doesn’t feel cold to me.”

People like this are everywhere.

I may be drifting away from the bracelet, but what I mean is this:

“This bracelet is beautiful.”
“Yes, it is.”

If I can share that kind of simple, quiet agreement with you and with others,
that would be more than enough.