The Lane: Natural Beauty Of Pearls
A photo shoot with wedding and lifestyle publication The Lane has recently showcased some of Linneys most unique and striking free-form jewellery designs. The shoot was a wonderful opportunity for us to work closely with a leading name amongst wedding style guides, and to illustrate the true quality that comes only from genuine and handcrafted pearl jewellery.
Free-form is a word more recently bounced around the fashion industry. Defined as ‘non-conforming’, its popularity reflects a desire to escape from a world of structure and rule. Free-form design searches for the root of meaning, seeks beauty in the wild and unruly, and grasps for the very visceral nature of being.
The pearl may be the epitome of nature’s un-ruled beauty. Birthed from the humble oyster, these wild creations enter the world unadulterated. They shine from the first. Never perfect, but always unique. Though the touch of human hand has always sought to conform and confine the oyster’s creation, their true nature remains defiant.
Despite the mastery of modern culturing processes, the pearl oyster will still produce its own masterpiece; the Keshi pearl. Irregular in shape, the Keshi is created from a mere grain of sand or a slither of shell. No two will ever be precisely alike, but their immersive luster bears an undeniable allure.
For more than 40 years, Linneys founder Alan Linney has sought to capture the keshi’s undefinable beauty in free-form designs that walk the line of art. The pearl is elemental to his process, with each hand crafted piece carved to the pearl’s natural shape. This process defies the custom of creating pearl jewellery which conforms to the rules of symmetry, and instead seeks beauty in balanced imperfection.
Though free-form has always remained a signature of Linneys design, the appeal of its unruly aesthetic has only recently emerged across global trend. Such creations require a talented hand, and despite modern technological advances, they can never truly be replicated by computer or machine. Crafted first in wax, these free-form designs embrace the pearl’s unique and natural form. The wax is then cast in precious Australian gold. Once polished and refined the beauty of this gold can rival, but never compete, with the pearls natural luster.
Alan’s artistic jewellery creations are each the genuine article, created using the finest of raw Australian materials and traditional methods. This philosophy is extended to each item of jewellery designed and created by our talented team. We believe that true beauty is only achievable through authenticity, and cannot be replicated by machine and mass production.
Though philosophies like ‘free-form’ are temporarily commanded by trend, they continue to persuade the passions of individuality long after they have faded from magazine pages. Our unique designs, built to artisanal standard, will always maintain a timeless quality that is the forefront of our industry.