Melanie Georgacopoulos pearl jewels interview | The Jewellery Editor

Melanie Georgacopoulos shows the way to a pearl renaissance

Melanie Georgacopoulos reveals her unique pearl jewels that propel these little orbs into the universe of avant-garde design.

29 April 2020

Born to a French mother in Greece, Melanie Georgacopoulos is one of the most exciting jewellers working with pearls. Her rigorous design approach with the mind of both an artist and jeweller reveals pearl jewels with their sight set on the future. Melanie began her studies at the Mokume School of Jewellery in Athens and then enrolled at Edinburgh College of Art to study sculpture. Melanie returned to jewellery design at the Royal College of Arts in London.

It was here that she first began exploring pearls and started out by slicing one in half to see what was inside. She has not looked back and has taken pearls to new places as she slices, drills, facets and covers them in gold. Melanie creates for her own brand as well as working with TASAKI, the Japanese jeweller and pearl house, under the M/G TASAKI name. Discover her daring range of pearl and mother of pearl jewellery here and watch our Instagram Live Tea with Maria Interview.

The MOP Gemstone Trillion brooch from Melanie Georgacopoulos mimics the facets of a trillion-cut diamond by creating a mosaic of golden, lavender, peacock and white mother of pearl slices.
The 'Double Pearl Nacre Ring' by Melanie Georgacopoulos is as much a miniature contemporary sculpture as well as a surprisingly easy to wear ring made from lavender mother of pearl and freshwater pearls.
The 'MOP Emerald Ring' has an ‘emerald’ made from golden mother of pearl emerald and pairs it with a similar coloured South Sea pearl for a very contemporary take on the pearl ring by Melanie Georgacopoulus.
Ever unexpected, in the adorable M/G TASAKI Pyramid Pearls ring Melanie Georgacopoulos stacks up freshwater pearls that fan around the finger.
Melanie Georgacopoulos MOP Shell Emerald toi et moi ring
From the M/G TASAKI range is the 'Sliced Necklace' of freshwater pearls that has become one of Melanie’s best-known designs that she developed early on in her design career.
The Greek-French jeweller Melanie Georgacopoulos studied jewellery making as well as sculpture before deciding to focus on jewellery with an emphasis on pearls.
A peacock freshwater pearl becomes a fascinating object thanks to the holes drilled though it in this M/G Tasaki Drilled design that is a longstanding collaboration with the designer Melanie Georgacopoulos.
A pearl takes on a new form in this faceted Sakura Gold pendant that enrobes a mabe or blister pearl in gold that from the Japanese jeweller’s M/G Tasaki range.
The gold chain that hold the freshwater pearl in these M/G Tasaki Stretched earrings appear to be stretched by the weight of the pearl reminiscent of a fishing net being hauled out of the water.
Featuring a three centimetre grey/blue baroque pearl, this necklace choker skilfully combines a sleek, minimalist design with the writhing, billowing form of a baroque pearl.
The shape of the M/G Tasaki Shell bangle in palladium echoes the form of the oyster that created the freshwater pearls in this unusual and very contemporary design.