It's a pearl revolution at M/G TASAKI, here's why. | The Jewellery Editor

2024 is a key year for TASAKI as it celebrates its 70th anniversary and its 10th anniversary of working with Melanie Georgacopoulos under the M/G TASAKI name. Ms Georgacopoulos first came on the Japanese jeweller's radar over a decade ago when CEO Toshikazu Tajima saw her jewels at the fashion-forward Dover Street Market in London. Since studying ancient Greek jewellery-making techniques in Athens, a degree in sculpture from the Edinburgh College of Art and then a Master's degree at the Royal College of Art in London, Ms Georgacopoulos has focused on creating a brave new look for pearls. Mr Tajima has a keen eye for outstanding contemporary design and Ms Georgacopoulos' avant-garde jewels featuring sliced pearls were closely aligned with his mission to bring a strong and directional look to the house.

M/G TASAKI’s celebrates 10 years on the collection that first dared to slice open pearls as seen in the long necklace and ear cuff.

Ms Georgacopoulos's first collection for the house was 'Sliced', featuring pearls cut in half, revealing a secret inner world, much like the growth rings of a tree. The designer came upon the idea while finishing her Master's degree, curious to find out what was inside a pearl. Ms Georgacopoulos explains: "'Sliced' is a groundbreaking collection for fine jewellery, and I wanted to cut pearls in half to reveal the inside. At the time, some people thought slicing pearls was sacrilege, but I wanted to go beyond the preconceptions about pearls. When you cut a pearl open, you see that no two are the same, and I wanted to reveal the organic Nature of the pearl. There was and is so much emphasis on the perfect pearl and necklace that they can sometimes look fake. But I want to celebrate the uniqueness of each pearl and give a contemporary approach to pearls."

M/G TASAKI Sliced Bezel ring — The gold bezels are made one by one to perfectly frame each pearl in the M/G TASAKI Sliced Bezel collection.

The first 'Sliced' pieces were an instant success, which Ms Georgacopoulos attributes to the Japan's sophisticated approach to jewellery. Over the past ten years, 'Sliced' has become one of TASAKI's best-selling lines.

M/G TASAKI Sliced Sphere ring — M/G TASAKI Sliced Sphere and Sliced Bezel rings and Sliced Sphere bracelet on model.

To mark the 10th anniversary of 'Sliced', M/G TASAKI presents two new variants called 'Sliced Bezel' and 'Sliced Sphere'. Like all the previous 'Sliced' collections, freshwater pearls with lustrous surfaces are carefully chosen from TASAKI's pearl farms. In the 'Sliced Bezel' series, a gold frame enhances the lustre of the creamy white pearls and focuses the eye on its enigmatic banded interior. The pearls are clustered like bubbles in groups of two, three and five, echoing patterns found in Nature. 'Sliced Sphere' drops gold spheres amongst sliced pearls, offering a fresh twist on the classic pearl jewel. The shiny, hard surface of the gold contrasts with the dusky white tones of the inside of the pearl and the lustre of their exteriors. Both collections feature a clasp designed to mimic the form of a sliced pearl.

Since the first 'Sliced' jewels, M/G TASAKI has dared to facet, drill, chain, weave, stack, stud and hollow out pearls. Whatever can we expect next? Watch this space as M/G TASAKI is at the very forefront of a pearl revolution.

The M/G TASAKI Sliced Sphere and Sliced Bezel collections pay homage to the original designs created ten years ago.
Always fashion-forward and embracing brave new designs, the M/G TASAKI collections was created 10 years ago as a collaboration between the Japanese jeweller and designer Melanie Georgacopoulos.
M/G TASAKI Sliced Sphere and Sliced Bezel rings and Sliced Sphere bracelet on model.
M/G TASAKI’s celebrates 10 years on the collection that first dared to slice open pearls as seen in the long necklace and ear cuff.
A model wears the M/G TASAKI Sliced Bezel earrings and necklace, as well as the short Sliced Sphere necklace model that represent an evolution of the original Sliced concept created a decade ago.
M/G TASAKI’s Sliced Sphere earrings mix clusters of sliced fresh water pearls with gold spheres.
M/G TASAKI’s Sliced Sphere ring mimics the formations of nature and contrasts sliced freshwater pearls with perfect gold spheres.
A close up of the M/G TASAKI Sliced Sphere ear cuff that reveals the unique personality of the interior of each pearl.
Melanie Georgacopoulos designed the M/G TASAKI Sliced Bezel to highlight the beauty of the rings of nacre found inside each pearl, that are like tree growth rings.
All the M/G TASAKI Sliced Sphere and Sliced Bezel jewels feature new clasps designed to reflect the slicing of the pearl as seen in this Sliced Sphere bracelet.
The gold bezels are made one by one to perfectly frame each pearl in the M/G TASAKI Sliced Bezel collection.
Always fashion-forward and embracing brave new designs, the M/G TASAKI collections was created 10 years ago as a collaboration between the Japanese jeweller and designer Melanie Georgacopoulos.