Classic
The generous one. Usually the highest count — round to near-round, in white, blush and the occasional lavender.
Typically 15–30 pearls · 6–8 mm
One shell
a handful
of pearls
Pick a shell, open it yourself, and keep every pearl you find. We polish them at the counter and set them into whatever you choose, while you wait.
Walk in No appointment First come, first served
Hero photograph
The studio
A counter,
not a case
Most jewellers show you the finished thing. Here it hasn't been made yet, and nobody in the room knows what's inside.
Every shell on the counter was farmed and left unopened. When you choose one, it gets opened in front of you — by you — and whatever comes out is what your piece is built from. Some yield four or five pearls. Some yield thirty. Round, drop, off-round, one lopsided one that turns out to be the best of the lot.
The pearls are rinsed and tumbled to bring the luster up, then set by hand into whatever you've picked from the case. Anything you don't use goes home with you in a vial.
How it goes
Forty-five
minutes,
start to finish
01
Choose a shell
Three varieties on the counter, priced differently by what they tend to hold. Take your time — this is the only decision that can't be undone.
02
Open it yourself
We hand you the knife and show you where to go in. It takes about a minute and it is the whole point of coming.
03
Count what's inside
Everything gets lifted out and laid on the tray. Anywhere from a few to thirty-odd, in whatever sizes and colours the shell decided on.
04
Polish
A short tumble to clear the surface. This is where the luster arrives — most people are surprised by how much comes up.
05
Choose a setting
Pendants, studs, rings, chains and charms in gold vermeil and sterling. Pick the ones that suit what you found, and we set them at the bench.
06
Take the rest home
Every pearl you didn't set is yours, in a glass vial, at no extra cost. Plenty of people come back for the second half of them.
What's inside
Three kinds
of shell
Edison
Fewer pearls, considerably larger, with a metallic sheen you can pick out across a room. The one to choose if you want a single statement piece.
Typically 1–3 pearls · 10–13 mm
Baroque
Irregular by nature — drops, coins, and shapes with no name. Nothing matches anything, which is the reason to pick it.
Typically 8–20 pearls · Shape varies
Pearls on the tray
1:1
1:1
If a shell comes up empty, the next one is on us.
Posted
What it
costs
Classic shell$78
Edison shell$96
Baroque shell$88
Settings, sterling$25–60
Settings, gold vermeil$45–110
Settings are optional. Most guests spend $120–180.
Loose pearls, the vial, and the setting labour are included.
Visit
Come as
you are
There's no list and no deposit. Two counters, six seats, and whoever walks in next. Weekends fill up around three — mornings are quietest if you'd rather have the bench to yourself.
Studio
Hours
- Wed – Thu11 – 7
- Fri – Sat11 – 8
- Sunday11 – 6
- Mon – TueClosed
Contact