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The word baroque (barocco) was a Portuguese term for
an irregularly shaped pearl. Meaning, a pearl that is not
perfectly round. The word appears as far back as 1531 to
describe pearls in a French inventory of Charles V’s treasures.
In the 18th century, the term baroque was used to describe
a highly ornate and often irregular style of architecture, art,
and music that flourished in Europe in 1600 -1750. This era
later became known as the Baroque Period.

Until this time, pearl farmers would usually discard these
irregular-shaped pearls as they were seen as undesirable.
But during the Baroque Period, a time that celebrated the
irregular and ornate, these non-spherical organic shaped
pearls became fashionable.
Any irregular-formed pearl is known as baroque, and shapes
can range from minor aberrations to distinctly oval, curved,
pinched, or lumpy. The term baroque refers only to the
pearl’s asymmetrical shape and tells us nothing about its
origin or its age. Baroque pearls can originate from either
freshwater or saltwater, but the most valuable are the South
Sea and Tahitian pearls. These pearls are produced by the
large black-lipped and gold-lipped oysters. Collectors and buyers appreciate the unique, one-of-a-kind form that challenges the concept of beauty.
Symmetrically round pearls grow in the soft-tissue of the
oyster where the expanding pearl forms into a round ball
shape, as it encounters no resistance from the soft-tissue
surrounding it. Baroque pearls are those that have become
lodged in the oyster’s muscular-tissue, where, unable to
overcome the resistance of tough muscle fibers, the pearl
assumes an irregular or unusual shape.
Traditionally, perfectly round pearls were thought to be
more valuable than the irregular-shaped baroque pearls,
however today the value of baroque pearls has increased
dramatically as collectors and buyers appreciate their
Baroque of beauty held by previous generations.
unique, one-of-a-kind form that challenges the conception

Yvel has really been the trailblazer for innovative use of
baroque pearls in high-end jewelry design. Selecting some
of the rarest and most unusually shaped baroque pearls, Yvel
Pearls designers and artisans use their own inventive techniques to

craft the jewelry around the actual pearl itself. This approach
allows the natural organic shapes of nature to inspire and
guide the design of Yvel jewelry.

Baroque pearls are unique and come in
Top to bottom:
different shapes, colors and sizes. A true Tahitian baroque pearl Golden Indonesian and brown Tahitian
baroque pearl necklace from the
reflection of nature. earrings combined with Golden Brown Collection, set with
natural diamonds.
18k brushed gold
from the Tahiti Gold
Collection Large South Sea baroque pearl ring
from the Black & White Collection, with
black and white diamonds set in 18k
white gold.

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