Personalized Pearls

Wilfredo Rosado’s new fine-jewelry line styles the lustrous gems with gold and diamond-studded letters and symbols.

With his new fine-jewelry brand W.Rosado, New York-based high jeweler Wilfredo Rosado is experimenting with pearls in an exciting way. His Pearl ID concept involves master stonecutters in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, and goldsmiths in Valenza, Italy, creating personalized jewelry featuring Australian South Sea pearls and diamonds in 18-karat gold.

What did you see in pearls that could be the starting point of your collection?
I have always loved the luster and opalescence of South Sea pearls. Their classic simplicity was the perfect canvas for the letters and symbols of the Pearl ID collection. I felt that they were able to convey the spirit of the playful ID bracelets of our youth but in an elegant and luxurious way.

What were the technical challenges to overcome?
When the idea first struck, I imagined it was simply a question of adding diamonds to a pearl. What I did not account for was the fragility of the nacre and of course the spherical shape of the pearls being an obstacle. With my atelier in Idar-Oberstein, which carved the pearls, we went through several months of testing and creating new tooling to carve into the pearls without harming them. Once the tools and machinery were developed, my atelier in Valenza had the task of creating the letters with set diamonds and engineering them to fit the individual pearl so there is a seamlessness to each piece. If I wasn’t such a stickler for quality the process may have been easier, but I am nothing if not a perfectionist!

How do you see personalization becoming even more popular in the Covid-19 era?
We are experiencing a sense of loss during these times, whether it is loss of a loved one, loss of a job or loss of life as we once knew it. When we experience loss, I believe we look for signs of intimacy and affirmation, seeing your initial or a personal statement such as “love” or “hope” on a piece of jewelry gives us reassurance that we are still here, present in this moment…living life. Whether it’s a self-purchase or giving a loved one a gift, it feels like a reminder to be thankful for that life.

Who do you see as the customers of your W.Rosado range?
I think this collection covers a broad spectrum because it is an update on a classic piece of jewelry. I see it on a chic older woman who is confident and has great style, or someone much younger who knows how to be playful with her look but can appreciate quality and craftsmanship. This collection also lends itself beautifully to men, especially some of the simpler pieces, depending on how they are styled, but always worn with a sense of humor and grace.

How did you work on the photo campaign and what were the sources of inspiration?
The campaign was really a collaboration between legendary photographer Albert Watson, Marc Balet, the artistic director, and me. Albert was very hands-on in the planning process and was very excited by the challenge of shooting the jewelry. He loves product and for him it was important to not only show the jewelry but also convey a feeling. Man Ray’s photographs were a source of inspiration, as were the pearls themselves.

Which contemporary artists and fashion designers do you admire?
Art is one of my greatest sources of inspiration and I am an avid collector. Right now I have Wangechi Mutu, Andy Warhol, and Kaws in my personal collection, which I adore, but I definitely have my eyes on works by Eddie Martinez, Kara Walker, and Yayoi Kusama. I’m also a huge fan of the fashion designers Yohji Yamamoto and Kim Jones.

What’s next for W.Rosado?
My mind is always going, I have a million ideas at once and definitely need to rein them all in! For the moment we plan on expanding the Pearl ID collection, adding different color pearls and applying new techniques. We also have a new collection within the fine-jewelry category coming down the pipeline and a high-jewelry collection in the works for summer 2021.