It’s the ultimate way to get noticed: craft a crown made from rare pearls and set it on top of the winner’s head of the world’s—the universe, rather—most prestigious beauty contest, the Miss Universe pageant.
Held in Mexico last November, the pageant organizers unveiled the new Jewelmer crown: a Philippine-made stunner, with 23 large, rare-hued South Sea pearls in a fancy ceremony, with contestants attending and admiring the new creation.
Each pearl undergoes a meticulous 377-step process, taking pearl technicians, marine biologists and pearl farmers about five years to craft.
Jewelmer was founded by Filipino entrepreneur Manuel Cojuangco and French pearl farmer Jacques Branellec in 1979.
The Lumiere de l’Infini crown marks the first time a Philippine-based jewelry company has designed a crown for the pageant.
Its design was inspired by the four elements of life: fire, water, air and earth, according to Senior V.P. and Creative Director Gaelle Branellec.
The fire element is seen through the crown’s sun-like rays, with the largest pearl in the middle.
The water and air elements are evident in the wave and wind-like diamond-encrusted patterns around the crown.
Earth is denoted by the 23 golden spheres scattered all over the crown.
The pearls are sourced from Palawan using sustainable pearl farming methods in a protected environment.
Divers start their day at 5 a.m. for an inspection dive, after which farm managers inspect oysters in an eight-compartment net.
Known for their collection of beautiful pearls, Jewelmer is “sharing the best of the Philippines to the world through the South Sea pearl, our national gem,” said Jewelmer Chief Marketing Officer Marion Branellec-De Guzman in a Vogue Philippines story.
“We hope the brilliance of the golden South Sea pearl resonates throughout the universe,” said Jewelmer CEO Jacques Christophe Branellec.
Miss Universe 2024 winner Victoria Theilvig from Denmark gets to wear the crown during her reign this year.
Jewelmer’s latest video showcases Filipina-French vlogger and influencer Solenn Heusaff taking a bath in a tub full of gleaming, lustrous South Sea pearls.
Is there anything more luxurious than that?
