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Peta Ellis

Global Pearl Designer Reflects on Two Decades of Success Following LA Fashion Week Debut

Globally renowned pearl designer Jennifer Tanpoco recently made her debut at LA Fashion Week with a bespoke collection showcasing some of the most exquisite Tahitian and Australian South Sea Pearls.


LA Fashion Week
Mark Tanpoco, Avel Bacudio, Jennifer Tanpoco

Created in collaboration with Mercedes Benz Stylo Asia’s Most Influential Designer Avel Bacudio, the collection featured 50 unique pieces. Each piece coupled Avel’s modern and edgy style with the timelessness, elegance, uniqueness, and rarity of pearls to set the stage for a new era of sustainable pearl jewellery.


Since 1998, Jennifer’s brand, Jenni Pearls, has produced elegant bespoke creations featuring some of the world’s most precious natural pearls. Her creations have been seen on celebrities, dignitaries, politicians, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide, including First Lady of the Philippines, Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta-Marcos.


Today, Jennifer is known by many as the Queen of Pearls.


Jennifer Tanpoco backstage at LA Fashion Week 2022

Now, Jennifer has reflected on the past two decades, which have seen her taking Jenni Pearls from humble beginnings to global success – all with no website or brick-and-mortar shopfront.


Jennifer fell in love with pearls at a young age. From the age of eight, she would accompany her mother, Imelda S. Rivera, as she sold estate jewellery in Angeles City. She watched her mother’s face light up as she explained the characteristics and unique character of each fine piece, and soon found that her mother’s love and enthusiasm for the bedazzling beauty and luxury of the jewels transferred to her.


This passion and delight made Jennifer determined to pursue a career in pearl jewellery for herself.


Years later, at the age of 27, she found herself working for Robert Wan, who taught her the craft of creating pearl jewellery. Robert is known by many as the Emperor of the Tahitian Pearl. He has been credited with producing some of the most stunning Tahitian cultured pearls (black pearls) in the world and is known for his unwavering pursuit of perfection, as well as the unrivalled quantity and quality of his pearls.


One day, when studying the different colours of a pearl, one, in particular, stood out to Jennifer. It had a light green body with a pink and yellow overtone. She asked Robert what the name of the pearl was, to which he responded, “Jaune.”


Jennifer was immediately smitten. Soon, with Robert’s help and generosity, she was the proud owner of her own set of Jaune pearls. She was so taken by these stunning pearls that she also bestowed Jaune as a middle name for her soon-to-be-born baby daughter, Melizza.


For the past two decades, Jennifer and her husband Mark have been selling exclusive custom jewellery handcrafted from top-quality Tahitian and Australian South Sea pearls to wealthy and noble customers worldwide. As a jewellery artisan, Jennifer is known for her trust, passion, care, quality, and dedication.


After nearly 24 years of stunning pearl creations, Jennifer is now passing the torch on to her daughter, Melizza Jaune Tanpoco, who shares the same love for pearls. Melizza hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps with her sustainable jewellery brand, Jaune Pearls.


Jennifer recently travelled with Melizza to Tahiti, where they spent time at Robert Wan Pearl Farm, handpicking pearls for Melizza’s first collection, which is set for an early 2023 release.




Jaune Pearls will feature some of the most incredible natural colour and lustre pearls of the world, whilst offering a modern take on traditional pearl jewellery. The collection will offer a limited number of elegant, intimate, and fresh custom pieces that are designed to appeal to the younger generation.


Like her mother, Melizza’s focus is on creating high-quality pieces from only the finest pearls, to ensure they last for generations to come.


Images:

1. Melizza Tanpoco & Jennifer Tanpoco

2. LA Fashion Week showing Avel Bacudio

3. LA Fashion Week showing Avel Bacudio



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