Tori Ray Photography: The heart of Pearl. Love. Jewelry; a Collaboration

A few months ago I made contact with Pearl. Love. Jewelry asking them if I could use some of their jewelry designs to build my fashion photography portfolio, thus was the birth of this collaboration. Upon receiving their package I couldn't wait to get the creative juices flowing to produce a shoot that Tara and Emily would love! This is the final product of that shoot! Be sure to read the exclusive interview with Pearl. Love. Jewelry below, their story is so inspiring!

|| Model: Kaci Palomino | Accessories: Pearl.Love. Tahitian Pearl Designs ||

Exclusive Interview with Tara and Emily; Owners of Pearl. Love. Jewelry

[my comments in lavender ;) ]

Who is the face behind Pearl Love?

We are two sisters, Tara and Emily, who grew up together on the East Coast and now live on Oahu, Hawaii and in Virginia. We grew up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, crafting, creating, and exploring the outside world. Tara has a very unique story. She had a decade plus long corporate career that came to a screeching halt a few years ago due to a chronic illness. The end of that career coincided with the birth of pearl. love. The company is a labor of love for both of us, but a bit of salvation for Tara throughout her healing, which makes it even more special to us J

What is the back story behind Pearl. Love.? How did you guys get started, and why pearls?

We got started by accident … we had seen pearl and leather jewelry while traveling and either didn’t love the styles or didn’t love the prices. We ordered supplies, flew to the Cayman Islands for a family vacation, and spent long afternoons in the sun experimenting with the pearls and leather cord. At the end of the trip, we had a selection of necklace and bracelet styles we loved and we were hooked.

We started out making jewelry for our friends and ourselves. We used to spend time in the summers in Montauk, New York and that first summer of pearl. love., we spent our days at the beach making jewelry and our nights cruising around town dripping in pearls. One day we wandered into the cutest boutique and met the owner, who was interested in selling our jewelry, and a business was born! We started with that one shop in Montauk that literally bought the jewelry off our bodies and the rest is history. Emily’s move to Oahu coincided perfectly with our decision to expand and develop an online store. [Their story is so inspiring to me, it's incredible how things fall into place when you are doing something you love with the people you love!]

Why pearls? Well, we are outdoorsy people and both love the ocean. It was natural to want to associate our jewelry with the ocean and nature. We love how exotic and raw and natural the Tahitian pearl is and we thought leather was such a unique way to make Tahitian pearl jewelry more wearable. We have continued to build on our original styles and have been incorporating some new materials, such as silk cord and turquoise, as pearl. love. grows and evolves. [Exotic & Raw are the EXACT words I would use to describe the tahitian pearls! They are so stunning and I've gotten so many compliments on mine!]

Where are you guys based?

We are based on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Our headquarters are with Emily on Oahu, while Tara provides support from Virginia (and visits Oahu as often as she can). The North Shore is an easy place to live and design. [I bet!] In the summers, it is a deserted idyllic tropical paradise and in the winter, the town is flooded with the whole surf industry, which brings a totally different scene. Fast, exposed, and fashionable. Our natural surroundings are constantly inspiring us; we are also inspired by the surf culture of the winter months on the North Shore, the various places we’ve lived and vacationed throughout the world, a few favorite blogs and magazines, and our richly developed interior worlds that make us who we are. We both have something inside of us that pushes us to create and share our visions that are born from the inspiration that surrounds us. [To me, this is what makes you guys so intriguing to me! Your travels and location mixed with your interior worlds. Everyone has their own experiences and this is what makes your unique designs one of a kind! I feel so privilege to be a part of your journey!]

What are your current favorite companies?

- Free People, Spell & the Gypsy Collective, Sugarhigh Lovestoned, Stone Cold Fox, Brandy Melville, and a little J Crew mixed in. [YES YES YES YES AND YES!! absolutely in love with all of these companies!]

What would be a dream come true for the company?

Tara: Honestly, each step we’ve come to and each accomplishment has been a dream come true. If you had told us 5 years ago where we would be today, we would not have believed you. That being said, to have even one style sold by Free People would truly be the pinnacle of “dream come true” for us! [I can definitely see that happening, it would be such a perfect fit! Their buyers would go nuts over your designs!]

Favorite Quote?

Tara: The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. –the Buddha

Emily: “I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted.” - Jack Kerouac

[There you have it folks. Get out there and LIVE!]

Ideal vacation spot?

Tara: Hawaii, to visit my sis and my friends, to revisit old faves and explore new areas followed by a few weeks exploring Tahiti, Bali & Thailand.

Emily: Tahiti. I’ve never been and I’d love to get a crew together to go down there to cruise around and check out some pearl farms. Life in Puerto Escondido, Mexico isn’t half bad either ;)

[I'm trying to plan a surf/photography visit to Hawaii soon! My step father grew up there and my rents plan on buying land eventually. I've never been, but just hearing people talk about it makes me itch with excitement for the day I step foot on the North Shore! All the other locations sound on pointe as well!]

Anything else you'd like to share with my readers?

We feel so lucky to get to create a product that people love and want to wear. It is a very satisfying, fulfilling feeling and it really makes us feel connected to each other and the rest of the world. The distance between our customers and us melted away once we developed an online presence. We are so excited and grateful for the friends we’ve made and the customers we’ve met through our website and social media. We are looking forward to new adventures together, with pearl. love, and with you!

Tara & Emily have decided to do a giveaway JUST FOR YOU, my blog readers & IG followers! This Pearl Love Giveaway has been posted on my Instagram!

IG: @ToriRayPhotography

To Enter: Repost the image, tag & follow my gram and Pearl. Love's, then Hashtag #PearlRayGiveaway!

[so you know what to look for]