The Story

Mother-of-pearl is the same substance a mollusc builds inside its shell: thousands of microscopic plates layered so finely that they refract light into the faintest rainbow.

Astra sets a 16 mm disc of it flush into a slim gold frame, so the iridescence is what you notice rather than the metalwork around it. The frame is kept narrow on purpose. Every millimetre of gold we removed was a millimetre of shell we got back.

The chain is a fine 1 mm cable, deliberately slim so the pendant appears to float rather than hang. It closes at 18 in — the length at which a pendant rests at the hollow of the throat, flattering on its own and long enough to layer beneath a shorter chain without tangling.

The name comes from the single tiny stone set at the bail: a small fixed star above a soft, shifting light. It is the detail that keeps the pendant from reading as a plain disc, and it catches the eye at the collarbone without ever shouting.

Design & Craftsmanship

The disc is cut from a single piece of shell, not reconstituted powder, then hand-lapped to a flatness of a few microns so it sits perfectly level in its frame. The gold rim is formed as a separate collar and burnished closed over the edge of the shell — no adhesive anywhere in this pendant, because adhesive yellows over time and mother-of-pearl is translucent enough to show it.

Beneath the gold, the finding is recycled 925 sterling silver plated in a generous 2.5-micron layer of 18K gold, roughly five times the thickness of standard fashion plating. The bail is soldered closed rather than split, so the pendant cannot slide off the chain if the jump ring is ever stressed.

Each disc is sorted by hand. Because shell is a natural material, no two pendants are identical — yours will have its own pattern and its own balance of pink, green and blue. We match for overall depth of lustre rather than pretending nature made them the same.

How to Wear It

Astra is the necklace you reach for when you want to look finished without looking decorated. Against bare skin, and against black, cream and white, it reads almost as light rather than as jewellery.

Layer it with the Lune lariat at a longer length — the vertical bar drop below the round disc makes a clean geometric pairing that photographs exceptionally well. Worn alone with a plain crew neck and nothing else, it is complete.

Why You'll Love It

• Genuine 16 mm mother-of-pearl disc, cut from a single piece of shell and hand-lapped flat.
• Burnished gold rim — set without adhesive, so it will never yellow or cloud.
• 2.5-micron 18K yellow gold vermeil over recycled 925 sterling silver.
• Fine 1 mm cable chain at 18 in, the length that flatters almost every neckline.
• Small lab-grown white sapphire at the bail as a fixed point of light.
• No two discs are identical — your pendant has its own nacre pattern.
• Lightweight and comfortable enough to wear from morning to night.

Care

Mother-of-pearl is soft and porous. Keep it away from perfume, hairspray, acids and prolonged water, and wipe the disc with a dry, soft cloth after wear — never a wet one, and never a chemical cleaner, because nacre dissolves in acid.

Store the pendant flat so the chain cannot scratch the shell, and remove it before bathing, swimming and sleep. Fasten the clasp before you put it away; a fine chain that goes into a pouch open will come out knotted.

Shipping & Returns

Made to order and dispatched in 3–5 business days, fully insured. Every order travels in protective, plastic-free packaging and arrives in a VERQALOT box with a soft pouch and a polishing cloth. Returns and exchanges are accepted within 30 days on unworn pieces, and the necklace is covered by our two-year craftsmanship warranty.