Reading Time: 3 minutes Pearls have quietly moved from the back of the case to the center of the conversation. For years, pearls were treated as heritage inventory — weddings and milestones. Reliable, refined, predictable. But what’s happening now isn’t nostalgia. It’s momentum. The global pearl jewelry market surpassed $13 billion in 2024 and is projected to double over the next decade. That kind of growth does not happen quietly. It signals a category shift from tradition to traction. Market research conducted by SJN shows pearls intersecting with three of the strongest forces shaping jewelry retail today: maximalism, gender-neutral styling, and accessible luxury. The aesthetic shift is unmistakable. Today’s pearls are baroque, irregular, oversized, and paired with chunky chains or mixed metals. They feel organic and natural — a counterpoint to the hyper-curated minimalism of the past decade. In a social-first retail environment, irregularity reads as authenticity. Men’s a...