Assael

"It’s all about people!"

 

profile

The 75-year legacy of Assael begins with the first of Salvador Assael's many trips to Japan. Just after WWII, he became one of the very first to distribute Akoya pearls in the USA. 

In the 1950s, Salvador brought the first South Sea pearls home from Burma and later got involved in cultivating them in Australia. He used his marketing brilliance to make them a must-have luxury, especially in North America. 

In the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Salvador and a local partner bought an Atoll in French Polynesia and started the first commercial Tahitian pearl farm. He presented the first-ever gem Tahitian pearl necklace to Harry Winston, who sold it in less than two weeks. And a whole new gem was born. 

It is no wonder that Salvador Assael was dubbed 'The Pearl King' by the press.

Salvador’s wife Christina Lang Assael continued his legacy by strengthening the company’s relationships with pearl farmers and adding responsibly sourced Precious Coral and rare Natural Pearls, such as Conch Pearls and Melo Melo Pearls, to Assael’s luxury offerings. She additionally brought on Senior Vice President, Peggy Grosz, who continues to develop innovative and modern collections using the company’s enviable stock of magnificent pearls and exquisite coral.

Assael remains a family-owned business committed to excellence, responsible sourcing, and the ongoing indisputable reputation of the heritage brand.

A 75-YEAR LEGACY

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PEGGY GROSZ GRACIOUSLY SHARED INSIGHT FOR THIS FEATURE

 
 

fun fact

Pearl Pioneer

Our founder, Salvador Assael, was the first to bring South Sea pearls to the Americas and parts of Europe. He was fundamentally a large contributor to the cultivating of Tahitian pearls.

Dendritic agate, coral, pinctada natural saltwater pearl and garnet brooch in 18K.

abstract

Assael is deeply committed to protecting the world’s oceans and its treasures. The company works solely with responsible pearl and coral suppliers and actively supports ocean conservation programs.  “If you are going to live from the products of the ocean, you have to sustain it. You have to be a good steward.” – Christina Lang Assael

pivot

Adapting and Thriving

Over the past few years, our practice has faced a series of significant challenges. We lost Christina Assael, which was devastating. She ask me to continue running the business, so I didn’t slow down. Simultaneously, the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe. I learned to keep putting one foot in from to the other and I learned that what we were doing was working. That helped tremendously. We put more effort and attention into the retailers that responded well to our new collections and it paid off. I learned that we had tremendous support and loyalty from those retailers. The best thing was learning that you can grow a business without having to deal with those who don’t practice mutual respect.

Aquamarine & South Sea Cultured Pearl Ring

purpose

Quality & Inspiration

Our company is built upon the tenant: offering the finest of saltwater pearls. Beyond this, our brand has a deeper purpose - to help retailers and consumers to see and understand just how magnificent fine to gem quality pearls are, how broadly pearls can be worn in a wide and creative range of designs and the magic that happens when our pearls are worn.

What drives our passion is the cross section in design where extreme beauty, original design, wearability, salability, and relevance meet. That’s my challenge. Our work mantra is simple but crucial: Don’t settle. Don’t settle in accomplishing what a client want, don’t settle in quality of materials or craftsmanship.

Angel Skin coral, candlelight carnelian & diamond *detachable* earrings in 18k rose gold

people

People-Driven Success

I believe that when you share knowledge about a specialty (pearls and coral in our case), people respond. It’s not difficult to draw people in when the subject is as wonderful as pearls are. They will, more often than not, share their knowledge with you, and voila…sharing  relationships are built.

People are the success! It simply cannot happen without everyone in the ‘chain’ exceling at what they do. For us, it’s our pearl farmers and suppliers, our gem suppliers (starting with the right rough and then spectacularly cutting it), our craftspeople (metalsmiths, carvers and setters), our pearl specialist in the office, who spends the time to match with his extraordinary eye, our master stringer of more than 30 years, our office team who make retailers happy and our sales team. It goes on and on. The retailers that carry Assael and sell our pearls and jewelry are equally important. Their relationships and expertise are indispensable. It’s all about people!

Multi-pastel-color Akoya cultured pearls & bi-color tourmaline ring in 18k rose gold

professional

Achieving Design Balance

I’ve been the recipient of invaluable advice from a stellar group of people. I would have to say that the always ongoing challenge to reach the I would have to say that the always ongoing challenge to reach the cross section in design where extreme beauty, original design, wearability, salability, and relevance meet. The satisfaction felt when the challenge is met, being verbalized and discussed with me would be the most salient.

Doing the hard work, whatever it takes! I’m also mindful to respect the people around me and their contributions. Finally, taking risks, whether it be design and manufacturing risks or a different way of going about things, I do believe in the old adage, ‘no risk, no reward’.

South Sea cultured pearl, diamond connected earrings in platinum

passion

Gemstone Beginnings

My passion started with colored gemstones. I had cousins in the retail jewelry business in my hometown of New Orleans. I fell in love with color but I did not have the patience for retail at the time, so I got a job selling loose colored gems to retailers and manufacturers in the 1970’s in the South… and I’m a female! It was unheard of at the time. This evolved into selling jewelry, but I kept pressing the makers to adjust and tweak pieces to make them more salable. I finally realized that I was a designer well into my 30’s. I was fortunate enough to work with an exceptionally innovative team of designers and metalsmiths in Italy for 17 years. I went to Italy every 6 weeks to be a part of the design team. The bench jewelers were super advanced and talented. Most importantly, they were willing to try anything… over and over again until they accomplished the mission. So I have to keep going back to that cross section of beauty, originality, wearability, salability and relevance. That’s my inspiration, not foliage or landscapes or the things that inspire most designers. How does it relate to our business?  I start with the pearls or coral or both and imagine what I haven’t yet totally seen and what I might want to see on our customers.

Tahitian pearl, maligano, jasper, coral, & aquamarine earrings in platinum

"There is a cross section in design where extreme beauty, original design, wearability, salability and relevance meet. That’s my challenge."

 
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FRANCES WADSWORTH-JONES