The Setting by Freya Pearls

Freya Pearls was born in Sydney in 2021. This year we opened our first boutique in Melbourne, and it felt right to celebrate in our newest home.

The Setting took its name from the language of jewellery, but also from what we wanted the evening to be: a place for people, pieces and conversation to come together. Around 30 friends from across Australian fashion joined us at Arc One Gallery, a contemporary art space in a former warehouse on Flinders Lane, for dinner by neighbouring hatted restaurant Cumulus Inc. Two long tables ran through the gallery, with our designer collections displayed around the room.    

Over dinner, Maggie Zhou, Broadsheet Fashion Editor-at-Large and co-host of the Culture Club podcast, led two conversations around questions that have shaped how we think about what we make.    

Beyond quiet luxury: what makes something worth keeping? 
Olga Pokrovskaya, founder of What People Wear, and fashion writer and Lady Melbourne founder Phoebe Montague 

The conversation considered what gives a piece staying power beyond a trend: its craftsmanship, how it wears over time and the emotional value it gathers along the way. It was less about defining what is “timeless” and more about why certain pieces remain meaningful years after we first choose them - and, in time, become modern heirlooms.  

Designed here, desired everywhere: what makes an Australian brand travel?  
Alex, General Manager of Freya Pearls and MAKU Studio founder Maku Fenaroli 

Their conversation turned to what it means for an Australian jewellery brand to travel beyond its home market. It touched on a way of designing that feels considered without being overly formal, and on creating things that can resonate internationally without losing the authenticity and provenance of where they began.  

Australian South Sea pearls sit at the heart of our collections. Grown in Australian waters, their provenance is an important part of what we want more people, both internationally and here at home, to know about. Our founders travel to the farms themselves to select the pearls we use because every pearl has its unique shape and character, that individuality then guides which design and setting will complement it best.  

Our collections stayed around the gallery throughout the night for guests to see and try on. Before everyone left, each guest was given a piece of Freya Pearls we had chosen specifically for them, along with a handwritten note explaining why we thought it suited them.  

That part of the evening mattered to us. We have always believed there is a piece of Freya Pearls for everyone, in different styles and for different moments. Choosing each gift individually was a small expression of the same care we try to bring to everyone who spends time with us.  

If you would like to find the piece that feels right for you, visit us at our Melbourne or Sydney boutique and try the collections in person. We can’t wait to see our pieces on you.