Mixing pearls and crystals

Rustan’s brings in HK jewelry brand

- 

ARAO, a Hong Kong (HK)-based jewelry brand, has found a home in the Philippines in Rustan’s Silver Vault at the Shangri-La Plaza.

It makes sense: the brand’s founder, Mirabel Rosar, has roots in the Philippines. A marketing executive who moved abroad in 2012, she said in an interview after its opening on Dec. 9 at Rustan’s, “The journey of putting up Arao was strongly influenced by my heritage; my origins.”

“I would always get compliments from foreigners about what I wear, what I have. People would always say good things about stuff that I buy from the Philippines,” she said. Since 2012, she has lived in Switzerland, then Australia, and now, in Hong Kong.

While using an array of precious and semiprecious stones, Arao’s jewelry places Golden South Sea pearls (and pearls in general) from the Philippines as its centerpiece. For the Soul collection premiering in Rustan’s, each piece uses a solitaire baroque pearl which is then strung with crystals like aquamarine, amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, clear quartz, larimar, moonstone, prehnite or rose quartz.

“I wanted to create a collection that would really speak to the souls of our women and men of pearls. When I developed the design with our team, we returned to our ethos of everyday luxury. What is everyday luxury and how does this look like today?” Ms. Rosar said in a statement.