The Glitter Mother-of-Pearl Brooch.

The story

Mother-of-pearl is an old material on the Korean body. Najeon, the lacquerware inlay tradition, set mother-of-pearl into chests, boxes, and jewelry across the Joseon centuries. The shell carries a light that does not photograph the same way twice. A small brooch in the material is the contemporary echo of that older craft.

This piece sets mother-of-pearl inlay into a small metal flower with crystal-glitter accents at the petal tips. The shell catches the soft light. The crystal catches the sharp light. The combination keeps the brooch alive in any room. The Seoul workshop finishes the steel pin-back by hand so the piece sits flat on a collar or a lapel.

Worn at a daytime wedding pinned to the collar of a cream jeogori. The brooch catches the late morning light at the ceremony and the soft yellow of the reception lamps in the afternoon. A guest at the table mentions the shell. The conversation moves from najeon to grandmothers and stays there for the rest of the meal.