Trends

Jewelry Brand to Know: little h

TrendsJul 20, 2017

Jewelry Brand to Know: little h

The pearl-focused label has garnered attention for its innovative treatment of the gem.

20170720_LittleH-3.jpg
Little h’s 14-karat white gold Grotto pendant with blue topaz and seed pearls embedded in a baroque pearl, and diamonds on clasp ($5,940)

Los Angeles--The pearl has experienced a renaissance in recent years and Hisano Shepherd, the designer of little h, is one of the reasons why.

Shepherd has garnered massive attention ever since she began slicing open the baroque freshwater pearls she favors and embedding their interiors with gemstones.

Her “Pearl Geode” designs have earned her numerous awards. This year alone, Shepherd won first, second and third place in the pearl category at the InDesign awards, making a clean sweep of the category.

She even took home the top honors in the diamond division, for her Trio ring, which features blue diamonds set in a white South Sea pearl and Akoya pearls.

As further recognition of her designs, InDesign bestowed the Cindy Edelstein Emerging Designer Award on Shepherd.

Shepherd’s accolades, including the awards she’s earned from the American Gem Trade Association and the Cultured Pearl Association of America, are not out of nowhere.

The designer is one of the heads of Los Angeles-based pearl company Pearl Paradise, and was creating jewelry long before making her way into the pearl industry.

“My mom wouldn’t let me get my ears pierced so I had to get really creative,” Shepherd explained of her earliest jewelry memories, “reverting pierced earrings into clip-ons and stuff like that.”

A high school class cemented her love of jewelry design, leading her to earn her BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at California State University, Long Beach, and her MFA in the same field at the acclaimed program at the State University of New York, New Paltz.

Shepherd went on to teach jewelry design and work for a fashion jewelry company while creating her own pieces in her spare time.

“I just kept working in the industry and also making my own artwork, wearable jewelry, on the side,” she said.

She had always had a flare for the avant-garde and unusual. At one point, she thought felting was her ultimate calling.



“I thought that was my new direction,” said Shepherd. “I wanted to make something that was a crossover between fashion and jewelry.”

It was only when she met her husband, Jeremy Shepherd, the head of Pearl Paradise, that she began to consider a future in a medium less obviously suited to her style.

She explained: “Nine years ago I joined my husband’s pearl company. I started working with pearls exclusively. Pearl Paradise works predominantly in the classical style, really showcasing
the beauty of the pearls. Pearl Paradise is all about having the most niche pearls and making those accessible to our clients.”

For her own work, though, the overall design of a piece superseded the beauty of the materials.

“I saw a void in innovative or trendsetting jewelry. It was just lacking in pearls,” Shepherd said. “I just saw regular, classic-style mounting after mounting, and I found it quite boring and also not challenging.”

Shepherd decided to leave her creative mark on the classic gem.

“I took it upon myself that it would be my mission to reinvent the pearl and come up with something different and unique.”

In 2011, she launched little h, focusing on the organic shapes of baroque pearls.

Around the same time, she started Pearl Collective, an endeavor from Pearl Paradise that highlights innovative pearl designs from a range of design talents.

“Our settings at Pearl Paradise can be a little bit more demure so it’s more about showcasing the pearls themselves,” Shepherd explained. “For the Pearl Collective we wanted to go to the extreme and make it edgy and more accessible to the younger generation. We collaborated with designers to bring in some fresh ideas; these designers don’t necessarily come from a pearl background or a jewelry background so they give us fresh new takes on pearls and kind of reach a different market.”

For her own line, Shepherd’s pearl geode collection is the culmination of her decades of study, work and experimentation. The genesis of the idea can be found, fittingly, in the jewelry industry’s gemstone mecca, Tucson.

Little h employs baroque freshwater pearls, or soufflé pearls, a term Shepherd said was coined by Jack Lynch of Sea Hunt Pearls, in her designs, which provide the perfect starting point for her “geodes.”

“At least in the pearl community, freshwater pearls are kind of looked down upon as the least expensive type of pearl, but in my jewelry line I look for the finest freshwater pearls,” she said. “Typically for the soufflé pearls, because they have a hollow interior, it’s really the best housing for my stones.

“They come in such beautiful colors. Freshwater pearls are the only cultured pearls that come in a natural color of pink, purple and a kind of peachy tone--I’m just in love with those colors. It goes really well with a lot of different colored gemstones.”

Shepherd favors a wide variety of colored gemstones to adorn the inside of her soufflé pearls, but said that she’s acquired some blue topaz that she is excited to work with next.

Little h begins retailing at $900.
Ashley Davisis the senior editor, fashion at National Jeweler, covering all things related to design, style and trends.

The Latest

Sylvie Jewelry Auranova Collection Campaign Imagery
CollectionsApr 25, 2025
Sylvie Looks to Water in New Sculptural Bridal Collection

“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.

Pomellato Nudo toi et moi ring
FinancialsApr 25, 2025
Kering’s Jewelry Brands Persevere as Q1 Sales Sink 14%

Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

Deborah Meyers Experience The Birds Earrings
EditorsApr 25, 2025
Piece of the Week: Deborah Meyers Experience’s ‘The Birds’ Earrings

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

ejap cohort 1872x1052.png
Brought to you by
Emerging Jewelers Accelerator Program Announces Second Cohort of Aspiring Jewelry Entrepreneurs

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

Melee diamonds from De Beers
SourcingApr 25, 2025
De Beers Sales, Production Fall in Q1 Amid Uncertainty

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.

Weekly QuizApr 24, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
LIM-401 2024 National Jeweler Supplier Bulletin- iD100 Web and Eblast FINAL (1).jpg
Supplier BulletinApr 24, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Wolf CEO Simon Wolf
EditorsApr 24, 2025
Q&A: Wolf’s CEO Talks U.S. Expansion

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

gia1d100 btyb.jpg
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

Iowa jeweler Herman Ginsberg
IndependentsApr 24, 2025
Longtime Iowa Jeweler Herman Ginsberg Dies at 99

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

Charles & Colvard moissanite ring
FinancialsApr 24, 2025
Charles & Colvard Delisted From Nasdaq Due to Noncompliance

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

Young Diamantaires
SourcingApr 24, 2025
Young Diamantaires Transition to Nonprofit

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Bulgari’s expanded factory in Valenza, Italy
MajorsApr 23, 2025
Bulgari Doubles Size of Jewelry Factory in Italy

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

Jason McNary accepting FGI Fine Jewelry Rising Star award for Paola Sasplugas
Events & AwardsApr 23, 2025
PDPaola Creative Director Wins FGI’s ‘Rising Star’ Award

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

1999 Cosmograph Daytona, Ref.16516
AuctionsApr 23, 2025
Rare Custom Rolex Daytona Heads to Auction

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

Carmelo Anthony and Jaylen Brown David Yurman campaign
MajorsApr 23, 2025
David Yurman’s New Campaign Stars Carmelo Anthony, Jaylen Brown

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

Woman wearing Zales jewelry
MajorsApr 22, 2025
Zales’ Rebrand Takes Playful Approach to Fine Jewelry

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

JAR Apricot Blossom bracelet
AuctionsApr 22, 2025
Christie’s to Auction JAR Jewelry Collection

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

National Jeweler columnist Lilian Raji
ColumnistsApr 22, 2025
The PR Adviser: Building Buzz Through Word of Mouth

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

Avi Levy
GradingApr 22, 2025
Avi Levy Is GCAL By Sarine’s New Chief Growth Officer

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

Scottsdale Fine Jewelers store exterior
IndependentsApr 22, 2025
Brinker’s Jewelers Acquires Fellow Independent

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Cartier Exhibition Installation at Victoria & Albert Museum
Events & AwardsApr 21, 2025
An Exhibition Exploring the History of Cartier Is Now on Display

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Bill and Birdie Levine of Van Cott Jewelers
IndependentsApr 21, 2025
New York Jeweler to Close After 111 Years

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

IJO Director Samantha Larson
IndependentsApr 21, 2025
IJO Names New Director of Vendor Relations, Merchandise Strategy

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.

Events & AwardsApr 21, 2025
Jewelers of Louisiana, Mississippi Jewelers Association to Co-Host Convention

The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

Daymond John
Events & AwardsApr 18, 2025
Daymond John to Give Keynote at JCK Las Vegas

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Dukachi Easter Bread Pendant
CollectionsApr 18, 2025
Piece of the Week: Dukachi’s ‘Easter Bread’ Pendant

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

Bremer Jewelry
IndependentsApr 18, 2025
Bremer Jewelry to Reveal Renovated Store

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy