MajorsMay 16, 2025
Saks Fifth Avenue, Amazon Partner on Luxury Online StorefrontPlus, parent company Saks Global announces plans to cut ties with up to 600 vendors.
TrendsJul 20, 2017
Jewelry Brand to Know: little h
The pearl-focused label has garnered attention for its innovative treatment of the gem.
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.
little h’s 14-karat white gold Trio ring with White South Sea pearl, Akoya pearls and blue diamonds $3,375
little h’s 14-karat white gold earrings with amethyst and tanzanite $2,700
little h’s 14-karat white gold Grotto pendant with blue topaz and seed pearls embedded in Baroque pearl, and diamonds on clasp ($5,940)
Another view of the Grotto pendant
little h’s 14-karat white gold drop earrings with freshwater pearls and rubies ($900)
“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.
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.
More on Trends
The Latest
Recorded WebinarsMay 16, 2025
Watch: Physical Retail Is Not DeadPeter Smith joined Michelle Graff to chat about the state of brick-and-mortar stores and share a few book and podcast recommendations.
CollectionsMay 16, 2025
Piece of the Week: Tejen’s ‘Candy Bowl’ Torque NecklaceThe necklace features a candy-colored Australian white opal in 18-karat Fairmined gold, as the brand was named a Fairmined ambassador.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
Supplier BulletinMay 15, 2025
Treasure Hunting at the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch ShowSponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show
Weekly QuizMay 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsMay 15, 2025
'The Mediterranean Blue' Diamond Sells for $21M at Sotheby’sA private American collector purchased the 10-carat fancy vivid blue diamond.
CollectionsMay 15, 2025
Jessica McCormack’s ‘Fruit Salad’ Collection Is Fresh for SummerThe designer has taken the appeal of freshly picked fruit and channeled it into a capsule collection of earrings, necklaces, and pendants.
Brought to you by
Watch: The Winston Red: GIA Examines the Smithsonian’s Newest AdditionSupplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA
SourcingMay 15, 2025
Tariffs Take Toll on India’s Gem and Jewelry Industry in April The country’s gem and jewelry exports fell 5 percent year-over-year last month, while imports declined 18 percent.
Policies & IssuesMay 15, 2025
State of Retail: How to Better Serve Customers With DisabilitiesAround 54 million Americans and counting live with a disability. Here’s how to make your jewelry store and website more accessible.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2025
Poet Sekou Andrews to Give Closing Keynote at ConvergeThe event is also accepting poster submissions now through June 16.
Policies & IssuesMay 14, 2025
Here’s What Happened to Pope Francis’ RingBefore Pope Leo XIV was elected, a centuries-old procedure regarding the late pontiff’s ring was followed.
AuctionsMay 14, 2025
Custom Rolex Pulled From Sotheby’s SaleThe one-of-a-kind platinum Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was estimated to fetch up to $1.7 million.
Lab-GrownMay 14, 2025
State of Diamonds: What’s Next for Lab-Grown Diamonds?While the product has entrenched itself in the market, retailers and consultants are assessing the next phase of the category’s development.
CrimeMay 14, 2025
Seattle Detectives Seek Public’s Help in Tiffany & Co. Robberies The police are trying to identify the man suspected of robbing two Tiffany & Co. locations in the area.
MajorsMay 14, 2025
Jeff Corey Elected Chair of JBT Board The well-known Maine jeweler takes over for Brian Fleming and will serve a one-year term.
Policies & IssuesMay 14, 2025
Foundrae Donates $11K to Ethical MetalsmithsThe donation was the result of the brand’s annual Earth Day Ingot event.
IndependentsMay 13, 2025
Eiseman Jewels’ Renovated Dallas Store Is Bigger and BetterLocated in NorthPark Center, the revamped store is nearly 2,000 square feet larger and includes the first Tudor boutique in Dallas.
MajorsMay 13, 2025
DCA Announces New Learning Platform, Course UpdatesThe nonprofit has made updates to the content in its beginner and advanced jewelry sales courses.
MajorsMay 13, 2025
BIJC Launches New Education FundBIJC President Malyia McNaughton will shift roles to lead the new foundation, and Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez will succeed her as president.
Lab-GrownMay 12, 2025
Lightbox to Go Dark by Summer, De Beers Says The company plans to halt all consumer-facing activity this summer, while Lightbox factory operations will cease by the end of the year.
Policies & IssuesMay 12, 2025
Tariffs on Chinese Imports Temporarily Slashed as U.S.-China Reach Deal Following weekend negotiations, the tax on Chinese goods imported into the United States will drop by 115 percent for the next 90 days.
Events & AwardsMay 12, 2025
Jewelry By Picasso, Dalí on Display at Florida Art Museum “Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection” is on view at the Norton Museum of Art through October.
Events & AwardsMay 12, 2025
CASE Awards Now Accepting Entries For 2025The deadline to submit is June 16.
IndependentsMay 09, 2025
Lugano Diamonds CEO Resigns Amid Internal InvestigationMoti Ferder stepped down Wednesday and will not receive any severance pay, parent company Compass Diversified said.
CollectionsMay 09, 2025
Pieces of the Week: Marie Lichtenberg’s Collaborations for Mother’s DayLichtenberg partnered with luxury platform Mytheresa on two designs honoring the connection between mothers and daughters.
SourcingMay 09, 2025
Gemfields Resumes Emerald Mining in ZambiaThe miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.
