Look Book

12 www.thejewelrybook.com O N T H E C O V E R Thanks to roots in the business, Anil Maloo's underlying affi nity for pearls was already in place by the time he attended the Gemological Institute of America in the late 1990s. Maloo, the present-day owner of Baggins, a 15-year- old maker of high-end pearl jewelry, grew up in India and visited Japan during holidays to see his maternal grandfather, a manufacturer and wholesalers of pearls. When it came time for Maloo's own formal jewelry education at GIA, he secured a graduate gemology and jewelry manufacturing degree and a new per- manent residence when the irresistible Califor- nia sunshine persuaded him to stay stateside. Maloo worked for a jewelry fi rm for three years, strengthening his practical knowledge while his underlying preference for pearls silently simmered. In 2002, he decided to strike out on his own, establishing Baggins as a maker of jewelry featuring diamonds, gemstones, and pearls, even though his strength was always in the lustrous organic gems. "Pearl jewelry designs are creative and profi table," he says. Wholesale sales of strands and loose pearls had a place in his business, too, while organi- cally nurturing his emerging brand of fi nished styles. Over time, stores began to know Baggins, a name that fantasy literature fans will recog- nize (notice the gold ring in Maloo's company logo), for high-quality pearls, appealing designs, and outstanding customer care. "Anil texted me back about an order over the Christmas holiday while he was on vaca- tion," exclaims Sonny Findley, buyer for Geoffrey's Diamonds & Goldsmith in San Carlos, Calif. "He didn't need to do that, but that's the service you get from him." Also notable: developing collections based on requests. A recent example is a black dia- mond and Tahitian pearl necklace and bracelet set, a look suggested by one of Maloo's patrons. Some pairs have yellow gold accents ("Preferred in the South," he says), others have white gold, while the bracelets are fl exible. To date, dozens of sets have homes. "Five sold within two months of making them," says Maloo. This isn't the fi rst time Baggins' styles have attracted attention. Three pairs of earrings have taken the Best Use of Pearls award in three consecutive years of the American Gem Trade Association's Spectrum competition. Winners include a pair of hoop earrings with inverted-set diamonds with single pearls sta- tioned inside the loop, a pair of peapod-like drop styles with graduated-in-color and size South Sea pearls, and a cage-style pair of drop earrings with akoya pearls perched in each window. Kevin Mays, CGA, is used to those memo- rable pieces, given his multi-years-long relationship carrying Baggins' jewelry. The manager of John Mays Jewelers in Fort Smith, Ark., met Maloo at a trade show and fell for the luster and look of his pearl jewels. "They are contemporary but classic at the same time," he says. A case in point? A pair of front-to-back pearl earrings with pear-shape diamond drops, a best-seller in his store. "We sell a lot of his multicolor Tahitians, some aubergines, and his white South Seas are incredibly beautiful statement pieces–they transcend generations," says Mays. Even cost-conscious shoppers can fi nd treasures in the Baggins inventory. A client of Findley's–a mom with four daughters– recently bought fi ve (including one for herself) multi-strand akoya necklaces with matching tiny drop earrings. "Even at a price point, the luster of his akoyas is high and the designs are unique," says Findley, who snapped up a pair of mismatched white and golden South Sea and diamond earrings within a month of their landing in the store. The reason? That luster. "It was over the top," she exclaims. B A G G I N S P E A R L S The son of a pearling family found a lustrous home for himself and his pearl jewelry designs after a GIA education landed him in California. BY JENNIFER HEEBNER Luster Effect

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