The Collectors: Shari Turpin
The jeweler who specializes in South Sea pearls has spent the past 30 years acquiring exceptional treasures
As a jeweler specializing in South Sea pearls, Shari Turpin has devoted the past 30 years to acquiring these exceptional treasures. That quest requires an astonishing amount of patience, as pearls are the only rare gem that comes from a living creature. Each oyster takes up to five years to produce a single pearl. “If people only knew how difficult it is to bring a rare strand to fruition. We’ve had one that took 17 years for the largest farm in the world to collect that many pearls,” Turpin says. Plus, she insists on the highest standards when it comes to luster, surface quality, shape, color, and size—which, she says, can only be met by three pearl farms in the world. She travels extensively to make sure she’s sourcing the best to devise the extraordinary golden strands she’s known for and carefully composes in the Jackson, Wyoming, atelier of Pearls by Shari.
Accumulated wisdom: “I have one necklace I’ve worn for 11 years, and it’s become very much a part of my life, but I personally believe you can never have too many pearls.”
Daily necessity: “I wear my pearls every day—horseback riding, cattle driving, playing with my grandchildren, skiing. I always have my pearls on. I pair the rarest of pearls in the world with jeans, and they look great. I’ll always have on a pair of earrings, and then sometimes I layer on our Amalfi chain or another strand.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Late Fall Issue in the section “The Collectors.” Subscribe to the magazine.