Girls with pearls

Sharon Lowe and Martha Flynn

If there’s one thing that southern women love to wear, it’s pearls. We dress them up, we dress them down, some of us may even sleep in them. Martha Flynn and Sharon Lowe, owners of Girl With A Pearl Designs, have made these southern staples their job.

Martha and Sharon met one fateful day when they were both traveling as flight attendants and their flights had been cancelled. Martha noticed a pearl necklace Sharon was wearing. They got to talking about it, found a shared passion, and the rest is history. They began by finding special pearl items for friends, and it slowly grew to in-home parties, then trade shows, and they now sell online and in a few local boutiques. Martha and Sharon have been flight attendants for 25 years, so it’s just another day at the office for them to travel to places like Hong Kong, Beijing and India to handpick and inspect each pearl that ends up in their jewelry. With such intricate knowledge of their materials, they are able to design unique and exceptional pieces of jewelry at an affordable price.

Martha and Sharon’s are currently loving their new pearl brooches, which are totally in style right now. Actresses at the Oscars were seen sporting brooches on dresses, headbands and purses. These and other pieces can be found at Ibiza Fine Gifts and Sola Salon, and they are always available for private shows, trunk shows and charity events. This Spring they donated a necklace to CASA’s Red Shoe Party and a portion of their daily sales to the Go Red for Women Campaign. For a look at their most recent pieces visit facebook.com/GirlWithAPearlDesigns. We all know one can never have too many pearls!

—Welsey H. Gallagher