Harriet BATCHELOR, Mauritius's very own pearl

Tell us about yourself

I grew up in Mauritius and studied art in France and Italy. I spent many years in Rome, restoring some of the works of the Vatican. It was there that I discovered my passion for jewellery, thanks to a jeweller friend who taught me the first welding and wax modelling techniques. At the end of 2019, I moved back to my native island.

What is Oceano Pearls, where does the name come from?

Oceano Pearls are timeless and trendy jewels destined to clients of all ages, cultures, and horizons.

Oceano means ocean in Italian. I am very attached to Italy - my three children were born there; the bilingualism was a way to stay connected to my true identity.

Why create this brand?

I was always fascinated by jewellery. In Paris and Rome, I had the opportunity to be inspired by great jewellers. I admire the delicacy of the various creations and the confrontation of each artist with the blank page. Everything is born from a thought that, through multiple stages, is transformed into an object, a jewel or a work of art.

How important are Mauritius and your travels in your creations? Are they your inspiration?

Mauritius is present in all of my creations; each item bears the name of a place on the island. I grew up in the wild south, where the waves break with such force and intensity, constituting the source of my inspiration. I am an avid diver; underwater, I feel a deep connection to the environment. The inspiration for my jewels had to be the treasures of the sea; pearls, corals and shells.

I have definitely been inspired by my personal life when developing my brand. I rely mainly on nature; the rough topography of the southern coast of Mauritius, the sophisticated European continent, the strong and colourful Africa... everything comes together in my creations!

Why focus on pearls?

Pearls are a wonderful gift from nature; they come out of oysters just as they are, like a treasure from the ocean.

We use pearls from Tahiti boasting beautiful colours, ranging from metallic grey to bottle green, eggplant pink and lime green. Our baroque pearls come from the Philippines and we also have very rare golden pearls from Australia.
My dream would be to source pearls locally

What is the story of your creations?

Oceano embodies my whole life journey; my origins, memories, inspirations, and my fascination for marine life.

Inspired by the beauty of the works of the Louvre, where I studied, I wanted to leave my mark by creating beautiful things, using my native island as a guiding theme.

Drawing, painting and carving are second nature to me. My parents were passionate about art and architecture, so it was thus natural for me to study art and learn all the techniques, the ancient styles and the meaning of world art from its earliest days.