The sighting: Atlanta right fielder Joc Pederson has been rounding the bases in a custom strand of pearls! And we don’t mean just once or twice – this pearl necklace is the professional athlete’s go-to accessory.
The jewels: Pederson’s pearls were custom made for him by Gabe Arik of Happy Jewelers. According to Sports Illustrated, the 24-inch strand is intentionally large, with 14-millimeter cultured pearls separated by extra knots to ensure that pearls won’t scatter all over the field if the necklace breaks mid-game.
Happy Jewelers reportedly keeps backup pearls on hand in case Pederson’s necklace breaks, a precaution that came in handy this week when Pederson damaged his signature strand night before a big game. As documented on their Instagram, Happy Jewelers rushed an employee to the airport, pearls in hand, and was able to deliver a replacement before the next day’s opening pitch.
The trends: Pearls have been hot for a while now and the popular jewel can’t seem to stop attracting new, highly influential devotees. It’s a look traditionally seen as demure and feminine, although more recently that association has taken on an aura of power as women around the world donned pearls to honor VP Kamala Harris at her inauguration. Now, baseball fans drape themselves in pearls to show support for Pederson and his teammates.
As for the question of whether pearls could become a trend for men off the playing field, we’d argue it’s already happening. Just ask Harry Styles.
Photo from Joc Pederson’s Instagram
What do we think? The only nit we could possibly pick here is that Pederson’s pearl strand might be a little long for the neckline of his uniform. A shorter lengnth could have lined up perfectly with the collar, although the insouciance of the longer length does feel appropriate for pearls appearing in such an unexpected context.
Pederson posted an Instagram photo of himself delightedly holding up his strand of pearls with the caption “rock what you want.” We have nothing but respect for this level of style and confidence.
Judgement: 15/10 for defying expectations in the best way
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