Nashville Jeweler Vincent Peach Knows Pearls

Nashville jeweler Vincent Peach is creating some amazing equestrian designs using his family’s freshwater pearls.

On a chilly winter morning, Vincent Peach strolls along the fence line at his Quarter Horse ranch west of Nashville to relax and reflect on the past two decades. From his family’s roots along the Tennessee River in West Tennessee to designing exquisite pearl jewelry, his success is measured by his creative passion and work ethic.

When people think of freshwater pearls, Tennessee’s own Camden isn’t the first location that usually comes to mind. Vincent’s dad, former Tennessee State Rep. James Peach, is a third-generation fisherman who founded the United States Pearl Company in 1973.

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In 1981, the company found a niche market supplying mussel shells to the Japanese pearl industry. The elder Peach leased land from the Tennessee Valley Authority for a pearl-harvesting operation. After the mussels are retrieved from the murky, river bottoms by trained divers, they are pried open and nucleated. Afterward, they are placed in cages tied to floating PVC pipes until the pearl matures.

His dad’s entrepreneurship expanded beyond fishing when he purchased several local jewelry stores. That’s where Vincent first developed a passion for designing pieces, especially with his family’s pearls.

After high school, Vincent received training in jewelry design in Memphis. He already had a grasp of the basics, so he focused on more intricate design methods. “I loved designing complicated pieces at an early age, so it came naturally to me,” says Vincent.

One benefit is that his dad developed business interests worldwide. While visiting the Bali home of world-famous designer John Hardy, Vincent became intrigued with his antique collection. “Eventually, I got the itch to do something else, so I went into the furniture business.”

He decided to stay in Indonesia to acquire antiques, sending them back to Tennessee.

A decade later, he sold the furniture business. After taking a two-year sabbatical on his 60-foot sailboat, Vincent decided to return to his jewelry roots. “The only thing I was really passionate about was jewelry. Plus, it’s a lot easier to ship jewelry than furniture.”

Nashville Pearl Jewelry Expert

Today Vincent Peach has two locations in Nashville. The downtown location in Marathon Village is where most of his designs are manufactured. His flagship retail boutique is located in Green Hills. His pieces also are sold in more than 100 luxury stores nationwide, including The Hermitage Hotel.

While there are many designers in the upscale jewelry market, Vincent says he understands his designs need to stand out. “Coming up with something uniquely you is important in this business,” explains Vincent. “People have always loved my curl and equestrian designs. When you look at my pieces, you instantly know it’s a Vincent Peach design.”

Vincent Pearl features a variety of pearls with different price points. Freshwater pearls, like the ones harvested from his dad’s operations are extremely popular. There are also Tahitian pearls and Australian South Sea pearls.

Like most other sectors, Vincent admits most everyone in the luxury market took a hit in 2020 and had to make adjustments to their marketing strategy. One upside is online orders increased around 300 percent.

Vincent’s timing in the market seems to bode well. First, he’s starting to create more “luxury” pieces — meaning those priced at $15,000 and higher. “As the Vincent Peach brand grows, more people that buy luxury pieces are noticing us.”

Men Have More Jewelry Options

Another area where he sees growth is in the men’s market. In fact, the interest in his men’s line has grown significantly, so Vincent plans to double the collection. Being headquartered in Nashville has other advantages, too.

“Lots of artists in the music industry, both male and female, come in and ask me to create custom designs. We’re seeing more male artists such as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler add our pieces to their collection. It’s definitely a growing part of our business.”

The jeweler’s exquisite designs also are worn by Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Connie Britton.

Vincent and his girlfriend, Michelle Garcia, travel extensively for business, so finding time to unwind is essential. That’s where his ranch, “La Pearla,” comes in. The couple enjoys spending as much time as possible riding and grooming their stable guests. There are only a few horses on the ranch this winter, but that will change in the next few months.

Keeping with his love for horses, Vincent’s equestrian designs help set him apart in the luxury market. Vincent Peach was the jeweler for the 2020 Breeders Cup, held annually at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

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“I’m really into Quarter Horses, and working with them inspires my designs. They come naturally to me. All of the hardware I design is my own. If you look at my Montana bracelet, you can definitely see the equestrian influence. Equestrian jewelry is timeless and classic.”

As a jeweler, Vincent pays close attention to the metals market, too. “I see more demand for gold, even though it’s at an all-time high. But I also know the demand for silver is increasing as well.”

Both Michelle and Vincent love being based in Nashville. Besides catering to the music industry’s elite performers and insiders, Music City’s exceptional growth rate over the past decade provides a growing customer base for Vincent Peach jewelry.

“I’m one of the few Nashville natives I know, so that works for my advantage,” notes the smiling designer. “I love Nashville, and it’s a great place to do business.”

This article was originally published in Belle Meade Lifestyle magazine.