As a love letter to her parents, John and Luna was imagined and brought into reality by owner and lead designer Teresa Bisazza. Their unique story of meeting and forming an unbreakable bond ignited a flame of creativity and connection within Teresa.

Discovering her late father's passion for pearls only solidified her own fascination and desire to handcraft wondrous artful masterpieces that others can connect with.

"Dad would collect them everywhere he went, and I had no idea! This also explains why I was so drawn to pearls in the first place. It's crazy because I started John and Luna after I lost dad. It was my way of grieving. His name is my business name — so I feel like he's directed this all. When I discovered that he loved pearls, I knew this was the direction John and Luna needed to take." — Teresa.

As one of Australia's leading pearl jewellery businesses, you can expect nothing less than a magical backstory of passion and sentiment.

It all began in the late '80s when a small-town man from the farmlands of Italy met a city woman from the Philippines. Becoming smitten with this mystery woman, the man travelled from Australia — where he resided at the time — to the Philippines every month to visit her. And he would never visit empty-handed!

From cakes, rolls of cheese, olive oil, and cherries to what started the endearing adventure of John and Luna — a double-strand princess pearl necklace. His soulmate wore this stunning piece of jewellery to special occasions, often styling it with extravagant gowns.

While their relationship was primarily long-distance without accessible, modern forms of communication, their bond spoke volumes of strength and loyalty. The woman informed the local store she was expecting calls from Australia and asked the owners if she could use their phone — paying them five pesos per call. Of course, as any romantic at heart would do, they agreed. Every time he phoned, the store owners would run one kilometre to the woman's home and excitedly connect these star-crossed lovers.

"After a year of the most magical whirlwind romance, he asked her to marry him, and the rest is history." — Teresa.

Teresa has since poured her heart and soul into her business — striving to honour the unique history of freshwater pearls while crafting new stories with each design. She is all about allowing space for the unseeable emotions that certain pieces of jewellery can bring about. She believes that jewellery goes beyond its beauty — that there's a story tucked inside every piece.

"Jewellery can spark confidence and deep conversations. ⁣Jewellery can be handed down from generation to generation and could mean more than just something dangling from someone's ear, more than something clipped around someone's neck. There is always a story. Always.⁣” — Teresa.

Teresa has a knack for sharing beautiful narratives with her one-of-kind creations and is eager for you to share yours!

"The stories hidden in jewellery are deeper than what meets the eye, and for some, it brings memories of a time we wish we could re-live and will never forget."

From the ups and downs of starting a business to becoming one of Australia's most beloved freshwater pearl jewellers with several prestigious magazine features — John and Luna has made an imprint on not only the lives of other pearl-loving souls but also her family legacy.

As Teresa's mother — Maria Bisazza — expresses:

"Every time I look at the pearl jewellery my daughter creates, it reminds me of her father. He loved pearls and searched for them wherever he went. It was then I realised my husband's love for pearls was passed down to her. I am so incredibly proud."

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