She became a stay-at-home mum and somewhere along the way, lost her own style. Always dressing the kids, never herself. Then she remembered her nana, always in pearls. Simple, real, a little imperfect. That's where this started.

Girl With A Pearl was founded by Katie-May Batty in Mudgee, a small country town in regional NSW. Before this, she ran a small childrenswear brand — making everything herself until that became unsustainable. Stepping back from work, she found herself in a style rut she suspected she wasn't alone in.

So she started making jewellery. Freshwater pearl pieces,  handmade, a little textured, nothing too polished. Classic but not precious. The kind of thing you actually wear.

The People Behind It

Katie-May Batty — Founder & Designer
Katie-May designs and makes the pieces herself. Every handmade item starts with her, in Mudgee, with real freshwater pearls that are genuinely a little different from each other  because that's the point.

Mel Stuart — Everything Else
She handles the marketing, the photography, the content, the website, and  depending on the day  doubles as unofficial therapist. The brand wouldn't exist without her and she knows it. All on her day off from her full time interior design studio (Wirra Studio)

Where We Came From

We started at the Mudgee markets in 2021, selling pieces one by one to people who actually stopped and held them.

We went online later that year. Then slowly, then all at once, something clicked and in mid-2026 we opened our first boutique at Shop 9, Town Hall Arcade, right here in Mudgee. Honestly, we still can't believe it.

Where We're Going

This year we branched out into leather handbags. Small, curated, same idea as the jewellery , classic shapes, good texture, made to last. Not a pivot. Just a natural next step for a brand that cares about what things feel like in your hands.

Scarves are coming later this year too.

What We Make and Why

Every piece in the handmade range is made by Katie-May using freshwater pearls — which means no two are exactly the same. That's not a flaw. That's the whole thing.

We make jewellery for women who are done with fast, fussy, or forgettable. Pieces you reach for every day, not just for special occasions. Things that feel like you — or like the version of you that finally remembered to dress herself.