Black Pale-Leaf Lacquer Sphere and Cabochon Earrings

$1,160.00

Handcrafted to order. Leaves our bench by Thursday, 8 Oct

Complimentary shipping on orders over 300.0 USD

Made by hand — final sale. Cancel within 24 hours, before it ships. Shipping & cancellations

A round lacquer sphere in near-black lacquer, broken by pale silvery-gold leaf, hangs below a small white cabochon set in a gold-tone bezel. Each drop finishes in a small gold-tone bead and hangs from a gold ear hook with a slim, flat front.

The sphere is built on a sandalwood core, with gold leaf laid between coats of natural lacquer and polished back. Every piece is made by hand, so the colour and the spread of gold vary a little from pair to pair, and photographs are for reference.

Photographs are for reference only. Each piece is made by hand, so its colour and pattern will differ a little from the one shown.

The story
Laying gold leaf between coats of natural lacquer and polishing the surface back is a long-practised way of decorating lacquer in China. Here the maker works it over a turned sandalwood sphere, rubbing the near-black lacquer down until pale silvery-gold leaf breaks through in patches. Each sphere hangs below a small white cabochon on a slim 14k gold ear hook, a quiet pair for day or evening. The leaf surfaces differently every time, so no two pairs are quite alike.
Materials
Gold leaf
Natural lacquer (dàqī)
14k gold ear hooks
Sandalwood core
Set with a white cabochon in a gold-tone bezel
Size: Approx. 1 × 4 cm
Weight: Approx. 3.4 g
Technique
Gold leaf is laid into layers of natural lacquer over a turned sandalwood core, and the surface is polished back to show the gold beneath.
Care
Keep dry and away from perfume, lotion and heat. Do not leave in strong sunlight. Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Store alone in its pouch.
Shipping & cancellations

Complimentary shipping on orders over $300. Ready-to-ship pieces leave the bench within 3 working days; pieces handcrafted to order take up to two weeks. The date for this piece is shown above.

Cancel within 24 hours of ordering, as long as it has not shipped. Each piece is made by hand, so all sales are final: no returns or exchanges for a change of mind. Full details

  • Pair of drop earrings: near-black lacquer spheres with pale silvery-gold leaf below white cabochons in gold bezels, on gold ear hooks, ivory background
  • Black lacquer sphere with pale silvery leaf below a white mother-of-pearl cabochon in a gold bezel, on a gold French hook, worn with a linen shirt