Dark Gold-Leaf Lacquer Bellflower Drop 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 small gold ball stud holds a round bead of very dark brown lacquer scattered with gold leaf, from fine specks to broken patches. Below the bead hangs a fluted gold-tone bellflower that moves a little as you wear it.

Each bead is built on a sandalwood core, coated in natural lacquer and laid with gold leaf by hand. The studs are 14k gold. Because the leaf breaks differently on every bead, each piece varies a little in colour and pattern, 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
Natural lacquer cures to a hard, glossy surface, which is why it has been used in China for centuries to protect and finish fine work. Here very dark brown lacquer over a carved sandalwood core is laid with gold leaf by hand, from fine specks to broken patches, so no two beads carry the same scatter. Each bead hangs from a small 14k gold ball stud with a fluted gold-tone bellflower below that sways a little as you move.
Materials
Gold leaf
Natural lacquer (dàqī)
14k gold findings
Sandalwood core
Gold-tone bellflower charms
Size: Approx. 1 × 3 cm
Weight: Approx. 6 g
Technique
Gold leaf is laid by hand into dark natural lacquer on a carved sandalwood core. The beads hang from 14k gold ball studs, each with a bellflower charm below.
Care
Keep dry and away from perfume, lotion and heat. Do not leave in strong sunlight. Wipe with a soft dry cloth and 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