Long Gold-Fleck Lacquer Leaf Drop Earrings

$1,320.00

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

Two long, slender leaf shapes in deep brown natural lacquer, each hanging from a small gold ball stud. Gold leaf glints through the lacquer, and flecks of mother-of-pearl gather towards the lower half of each leaf, catching soft green, blue and pink light as they move.

Each leaf is built on a carved sandalwood core, with the gold leaf and mother-of-pearl set between coats of natural lacquer and polished smooth. Because every piece is made by hand, the colour and the scatter of flecks 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
Luodian, the inlay of mother-of-pearl into lacquer, has been practised in China for centuries, and the shell keeps its shifting light once it is sealed in hard lacquer. For these long leaf drops the maker carves a sandalwood core, lays gold leaf between coats of deep brown lacquer and sets small pieces of mother-of-pearl towards the lower half before polishing the surface smooth. They hang from small 14k gold ball studs, and the shell shows green, blue and pink as they move. The inlay is placed by hand, so no two pairs are quite alike.
Materials
Gold leaf
Natural lacquer (dàqī)
14k gold findings (ball studs)
Sandalwood core
Mother-of-pearl inlay (luodian)
Size: Approx. 1.2 × 6 cm
Weight: Approx. 4.2 g
Technique
Gold leaf is laid into layers of natural lacquer over a carved sandalwood core, and small pieces of mother-of-pearl are inlaid in the luodian manner before the surface is polished smooth.
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 long leaf-shaped drop earrings in dark brown lacquer with gold leaf and mother-of-pearl flecks, hanging from gold ball studs on an ivory background
  • Long brown lacquer leaf earring flecked with gold leaf and mother-of-pearl on a gold ball stud, worn with a linen shirt