Centered around two exquisite Australian Black Opals from Lightning Ridge, these Lantern earpendants were the first pieces of jewelry to emerge from the mind of Nicholas Varney following an extended stay in Japan last year (yes, right before the world shut down). Seeking inspiration, Varney began in Uji, home of wonders of 11th-century architecture and the finest green tea in the world. “It was a total immersion in Japanese culture. No one spoke English. I was there to study the trains, the architecture, the food,” he says, “but also to return to a simpler way of thinking. The Japanese mind stresses simplicity and precision, and there’s a deep understanding of the relationship between time and quality.” 

From Uji, Nicholas Varney launched an expository journey into the roots of Japanese geometry. Architecturally, everything in Japan is based on Yamato-hi, or the silver ratio, as opposed to the ‘golden ratio’ in western civilization. But the differences are deeply felt. “Western culture tends to curve a line, whereas in Japan, there is a more precise bending that occurs.” Varney wanted to mimic this bending that he saw everywhere in Japan, not just in ancient structures but in modern leitmotifs as well, and immediately his mind he turned to an incredibly rare piece of angelskin coral, the perfect hue to complement the fiery red of the opal.

DETAILS:

Black Opal

D-flawless White Baguette Diamonds

Colored Diamonds

Peach Garnets

Coral

Ebony

18k Yellow Gold