Of the many bounties of nature, Lotus Arts De Vivre chooses scarab beetles as its muse, while CaratLane opts to illustrate Mogra through delightful bejewelled creations.
Immortalising the Scarab
The scarab beetle symbolising the eternal cycle of life gets immortalised in the new Lotus Scarab collection created by Lotus Arts De Vivre. For eons, the vast splendours of Nature have served to inspire artists, and each one interprets the beauteous delights differently.
The much-revered scarab beetle was worn as amulets by ancient Egyptians. Scarabs found their way on the seal impressions Even the Chinese are known to have placed Jade scarabs in the mouths and ears of their emperors after death and believed that these would guide the rulers into the afterlife.
The artisans of Lotus Arts de Vivre have presented a series of scarab ornaments that are the ultimate in luxury. The Lotus Scarab collection is a study in outstanding craftsmanship and impeccable design.
Blessed by the abundance of scarabs in Thailand, Lotus Arts De Vivre harvests the iridescent wings individually by hand, a delicate and painstaking process. Scarab wings range in colour from brilliant greens and vibrant purples to deep blues and even gold and it is crucial to note that only the songs of scarabs, who die a natural death, maintain their eye-catching colours.
According to Rolf von Bueren, Founder, Lotus De Vivre, “To me, the colours of the scarab wings are more perfect than any lacquer, enamel, or even any emerald or sapphire.”
Each carefully removed scarab wing is selected for its colour and shaved to the chosen thickness with surgical precision before being glued on to the piece of jewellery. To put the nature of this process into perspective, Von Bueren described how a single bead in a scarab wing bracelet takes 5 days to complete. “Every piece in the collection is one-of-a-kind, priceless and takes a team of almost 10 people working on each piece,” he says.
The collection includes scarab wing earrings inlaid with diamonds and other precious stones and accented with abalone shell. A striking dragon motif bracelet in gold is set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies that includes scarab wing detailing.
Diamond & Pearl Mogras, anyone?
CaratLane, one of India’s leading omni-channel jewellery brands, announced its first diamond-studded Mogra collection, that pays an ode to the most popular native flower of India. Articulated in gold and diamonds, the Mogra (also known as jasmine), the collection consists of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces; each design is as distinctive and fresh as the fragrant ivory flower.
The 14-karat Mogra collection employs rice pearls to represent buds and diamond clusters that are micro-set within the delicate contour of the golden petals. The designs were realised through 3D printing to mimic the intricate curves and folds of the bud-to-bloom stages of the flower.
Talking about the collection, Kinnari Shah, Head Of Design & Merchandising, said, “Mogra evokes a feeling of nostalgia the moment we smell the fragrance. We wanted to do justice to the inspiration, by capturing the minute details of the flower and translate it into our jewellery, from the fine veins holding the bud to the texture on the petals.”