finer things

Natural Treasures

These David Yurman earrings could be living things.

Photo: Graydon Herriott
Photo: Graydon Herriott

There’s regular jewelry and then there is high jewelry, a class of accessory on the same level as fine art or haute couture. The rarer the gem and the more precious the metal, the “higher” the jewelry is considered (and the higher the price). But this classification also implies a rarified sense of design and craftsmanship. High-jewelry pieces feel special, not mass-produced, like they were plucked from the bottom of the ocean or deep in a forest somewhere.

The above three teardrop earrings by David Yurman are an example of high jewelry. Made of white gold, titanium, and diamonds, they’re so expensive that they’re listed as “price upon request.” But the stones aren’t even what you notice when you first see them. Their striking shape is inspired by the dianthus plumarius, a type of flower that resembles a pom-pom or a shining star in the galaxy. The way each petal curves naturally makes the earrings seem like they’re alive. Now that’s rare.

Natural Treasures