The Journey of a Jewel

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Each Neha Dani jewel is the realization of a journey into a unique dimension of Nature or the Universe. Follow the creation of the Aialik bracelet, inspired by the world’s most majestic and often endangered Glaciers, from inspiration to final creation, a process that lasts more than 6 months.
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With crystalline depths, glowing blue in the sunlight, ice gleams with an otherworldly beauty. Dani is inspired by the energy contained in the stillness of these enormous glacial creations, the frozen heart of the earth’s freshwater supply.

SKETCHING HER VISION

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The design concept begins to take shape in photography, charcoal or watercolor. Dani envisions organic shapes of blue moonstone representing the dramatic icy landscapes, with crags of pave diamonds, shaped into angular forms that enfold the wrist in crystalline facets of ice.
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Aialik, the Alutiiq name of a glacier in Alaska, means “eerie,” and moonstone has the magical presence of its towering glowing blue cliffs. Eleven moonstones, together weighing 163 carats, will be custom cut specifically for this bracelet.
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Dani meticulously carves a tridimensional wax model of her vision, cradling each gem and building up geometric forms inspired by ice crystals in between each moonstone. This process often requires multiple iterations in which the vision is sculpted and shaped over time, until the final form reveals itself.
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Master craftsmen cut the moonstones into the shapes Dani created in 3D wax, paying special attention to select specimens of rough moonstone with the most beautiful flashes of blue. The moonstones have to be cut specifically to fit the wax shapes, and often recut to better fit the design and the anatomic curve of the cuff.
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For this piece, Dani chooses 18k white gold. Shapes that are so complex, both geometric and organic, require that the forms be cast in segments that must then be joined. Craftsman create a custom hinge which is hidden in between moonstones so that the bracelet can be fitted closely to the wrist but remain comfortable to wear and easy to be taken on and off. Dani designs a jeweled button for the clasp of the hinge that is virtually imperceptible as a functional element.
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Dani paints her wax carving to indicate the perfect placement for each diamond to create the effect of sunlight shining on brilliant crystals of ice.
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The Aialik cuff is complete. It will tour the globe, bringing the beauty of arctic ice to jewelry collectors and art connoisseurs around the world.