Keep everything near it quiet. This is the only saturated thing the shelf can hold; pair it with plain ceramic, unfinished wood, or nothing at all. It reads as one object across a room and as a hundred up close, so put it somewhere people stand rather than pass.

The lattice is the rare part. Sphalerite grew in the rock and weathered out, and the frame it grew against stayed standing. Blade crossing blade, cells open all the way through. Nothing carved that. Nothing could. The color came after, and it came from a vapor chamber. Titanium bonded to the druzy. Magenta along the ridges, oil-slick green and gold down in the cells. The structure is the Earth's. The color is applied. Both facts belong on the label. One of a kind. The exact piece you'll receive.

STRATA · VEIN · WEIGHT

STRATA — Natural sphalerite boxwork with druzy quartz, Bulgaria. Titanium vapor coating applied.
VEIN — Open lattice of intersecting blades, magenta and lilac along the ridges, iridescent green and gold across the cells.

DETAILS

• Natural sphalerite boxwork with druzy quartz, Bulgaria
• Titanium vapor coating. The color is applied, not native to the stone.
• 5" × 4" × 1"
• Dust with a dry soft brush. Keep it out of water.

THE FINISH

Physical vapor deposition bonds a micro-thin layer of titanium to the crystal faces inside a vacuum chamber. It is the same process behind the PVD on our metal jewelry, and the same one used on watch cases and surgical tools. It does not flake, fade, or wash off. It is also not the stone's own color, and we would rather tell you than let the photograph imply otherwise.

IN THE TRADE

Sphalerite carries a long reputation among crystal collectors, kept for grounding and for vitality. We report that; we don't claim it. What we will vouch for is the lattice, and that the sparkle you are seeing is titanium.

ORIGIN

Bulgarian ground. No one designed the structure and no one could reproduce it. The sphalerite left it behind. We added the color. Both halves of that sentence are true. The lattice occurs once.

IN THE BOX

• Cotton tote
• Hand-stamped story card
• Catalog card

SAÉA — shelter · refugio · پناه
Made by earth. Finished by us. Kept by you.

SAÉA Stones

Onyx is a natural stone, stunning but not bulletproof. Wipe with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid harsh detergents. Read more here.

Each piece is sealed with food-grade beeswax. Refresh every 6 to 12 months by warming a small amount of oil or wax into the surface, then buffing gently with a soft cloth.

Free ground shipping on U.S. orders over $100. Hand-packed in San Diego using recyclable, plastic-free materials, usually shipped within 1-2 business days.

30-day returns on unused, undamaged pieces. Email us at hello@saeadesigns.com and we will send a return label.

If a piece arrives damaged in transit, send photos of it as it came out of the box to hello@saeadesigns.com and we will refund or exchange it.

SAÉA is a small design studio in San Diego, California.

Each piece begins as raw onyx in the mountains of Balochistan, hand-carved by artisans, then finished, photographed, and shipped from San DIego, California.

Every SAÉA Jewel is made to order in our San Diego studio.