Saikiko brooch no. 3

Wearable Art — A Thousand Years of Japanese Lacquer Craft

This brooch is far more than a piece of jewellery. It is a miniature universe of Japanese lacquer art, handcrafted by Kenji Omachi, a master lacquer artist based in Kyoto.

Upon a carefully shaped wooden base, Omachi layers multiple ancestral techniques with remarkable precision: raden — the inlay of mother-of-pearl with its iridescent shimmer —, polished maki-e — gold and silver powders set into lacquer and burnished to a luminous finish —, and delicate eggshell inlays.

The piece is further adorned with Kyoto Opal, an exceptional synthetic gemstone created by Kyocera, Kyoto's world-renowned technology company. Born from decades of advanced scientific research, Kyoto Opal replicates and elevates the play-of-colour found in natural opal, achieving a purity and brilliance that nature alone cannot consistently deliver. This brooch is a singular encounter between centuries-old craft and cutting-edge Japanese innovation.

Each piece is one of a kind. The interplay of light across the mother-of-pearl and Kyoto Opal shifts with every movement, giving the wearer a living, ever-changing presence.

The pin fitting on the reverse is crafted in pure silver. The brooch arrives in a wooden presentation box, befitting the work it holds.

Dimensions (cm): L: 5.5 cm × D: 4.5 cm × H: 1.5 cm

Materials: Wood, mother-of-pearl inlay, polished makie lacquer, eggshell, Kyoto opal

Artist: Kenji Omachi