Chandiari - Lapis Lazuli and Pearl Brass Earrings

From the Hala collection by Orah Jewels and Crafts, Chandiari is a pair of drop earrings whose structure is drawn from the tilework and lattice patterns of Hala's shrines. The name chandiari refers to a traditional Sindhi ornament, and the earrings carry that reference through form: flame shaped motifs cast in warm brass descend in succession, the body of each earring building downward through repeated geometric units before arriving at the stone cluster at the base. At 1.9 inches, the drop is long enough to move with the wearer and read as a considered length against the neck.

The focal stones at the base are natural Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, the ancient deposit that has been the world's primary source of quality lapis for over six thousand years. Lapis is a metamorphic rock built from three minerals: lazurite, which produces the deep indigo color; calcite, which distributes through the matrix as white or grey variation; and pyrite, which appears as fine golden flecks across the stone surface. High quality lapis, as found in Badakhshan, carries a strong lazurite ratio with minimal calcite intrusion and well distributed pyrite. Flanking the lapis are natural pearls from the Makran Coast in Balochistan. Pearl is calcium carbonate deposited in concentric nacre layers within a mollusc, its surface luster the result of light diffracting across those layers. The pairing of pearl and lapis is one of the oldest combinations in South Asian jewelry: the cool organic luminescence of the pearl creates contrast against the dense saturated blue of the lapis, each material made more distinct by the presence of the other.

The earring body is cast in brass, a metal long used in Sindhi ornamental craft for its golden warmth and its capacity to hold fine surface detail through the casting process. The flame motifs retain their edge definition after finishing, so the geometric structure of the earring reads clearly even at the scale of 1.9 inches. Standard hooks allow the earring to hang freely so the full drop length and the stone cluster at the base present as intended.

Made at the Orah Jewels and Crafts facility in Lahore. Orah Jewels sources its lapis directly from Badakhshan and its pearls from the Makran Coast through a supply network built over twelve years of direct trade. One pair.

Stones: Natural Lapis Lazuli (Badakhshan, Afghanistan) and Pearl (Makran Coast, Balochistan)
Metal: Brass
Drop Length: 1.9 Inches