Mehrunisa - Mother of Pearl and Lapis Lazuli Gold Plated Necklace

From the Rani collection by Orah Jewels and Crafts, a necklace that works from both sides. Mehrunisa is crafted in silver with 24K gold plating, the central piece reversible: one face set with luminous Mother of Pearl from Gwadar, Makran Coast, the other with deep blue Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, the inlay work on both faces polished to a flat finish so the stones sit flush and even within the gold-toned frame.

Mother of Pearl is the nacre layer from the interior of mollusc shells, built from alternating submicroscopic plates of aragonite and protein. The iridescence it produces, shifting from white to cream to rose depending on viewing angle and light source, is a structural optical phenomenon called thin-film interference, not a surface coating or pigment. The Gwadar, Makran Coast source provides shell with a consistent nacre layer and a warm iridescence that distinguishes it from colder Pacific shell material. On the reverse, Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan operates in the opposite register entirely: opaque, saturated, and deep, absorbing light rather than redirecting it. The gold plating of the silver frame reads warmly against both the iridescent white of the mother of pearl and the royal blue of the lapis, unifying a reversible piece that otherwise presents two entirely different materials. The inlay was executed at the Orah Jewels facility in Lahore.

The necklace sits at 14 inches, higher than the collarbone on most body types, framing the neck rather than the chest. The piece has significant presence given its size, the dual-material construction giving it weight proportional to its visual impact.

Made at the Orah Jewels facility in Lahore. Mother of pearl from Gwadar, lapis from Badakhshan. One piece.

Stones: Natural Mother of Pearl (Gwadar, Makran Coast) and Lapis Lazuli (Badakhshan, Afghanistan)
Metal: Silver with 24K Gold Plating
Size: 14 inches
Collection: Rani