Shahbano - Mother of Pearl and Lapis Lazuli Silver Bracelet

From the Rani collection by Orah Jewels and Crafts, Shahbano is a reversible sterling silver bangle carrying inlaid Mother of Pearl on one face and Lapis Lazuli on the other, finished throughout in 24K gold plating. The name means "queen" in Urdu, and the piece holds both the architectural reference and the material quality the name implies. The bangle sits at 7.2 inches and changes character entirely depending on which face is turned upward: the soft iridescence of nacre on one side, the fixed deep blue of Badakhshan lapis on the other.

Mother of Pearl used in Shahbano is sourced from Gwadar, Makran Coast, where nacre from the shells of marine mollusks is processed into the thin, flat tiles used for precision inlay work. Nacre is a composite biomineral composed of calcium carbonate crystals arranged in parallel layers that interfere with visible light across its full spectrum, producing the shifting iridescence between white, cream and soft gold that defines the material. The depth of this optical effect depends on the regularity of the layering, which is why nacre sourced from specific marine environments is preferred over lower grade shell for fine inlay work. The Lapis Lazuli comes from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, the mountain province that has supplied this stone continuously for over seven thousand years. Its color is produced by lazurite, a tectosilicate mineral in the sodalite group, with pyrite inclusions producing the gold flecks against the ultramarine ground. The two stones represent opposite ends of a single visual register: the shifting iridescence of nacre and the dense, fixed blue of lapis.

The construction of Shahbano takes direct reference from the inlay tradition of Sheesh Mahal, the Mirror Palace within Lahore Fort, where Mughal craftsmen set thousands of small pieces of mirror and glass into carved plaster to create surfaces that return light from every angle. Shahbano adapts this principle to the wrist: both faces of the bangle are covered in precisely fitted inlay tiles so that each surface reads as a continuous, uninterrupted field of color rather than individual stone placements. The reversible form means the bangle functions as two distinct pieces within one object. The 24K gold plating runs across the body and edge of the silver bangle, becoming most visible at the profile where the two inlaid faces meet. The rigid construction keeps the inlay stable at the wrist, holding the flat surface at a consistent angle to light so that both the nacre and the lapis read at their best.

Made at the Orah Jewels and Crafts facility in Lahore, Shahbano is produced by hand by Orah's inlay artisans. Mother of Pearl from Gwadar and Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan are sourced directly through Orah's regional supply network, built over twelve years of working in Pakistan's gemstone trade. One piece.

Stones: Natural Mother of Pearl (Gwadar, Makran Coast) and Lapis Lazuli (Badakhshan, Afghanistan)
Metal: Sterling Silver with 24K Gold Plating
Size: 7.2"