Shell Reliquary

18k Yellow gold, hand carved Carrera marble, pearl and diamond reliquary. In the ancient world, they weren’t just decoration—they were symbols of protection, rebirth, and safe passage. Shell-shaped vessels appeared across Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern cultures, often used to hold perfumes, oils, or offerings. Their form echoed the sea: a reminder of migration, trade routes, and the boundary between worlds.

The scallop, especially, carried deep meaning—linked to Aphrodite’s birth from the sea foam, a symbol of femininity, beauty, and divine arrival. To hold something precious inside a shell-shaped vessel was to honor it; to carve one was to invoke the ocean’s quiet power.