The Aurora
The maker's mark
A large oval mother-of-pearl shell, nine inches across, with iridescent bands of white, blue, green, and pink that shift with every movement, the same physics that lights the night sky. The biggest piece in the shell collection, and the only one that carries a full evening. Two were made, each from its own shell.
Specification
- Materials
- Natural mother-of-pearl shell, gold-tone metal frame
- Dimensions
- 9"L × 1.5"W × 6"H
- Capacity
- Holds phone, cards, cash, lipstick, keys
- Interior
- Pink suede
- Closure
- Metal frame with crystal-detail closure
- Chain
- Gold-tone, 20" drop, detachable
- Surface
- Natural mother-of-pearl, large flowing iridescent bands, unique to this shell
- Origin
- Handmade in India
- Production
- Two exist, each from its own shell
Dispatched within 1 to 2 business days by FedEx Ground, arriving in 2 to 7 days across the U.S. Your tracking follows the moment it leaves us. Should it ever need to come home, you have 30 days from delivery.
How many were made?
Two, each from its own shell. Because every shell is a different shape and surface, no identical third can be made. When these sell, the piece is retired.
Is the iridescence real or treated?
Entirely natural. The surface is not lacquered or coated. The shifting bands are the nacre responding to light, so no two moments with it look the same.
What fits inside?
At 9" across and 6" tall, it carries a full evening, phone, wallet, cards, keys, lipstick. It is the most functional piece in the shell collection.
Can I wear it crossbody?
Yes. The gold-tone chain attaches to the frame for shoulder wear, and it can also be held as a clutch.
The story
At nine inches across, the Aurora is the largest piece in the shell collection and the only one that carries a full evening, phone, cards, cash, keys, inside a shell the ocean spent years building. The gold-tone frame follows the natural oval of the shell; the crystal at the closure catches light the same way the surface does.
Two were made, each from its own shell. No third is possible, the next shell would be a different shape and a different play of color entirely.
The house of Gullye
Slow by hand.
Heirloom objects from the workshops of South Asia, made in editions, never in factories.
The Aurora
A large oval mother-of-pearl shell, nine inches across, with iridescent bands of white, blue, green, and pink that shift with every movement, the same physics that lights the night sky. The biggest piece in the shell collection, and the only one that carries a full evening. Two were made, each from its own shell.
Gullye makes sculptural pieces by hand, in small editions, with master artisans in Jaipur. Once an edition sells out, it is retired.
The specification
The Aurora is a natural mother-of-pearl shell with an untreated nacre surface. Wipe gently with a dry soft cloth after each use. Do not expose it to water, perfume, hairspray, or chemical cleaners, which will dull and eventually strip the nacre. Avoid prolonged sunlight. Handle the frame and crystal closure like fine jewelry. Store in the Gullye dust bag.
In confidence
The aurora in the sky and the surface of a mother-of-pearl shell come from the same thing: light interference, where waves pass through layered structures and emerge as colors that were not there before. In the sky it happens in the upper atmosphere. In the shell it happens in the nacre. Either way the result is bands of color that move and refuse to sit still. You see one thing, you move, and you see another.
From the same atelier
