Japanese Artist Hand-Carves Pearls Into Exquisite 'Fairy Skulls'

Shinji Nakaba has been making brilliant pieces of jewelry, and everything he designs is wearable. If you ask the Tokyo-based artist, he will say his creations are “wearable sculptures.” The artist uses unconventional material for his creations, and pearls are probably his favorite.

Nakaba’s primary goal is to give life to common materials. He uses precious metals, stones, aluminum beer cans, plastic bottles and other pieces of garbage. That’s what makes his creations so special.

Nakaba started carving corals, crystals, ivory and other precious stones. Pearls without cores turned out to be his favorite. These pieces provide smooth carving, and there’s almost no risk of shredding or peeling.

The artist notes that he has experimented with different materials to carve out skulls, adding that pearls are most durable. Turning pristine pearls into skulls is a completely different approach, and it outlines the link between the pure and the dark.

You can find a lot of creations on Nakaba’s website, and you can pick your favorite. He makes necklaces, rings and even brooches. Oh yes, he is also great in arranging flowers. Have you ever heard of ikebana jewelry?

Artists like Nakaba give us a different definition of life and art. Every type of art is special, but how often do you see pearls carved into skulls? We’d definitely like to have one of these.