Jacob Arabo, founder and chairman of Jacob & Co., wanted to harness the ethereal beauty of butterflies with these stunning earrings. But reflecting the creature’s feather-light physicality was equally important. “I wanted the earrings to be as lightweight as possible, without taking away from the aesthetic,” he says. Arabo designed the earrings as part of a butterfly-inspired collection of one-off jewels called Papillon. His vision “was to create jewelry that embodies the bold color and lightweight movement of a butterfly, in pieces that are not only beautiful but are also easy to wear.” The designer says he’s long been inspired by nature, and often strives to capture “the wonder of the natural world” in his work. These winged wonders certainly do that, in spades.

Flight of Fancy

These decadent drops—measuring 11.5 cm in length—are fabricated in 18k white gold using cathedral blue enamel, 3.35 cts. t.w. tangerine citrine, 8.46 cts. t.w. rhodolite, and 5.86 cts. t.w. white diamonds. At press time, they were available for a “starting price” of $43,400 at the brand’s New York City and Geneva boutiques, or at jacobandco.com.

The Perfect Swarm

Arabo hand-selected a group of “five to seven specialized artisans” based in Italian ateliers to bring the Papillon collection to life. “The most challenging aspect of creating the earrings was finding the right blend of functionality and design,” he explains. “Working with enamel allowed us to lessen the weight of the jewelry, but then the difficulty became getting the colors of the enamel just right.”

Social Butterfly

Arabo created the collection “to mesmerize onlookers the way we’re mesmerized by the sight of a genuine butterfly. The ideal wearer of this piece would be someone who likes to feel unique and appreciates not only the beauty and complexity of the composition, but also the lighthearted inspiration behind its design.”