EXQUISITE PRECIOUS GEM MARINE LIFE CHESS SET
Designed by Gemologist and Jewelry Designer Sylvia Quispe, Idar-Oberstein, Germany
This chess set de luxe is a truly exquisite item, for the lover of the game, the keen gemologist, or simply for those who appreciate objets fashioned with the highest artistry from the finest materials. Rich purple Tanzanian ruby plays royal blue Afghan lapis, the pieces fashioned as various sea creatures. The ruby pieces are mounted on Peruvian pink opal seashell and starfish bases, whilst the lapis is raised on quartz. The king and queen of each side are turtles with clear quartz head and limbs, and each of the thirty-two pieces is generously accented with a large quantity of gleaming 18k gold. Each set is contained within a finely crafted mahogany box, with chamois-lined fitted interior, and ebony and zebrawood inlays to the lid, around a pair of contrasting pale bird's-eye maple panels. The tallest playing piece (the king) stands 6 1/4 inches high, and each box measures 27 3/8 x 17 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches. The playing board is itself a work of art, with alternating 2 3/4-inch squares of quartz and black obsidian, illuminated by an electric light from beneath, bordered with ebony and mounted in a dark zebrawood veneered base, 28 x 28 x 5 inches overall.