Daniel Yu crafts a cabochon emerald in pleated blackened gold
The jeweller's EP.331 ring suspends a luminous emerald within a crown of folded metal, each pleat graduating from violet sapphire to brilliant white diamond.
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Daniel Yu’s EP.331 ring exists as a study in controlled drama. A cabochon emerald of deep, luminous green occupies the centre, its smooth dome catching light with quiet intensity. Around it, blackened gold has been folded into precise pleats, each one catching and holding the eye as the metal catches the light.
The geometry is deliberate and intricate. Each fold of the pleated crown steps inward with mathematical precision, and within each fold sits a graduated progression of colour: violet sapphires descend toward the emerald’s edges, then dissolve into white diamonds that frame the whole composition. The effect is one of movement held still, a crown that radiates outward from the stone’s green centre like light bending through water.
Blackened gold, polished to a deep charcoal sheen, contrasts sharply against the brightness of the diamonds and the cool glow of the emerald. It is a material choice that speaks to restraint, allowing the stones and their careful placement to carry the entire narrative. The cabochon cut of the emerald, smooth and rounded rather than faceted, adds to the ring’s sense of classical proportion and timeless appeal.
The work is hand drawn and hand finished, each fold calibrated by eye and hand. This is custom jewellery born from precision and sensibility, a commission conceived and executed as a singular object rather than a commercial piece designed for replication. EP.331 is available through Daniel Yu’s atelier.
Imagery courtesy of Daniel Yu Jewelry (@danielyu_jewelry).