When Alp Sagnak, the Turkish jeweler behind New York City–based Atelier Minyon, learned about quarks—the smallest particles inside a proton—he set out to make a jewel that represents “energy shooting into the proton and hitting the quark,” he says. In scientific illustrations, the process resembles an hourglass—hence the hourglass at the center of each of these complex earrings. The gold bows denote the energy shooting into the quark, while the ruby- and diamond-covered cages symbolize “DNA structures that swirl around the quark,” explains Sagnak, who says he’s aware that the average customer might be baffled by his explanation. “My work is all about [exploring] the two egos—a person’s naive side and the wild side,” he says. “This represents my wild side.” Material IssueThe dazzling drops, measuring 5 centimeters in length, feature 18k gold bows topped