According to Greek ­mythology, the goddess Gaea (also known as Gaia) created the universe and gave birth to the gods. That explains ­Spanish jewelry atelier Magerit’s powerful ­depiction of her in this exquisite necklace. Gaea’s pose, says designer Daniel Calvo, was inspired by “the protagonists of frescoes of creation”—namely, God and Adam (and their famously outstretched arms) in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

Body Art

Calvo says the biggest challenge in creating the necklace was getting “the correct balance between the movement of the piece and its perfect fit to the female anatomy.” The finished necklace, he adds, “is Magerit in its purest essence.”

Goddess Complex

The necklace was made entirely in Magerit’s Madrid workshop by numerous artisans including five designers, two gemologists, three jewelers, two enamel specialists, and two polishers. At press time, it was available for 126,000 euros (around $150,000).

Nouveau Rich

The fantastical design, which features the swirling lines of Art Nouveau, was fabricated using 78 grams of yellow gold set with 320 white diamonds (11.67 cts. t.w.); 192 green diamonds (4.2 cts. t.w.); 163 blue sapphires (4.4 cts. t.w.); two pear-cut blue tanzanites (17.7 cts. t.w.); and enamel.