Years ago, I visited the Paranal Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Looking into that incredibly clear night sky, filled with countless stars and colors, became one of those rare moments in life that stays with you forever.
The wild blue-black burl maple captures my memory of that endless sky. Hundreds of tiny 18-karat white-gold dots spread across the fingerboard like distant stars, joined by 60 sapphires in a full spectrum of colors, echoing the countless hues of stars sparkling across the night sky.
Paranal Memories is my tribute to that night, and to the overwhelming beauty of looking deep into our universe.
Sapphire stars
The “stars” are composed of 60 sapphires, each 3 mm in size and set in white gold. Together, they cover the full color spectrum of all existing sapphire hues, symbolizing the radiant glow and infinite variety of the night sky.
They are accompanied by hundreds of tiny 18-karat white-gold dots spread across the fingerboard like distant stars.
Paranal Observatory inspiration
At ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile, powerful lasers create artificial guide stars to correct the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere in real time, allowing a clearer view into the universe.
I am glad I had this surreal moment in such an extraordinary environment with an almost otherworldly intensity captured.
24k “Skratchy Gold” hardware
The tuning buttons, along with selected hardware elements, are finished in our distinctive “Skratchy Gold” variation and plated with 24k gold. This refined surface combines precious material value with a raw, textured character, adding a bold contrast to the celestial elegance of the instrument.
