The Fairy Skull King at NYC Jewelry Week 2025

Renowned pearl carver Shinji Nakaba and writer Melanie Grant delve into his life and work for a rare in-depth conversation, which is his first outside Japan. They will discuss how he came to pearls as a material, the twists and turns of his creative journey and the meaning behind his creations both as an artistic practice and within Japanese culture.

Melanie Grant is a writer and curator having worked as a journalist for over 20 years at The Times, The FT, The Independent, The Guardian, The BBC and The Economist where she specialised in jewellery, watches and luxury for 16 years. She wrote her first book Coveted on the art and economics of high jewellery published by Phaidon in 2020, then co-authored Winged Beauty in 2021 and 100 Years of Creativity in 2023. Her latest work The Jewelry Book came out in September 2025. Her curations include exhibitions for Sotheby's New York and London, The Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery, TEFAF Maastricht and Kensington Palace. She is a Harvard Scholar, won The Media Excellence category of The Gem Awards voted for by the Jewelers of America in March 2021 and is on the advisory boards of The Black in Jewelry Coalition, New York Jewelry Week, ISEAL and Responsible Steel.

Shinji Nakaba, born in Kanagawa in 1950, transforms jewelry into sculpture and thought. Self-taught, he began making jewelry in 1974 after exploring fashion, hairstyling, and design. For Nakaba, art transcends material — gold and pearls sit alongside aluminum cans and plastic. His iconic Pearl Skull, a decade in the making, embodies life and death, purity and darkness, perfection and imperfection. Reviving glyptic engraving, he turns jewelry into a meditation on time, decay, and beauty. Exhibited worldwide, his work is in major collections including Boston, Munich, and Lausanne. In Nakaba’s hands, even the most delicate materials confront eternity.

Each November, NYC Jewelry Week proudly presents ‘The Week,’ a 7-day celebration dedicated to the art of jewelry. This annual festival invites a global audience to explore the world of jewelry through a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual experiences, spanning New York City and beyond. Our hybrid program features virtual programs streamed on YouTube alongside immersive on-site activities.

In-person, NYC Jewelry Week brings together leading figures in the jewelry industry to curate extraordinary experiences, including exhibitions, exclusive shopping opportunities, and retail collaborations. Attendees can also participate in insightful panel discussions that explore trends, challenges, and innovations in the field. Each event creates memorable jewelry moments that celebrate the creativity and craftsmanship of the industry.

Committed to inclusivity, many of our programs are free and open to the public. NYC Jewelry Week seeks to reshape how people view jewelry by inviting everyone to appreciate the artistry behind the scenes. Join us in celebrating the transformative power of jewelry and experience the beauty and innovation that define our community.

We look forward to welcoming you to NYCJW25!

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