Gong meditation master Léo Cosendai, focusses his fine-tuned spirituality into creating his first ever jewels. The Metamorphosis collection is inspired by both his spiritual practice and the wilderness of deserted landscapes in his native Switzerland, Turkey, Northern Africa, India and Arizona. Here he finds: 'pockets of time and space where noise is distant, and signal is resonant.'
Meditation plays a key role in Cosendai's life, and has shared his gong baths with over 500,000 people, trained more than 150 instructors worldwide, and as an experience designer has worked with Armani, Maison Margiela, Olafur Eliasson, and Pace Gallery, to name a few.
Metamorphosis is the first manifestation of Cosendai's continuous deep searching into beauty and serenity expressed in tactile materials with value beyond their material worth. Cosendai says: 'It is usually when I find myself in the wilderness that something appears on my inner canvas. It can feel like I’m sitting in the middle of ripples, where noise is distant, and signal resonant— a meditation in and of itself. After that, my job is to remain faithful to what was revealed to me, and perhaps more importantly what stayed with me.'
The primary material used is Whitby jet, fossilised monkey puzzle wood formed over 200 million years, found on the northern shores of Yorkshire, England. Whitby jet is protected and only naturally eroded pieces fallen from the cliffs that wash up on the shore can be collected, making it a unique material with a poetic nature in keeping with Cosendai's soulful approach to jewellery.
Cosendai has a close connection to the material: 'My inspiration also comes from a more personal place. For years, I've kept a piece of Whitby jet with me. The soothing feel of its polished surface has always brought me a sense of calm. I am delighted to be able to now share this rare fossilised wood that is hand-carved in England, and the feeling it evokes, to my clients.'
As for the designs, Cosendai explains: 'I've always been captivated by the striking and timeless pairing of black and gold. It was this same aesthetic that led me to the compelling beauty of yellow diamonds set in gold—a combination that immediately resonated with me.'
The harmonious compositions are made in London and Turkey, using gold and yellow or black diamonds. Each jewel is one-of-a-kind and made to order and only eight of each will be made.
Cosendai explains: 'After over 15 years of meditation, I believe the feeling and sensation of harmony is something that I can not only feel and hear, but also see. Whether it’s colour, shape or texture, each design comes from nature, and equally brings you to it.
Simple yet resonant, they follow Cosendai's mantra of: 'Shaped in solitude. Forged through ritual. Worn in transcendence.' Cosendai's designs will appeal to both men and women for their aesthetic accomplishment and those seeking a deeper meaning to their jewels that connects them to another sphere of awareness. As Cosendai explains: 'I'm drawn to curves that reveal personal beauty, and proportions which amplify natural harmony.'
