This one of a kind pendant was gifted to me personally by Kazuko, a former client of mine and a very sweet and special lady.
It has never been worn, and comes with it’s original black box (wear and tear visible on box ) and gold colored box lining paper that she liked to use. There are no hallmarks on the gold wire.
This unique Kazuko Oshima handmade pendant features a beautiful lavender amethyst stone set in 24K plated gold over 14K yellow gold wire.. The brand is known for her healing stone jewelry and this pendant is no exception. The metal purity is high and the color of the stone is soft. This pendant is perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any outfit.
She supplied a black cord to be worn as a pendant. The enhancer charm can also be worn on your own gold chain, pinned to clothing with your own pin, or added to your charm bracelet or hoop earring.
The pendant falls under the Jewelry & Watches category and specifically the Vintage & Antique Jewelry/necklaces & charms subcategories. It is made of gold and features a lavender amethyst stone, known for its healing properties. The pendant is a unique and stylish accessory that will make a statement.
Oshima, who went only by Kazuko, sold exclusively to Barney’s in each of its U.S. locations. She got her start in 1986 designing ethereal-looking scarves, the most famous of which adorned Madonna in her video “Like a Virgin.” It was recently sold at auction for $15,000.
But Kazuko was best known for her jewelry, her technique involving caging wire around different stones and titling them “One of One Healing Sculptures.” Kazuko would affix a handwritten note to each piece detailing the specific healing properties each stone had. That note for this pendant is missing.
Those who knew her claimed she was just that, a healer.
“I’m the most cynical person in the world, but when I put a Kazuko crystal on, I felt better,” said Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys and a longtime friend of Kazuko. “I definitely don’t believe in magic, but if I did, it would be her.”
Every Barney’s store featured a case full of Kazuko’s jewelry directly inside their front door. Barney’s often hired Kazuko to travel to help them open each new store. She would sometimes travel with her one-legged pet canary, Bobi Bird, who she referred to as her “husband.” The canary flew into her 35th floor Manhattan apartment window and right into a decorative bird cage she had. I enjoyed many delightful phone conversations with Kazuko in the 1990s.
Kazuko came to New York as a Fulbright Scholar in the Sixties and soon involved herself in the performance art scene. She befriended such luminaries as Andy Warhol, Robert Frank and Bianca Jagger.