Antique Pique Earrings, English: pique, pronounced pee-kay, is a French word meaning “included”, as in gemstones having inclusions, or as in some Amber being “included” with an ancient insect. Pique jewellery has a design element, usually metal, pressed into a heated material which, when it cools, closes in on the inclusion, holding it in place.
The material most favoured in this process was tortoise shell, in particular the shell of the carapace of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, for it was the most suitably malleable for pique work when heated. The fact that this sea turtle is now critically endangered and very rare is one of the reasons why pique jewellery is rare and costly and has not been produced for a very long time.
Another reason why pique jewellery is rare and costly and has not been produced for a very long time, is that the work involved in its creation is immensely time-consuming. Quite simply, noone will spend the time needed for this “lost” art.