{"title":"Luxury Writing Instruments","description":"\u003cp\u003eFountain pens as objects of art. Each writing instrument in this collection is an S.T. Dupont × L'Aquart collaboration, its body carved from a single piece of natural gemstone — amethyst, smoky quartz, lapis lazuli, rock crystal — by master lapidary Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, and finished with S.T. Dupont's precision fittings and 18k gold nibs. These are limited, collectible pieces: instruments to write with, sculptures to live with.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"amethyst-fountain-pen","title":"Amethyst Fountain Pen S.T. Dupont × L'Aquart × Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA single block of natural amethyst, hand-carved into a working fountain pen. Edition of ten.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOne of ten\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is Edition of 10 — a numbered, signed work in an artist's series of ten. Each piece is unique in its crystalline patterning; no two blocks of amethyst are identical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe stone\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmethyst is a variety of crystalline quartz whose violet colour arises from iron impurities and natural irradiation within the crystal lattice. It registers 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it durable enough to carve with precision while remaining receptive to a high lapidary polish. Prized since antiquity, amethyst was worn by Egyptian pharaohs and by medieval bishops; the Greeks attributed to it the power to preserve clarity of mind. It is the birthstone of February and one of the most historically significant of all gemstones. The specific stone used here exhibits the stone's characteristic deep violet, with the natural internal light-play — zones of colour and translucency — that no synthetic material can replicate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe pen \u0026amp; mechanics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe writing instrument is an original S.T. Dupont fountain pen in 18k gold, carrying the 750 hallmark. Every S.T. Dupont pen is finished at the Maison's atelier in Faverges, Haute-Savoie, where 95% of every Dupont object has been hand-made since the house was founded in 1872. The pen rests in a pair of forks carved to cradle it, and these mounts — together with the bezel that rims the amethyst case — are executed in gold-plated bronze, framing the gold of the pen against the depth of the stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe cap cipher\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe S.T. Dupont double-D monogram is set into the cap: the mark of a house that has supplied bespoke objects to heads of state, crowned houses, and private clients of discernment since the nineteenth century. Among those who have carried a Dupont: Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie; the Maharajas who commissioned the first Dupont trunks; and Jackie Kennedy, who ordered a set of lighters as gifts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuis Alberto Quispe Aparicio is a Peruvian-born lapidary artist working under the L'Aquart atelier. His practice centres on the transformation of raw mineral matter into objects of daily ritual — where the act of writing, or the gesture of holding a pen, becomes an encounter with geological time. Each piece in this series begins with the selection of a single exceptional stone; the carving follows the natural structure of the crystal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Maison\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eS.T. Dupont was established in Paris in 1872 by Simon Tissot-Dupont. The house rose to prominence as the pre-eminent maker of travel trunks and personal accessories for European royalty and nobility, before becoming synonymous with the luxury lighter and the prestige writing instrument. Today, the Maison continues to produce its pens and lighters by hand in Faverges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOffered by\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurround Art Gallery presents this work as part of its curated programme of objects at the intersection of fine art and functional craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBase:\u003c\/strong\u003e 26 × 6 × 3 cm  |  \u003cstrong\u003ePen:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm  |  \u003cstrong\u003eTotal height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 cm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"L'Aquart","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44116236566825,"sku":"LAAMETHYSTPEN1","price":8800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0690\/1170\/2057\/products\/fine-art-sculpture-amethyst-fountain-pen-sculpture-414996.jpg?v=1677374201"},{"product_id":"smoky-crystal-fountain-pen","title":"Smoky Quartz Fountain Pen S.T. Dupont × L'Aquart × Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fountain pen carved from a single crystal of smoky quartz.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a S.T. Dupont fountain pen hand-carved from a solid block of natural smoky quartz by Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, Peru's foremost lapidary master, for L'Aquart. It is a strictly limited piece, produced in an edition of only ten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLimited edition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEdition 1 of 10. Each example is individually carved by hand from natural stone, so no two are identical. This is a numbered object within an edition the Maison produces in numbers as small as ten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe body\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSolid natural smoky quartz, hand-carved from a single crystal — no veneer, no composite, no fill. The stone is structural and entire. Smoky quartz is a translucent variety of crystalline quartz whose warm grey-to-brown tone forms naturally over geological time, shaped and polished here to reveal the depth and clarity of the crystal across three dimensions. The stone stands at 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe pen \u0026amp; mechanics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe writing instrument itself is an original S.T. Dupont fountain pen in 18k gold, carrying the 750 hallmark. Every S.T. Dupont pen is finished at the Maison's atelier in Faverges, Haute-Savoie, where 95% of every Dupont object has been hand-made since the house was founded in 1872. The pen rests in a pair of forks carved to cradle it, and these mounts — together with the bezel that rims the smoky quartz case — are executed in gold-plated bronze, framing the gold of the pen against the depth of the stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe stone\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmoky quartz takes its smoke-grey to deep brown colour from natural irradiation acting on trace aluminium within the crystal lattice, not from dye or treatment. Prized by lapidaries for centuries, it is the national gem of Scotland — where \"Cairngorm\" smoky quartz set the hilts of Highland dirks — and the state gem of Colorado. It has long been associated with grounding and protection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuis Alberto Quispe Aparicio is Peru's foremost lapidary sculptor, heir to a tradition of carving precious stone into objects of use and beauty. Each L'Aquart piece is carved and signed by his hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Maison\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eS.T. Dupont has operated in Paris since 1872. The house served as official photographer to Napoleon III and created a bespoke fountain pen for Jackie Kennedy. Their Faverges atelier, where 95% of every object is still hand-made, is the source of every S.T. Dupont Haute Création piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePresentation\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece is presented in a custom-made decorative case, handcrafted from premium leather and suede and exclusively branded by Surround Art Gallery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBase: 26 × 6 × 3 cm. Pen: 20 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm. Total height: 10 cm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOffered by\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurround Art \u0026amp; Diamonds, Irvine, California — North American home of L'Aquart and S.T. Dupont Haute Création.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"L'Aquart","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44116237484329,"sku":"LASMOKYPEN1","price":8800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0690\/1170\/2057\/products\/fine-art-sculpture-smoky-crystal-fountain-pen-sculpture-816874.jpg?v=1677374207"},{"product_id":"st-dupont-fountain-pen-in-lapis-lazuli","title":"Lapis Lazuli Fountain Pen S.T. Dupont × L'Aquart × Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fountain pen that exists once in the world.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the founding prototype of S.T. Dupont's Stones of Fortune — a fountain pen hand-carved from a single block of natural Afghan lapis lazuli by Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, Peru's foremost lapidary master. It was never produced in multiples. There is no second example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOne of one\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEdition 1 of 1. This pen was carved before the Stones of Fortune collection existed, to demonstrate what was possible in natural stone. It is the first object, and the only object, of its form in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe body\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSolid Afghan lapis lazuli, hand-carved from a single boulder. No veneer, no composite, no fill — the stone is structural and entire. The characteristic deep blue with natural gold pyrite inclusions has been shaped and polished to reveal the interior of the boulder across three dimensions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe nib \u0026amp; mechanics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18k gold, 750 hallmark, tuned at S.T. Dupont's atelier in Faverges, Haute-Savoie — the facility where 95% of every Dupont object has been hand-finished since the Maison's founding in 1872. The nib carries the house's engraved signature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe signature\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn engraved metal plate reads: \u003cem\u003eS.T. Dupont No. X\/X, Paris.\u003c\/em\u003e This is the official Maison mark used on numbered Haute Création editions. On a prototype 1\/1, it designates a numbered object for which no other number exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe cap cipher\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eL'Aquart's hexagonal cipher is set directly into the stone of the cap, within a finished surrounding bezel. The lapidary's mark is not applied to the pen — it is embedded within it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuis Alberto Quispe Aparicio is Peru's foremost lapidary sculptor, heir to a family tradition rooted in 1968. His carved works are held in nine museum collections worldwide. Since 2010, he has collaborated directly with S.T. Dupont on Haute Création pieces — a category the Maison produces in editions as small as one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Maison\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eS.T. Dupont has operated in Paris since 1872. The house served as official photographer to Napoleon III and created a bespoke fountain pen for Jackie Kennedy. Their Faverges atelier, where 95% of every object is still hand-made, is the source of every S.T. Dupont Haute Création piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOffered by\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurround Art \u0026amp; Diamonds — North American representative of L'Aquart, with nearly a decade of placing Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio's works — including his Faces of Eternity series and Kleodora clutches — in private collections across the United States and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContact Surround Art \u0026amp; Diamonds with any quaestions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Solid Afghan lapis lazuli, hand-carved from a single boulder\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNib:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18k gold, 750 hallmark, medium grade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAtelier:\u003c\/strong\u003e S.T. Dupont, Faverges, Haute-Savoie, France\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLapidary:\u003c\/strong\u003e Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, Lima, Peru (L'Aquart)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCap cipher:\u003c\/strong\u003e L'Aquart hexagonal mark, set into stone with finished bezel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Engraved \"S.T. Dupont No. X\/X, Paris\" metal plate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stones of Fortune — S.T. Dupont × L'Aquart\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Prototype, 1 of 1 worldwide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStatus:\u003c\/strong\u003e On hand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDelivery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Delivery with provenance documentation and presentation case\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"L'Aquart","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53236744225065,"sku":"LAPISPEN1","price":18800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0690\/1170\/2057\/files\/lapis_hero.jpg?v=1780879680"},{"product_id":"st-dupont-fountain-pen-in-rock-crystal-by-laquart","title":"S.T. Dupont Rock Crystal Excellence Artist's Proof Fountain Pen | Natural Quartz | 18k Gold Nib | L'Aquart × Quispe Aparicio","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eS.T. Dupont Rock Crystal Excellence — the single example held outside any numbered edition, in hand.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe artist's proof\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn artist's proof exists at the edge of the edition — produced alongside the numbered run, retained as the sculptor's own record of the work. This is the only example of the Rock Crystal Excellence in this designation. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe body\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSolid rock crystal, natural quartz, carved from a single piece. In lapidary work, a crystal object that shows no inclusions, fractures, or cloudiness across its full carved body is rarer than it sounds — this piece is the one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe nib \u0026amp; mechanics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18k gold, 750 hallmark, hallmarked \"M\" for medium grade, tuned at S.T. Dupont's atelier in Faverges, Haute-Savoie. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe display\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pen is presented on a natural quartz cluster — the raw crystal formation from which the pen's material originates — mounted on gold-finished pillars. The pen rests within a faceted and polished crystal enclosure. Writing instrument and source stone are presented together as one unified object.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe signature\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigned S.T. Dupont. As the artist's proof for the Stones of Fortune line, this is the pen against which any future production would be measured — the reference object, in the sculptor's own keeping, now offered for private acquisition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuis Alberto Quispe Aparicio is Peru's foremost lapidary sculptor, heir to a family tradition rooted in 1968. His carved works are held in nine museum collections worldwide. Since 2010, he has collaborated directly with S.T. Dupont on Haute Création pieces — a category the Maison produces in editions as small as one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Maison\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eS.T. Dupont has operated in Paris since 1872. The house served as official photographer to Napoleon III and created a bespoke fountain pen for Jackie Kennedy. Their Faverges atelier, where 95% of every object is still hand-made, is the source of every S.T. Dupont Haute Création piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAcquisition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pen is physically in hand. It may be acquired individually or together with its companion piece: the Lapis Lazuli Prototype, also signed and in hand. Each acquisition includes insured shipping, full provenance documentation, and the original presentation cases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContact Surround Art \u0026amp; Diamonds with any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Solid rock crystal, natural quartz — transparent and unflawed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNib:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18k gold, 750 hallmark, medium grade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAtelier:\u003c\/strong\u003e S.T. Dupont, Faverges, Haute-Savoie, France\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLapidary:\u003c\/strong\u003e Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, Lima, Peru (L'Aquart)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDisplay:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural quartz cluster on gold-finished pillars, faceted crystal enclosure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Signed S.T. Dupont\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stones of Fortune — S.T. Dupont × L'Aquart\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Artist's Proof, sole example\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStatus:\u003c\/strong\u003e On hand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"L'Aquart","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53237972435241,"sku":"ROCKCRPEN1","price":15800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0690\/1170\/2057\/files\/ChrystalPen1.jpg?v=1780942018"}],"url":"https:\/\/surroundartdiamonds.com\/collections\/luxury-writing-instruments.oembed","provider":"Surround Art Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}