The Giraux Gold Basketball
One of One. Solid 14K Gold. Regulation Size.
This is a singular commission from Giraux Fine Jewelry: a regulation-size basketball rendered entirely in solid 14-karat yellow gold. Conceived as a one-of-one sculptural artwork, the piece is handcrafted in our San Francisco atelier under the direction of master jeweler Varoujan Tabakian.
It is, in every sense, a final-work caliber piece: the kind of object that exists at the intersection of fine art, high craft, and personal legacy.
Commission Overview
- Material
- Solid 14K Yellow Gold
- Weight
- ~6,795 g (~15 lb)
- Dimensions
- Regulation Basketball Size
- Construction
- Hand-textured walls, hollow air core
- Edition
- One of One
- Year
- 1992
- Lead Artisan
- Varoujan Tabakian
- Provenance
- San Francisco
A full-size sphere with authentic channel patterning, formed in solid 14-karat yellow gold. Its outer surface is individually hand-textured to replicate the distinctive pebbled grain of a leather basketball. Here, each raised dot is precious metal, shaped and set with the patience of traditional bench work.
Display sculpture. Non-functional as sporting equipment.
Masterwork Provenance
Conceived and fabricated as a one-of-one collectible artwork, this regulation-size solid 14K gold basketball was handcrafted in San Francisco in collaboration with master jeweler Varoujan Tabakian on July 20, 1992.
The piece features textured solid-gold walls around a hollow air core, preserving authentic regulation dimensions while showcasing the unmistakable luster of 14-karat gold. Each pebbled surface detail was hand-finished to echo the tactile quality of leather while elevating the basketball to museum-grade fine art.
Possibly the world's only solid gold basketball ever created, this masterwork represents the capstone of a legendary jeweler's career, a singular intersection of sport, craft, and precious metal artistry.
