The Giraux Gold Basketball
One of One. Solid 14K Gold. Regulation Size.
The Object
- 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.
The Masterpiece
This is a singular commission from Giraux Fine Jewelry: a regulation-size basketball rendered entirely in solid 14-karat yellow gold, handcrafted in San Francisco by master jeweler Varoujan Tabakian in 1992, and on display in our showroom today.
It reflects the standard every Giraux piece is held to. And if another commission like it were ever undertaken, it would be made the same way: by hand, one of one.
See It in Person
The gold basketball lives at our San Francisco showroom. Book a private viewing, or talk with us about a commission of your own.
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