The shade may catch your eye but the base is truly spectacular. The Garinée lamp is produced by Cub-ar, a French company that creates products out of Armenian obsidian, a precious stone formed when volcanic lava of the felsic variety cools rapidly. The stone is dark and full of depth but also, somewhat paradoxically, transparent.
Cub-ar's collections are designed in France but the stone is cut and polished in Armenia by skilled artisans in a process that involves slicing it with a diamond-blade saw, smoothing it down and then polishing it off. The stone is then coupled with materials such as wood and metal to create stunning items for the home. The natural patterning and transparency of the obsidian makes every piece in the Cub-ar portfolio unique.
The Garinée base stands at 25cm tall, and combines obsidian in striped translucent black and iridescent brown. This is coupled with a neon green lampshade that is blindingly on trend. The mixing of a colour that is bright, flirty and unashamedly trendy with a material that is sleek, sophisticated and millions of years old makes for stunning contrast.
Cub-ar products are distributed in the UAE by Faubourg Design; www.faubourgdesign.com; 050 37 39 182. The Garinée lamp retails for €850 (Dh4,459).
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