The extensive network of Roman roads, criss-crossing the Roman Empire, was built using the Opus Incertum technique with its characteristic irregularly shaped and randomly placed stones. Builders utilized whatever stones were available along the way, resulting in an ‘uncertain’ pattern. The Via Appia, one of the earliest and most strategically important roads of the Roman Republic, connected Rome to Brindisi in southeast Italy. Construction of the road began in 312 BC, and many parts of the original road have been preserved; some are even used by cars today.
Over the centuries, the word ‘opus’ – which simply means ‘work’ in Latin – became associated with art and music. Italian composers began numbering their compositions with ‘opus’ followed by a number. The term ‘magnum opus’ refers to the ‘masterpiece’ of an artist, originally the piece of work produced by an apprentice aspiring to become a master craftsman in the old European guild system. In modern usage, it denotes a creation that has received much critical praise, often considered the greatest work of an individual’s career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or craftsmanship.
We view each life as an Opus Incertum: a work of art, a masterpiece composed of unpredictable stones. Our life paths are marked by stepping stones that help us cross rivers or take new directions. Along the way, we reach milestones: a diploma, a marriage, the birth of a child, professional accomplishments, or academic achievements. Sometimes, we become like rolling stones, shifting locations, moving freely across the world, and finding rest in new places. All these stones are connected, forging a unique and individual path, with grand and modest victories linked together in an Opus Incertum journey. Our Opus Incertum collection symbolises your life’s unique journey, pieced together with various stones, crafting a masterpiece.
The colour palette chosen to represent milestones and stepping stones is symbolic of life itself. We selected a spectrum of dazzling greens and vibrant blues, recognising that life originates in water and that upon birth, oxygen is our foremost necessity. Without air and water, our existence is unsustainable. The various blue hues symbolise water, while the range of greens represents air, a nod to the vital oxygen produced by verdant trees and plants.
“We went to great lengths to find the perfect colours and combinations, ranging from deep night-blue through intense turquoise to blue-green and warm green, spanning half of the colour wheel. The natural gemstones are layered as doublets and triplets, with the domes set in either blue topaz or crystal quartz.”
Renilde Vervoort
The joy of colour is at the heart of each Opus Incertum piece. We exclusively use natural gemstones such as blue agate, green turquoise, green-blue chalcedony, lapis lazuli, turquoise, green agate, prehnite, chrysoprase, blue topaz, and crystal quartz. These gemstones are paired and layered to create an abundance of colours in unique, unexpected hues. The domes are irregularly facetted on both sides, reminiscent of the Opus Incertum roads. The gems nestle in warm yellow gold links, with some areas meticulously etched by our master artisans in a Florentine finish, while others remain smooth and polished. This contrast mirrors life’s ebb and flow—sometimes smooth and serene, at other times challenging. Light filters through, casting a warm and distinct radiance on the Florentine finish.
