Hand carved Chess Sets, Chessboards, & Chess Pieces

Onyx Chess Pieces & Onyx Chess Boards

The mineral Onyx is a banded variety of a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. Its texture is so finely crystalline that it is only vaguely revealed by using a polarized light. Given its fine qualities, Onyx is most often used in jewelry.  The Onyx pieces and squares for the board are cut using a lathe that is operated by hand. Furthermore, the pieces are further refined by hand-chiseling and have square bases.

Gold & Silver Chess Pieces

The pieces are solid bronze platted in gold and silver. For the gold pieces, there are 2 coats of gold used: the first is 18 karat and the top layer is finished using a 23 karat gold, which is even finer than the first. The density of the gold is of 1 micron.  For the silver pieces, the silver platting is done using a silver .998 or 999, which are the most pure forms of silver available. The density of the silver is of 3 to 3.5 microns.  The bronze is cut using a lathe while it is turned by hand. Once this process is complete, they are manually submerged into the gold and silver for platting.

Crystal Chess Pieces

The crystal used is of the same kind used in the production of fine crystal glasses, vases and other fine grade décor items.  Each crystal piece is elaborated one-by-one by hand applying the same techniques used in Murano, Italy.  There are 2 types of crystal pieces available: the clear crystal and frosted crystal. The frosted pieces are submerged into an acid-solution, which gives them a “frosted,” yet elegant appearance. Both types of crystal pieces are set on a bronze base that is platted in either gold or silver (at the customer’s preference) using the exact same process and gold and silver as the gold and silver platted pieces.  Due to the fragility of crystal, each crystal set features a “wild piece” similar to a pawn that can be used to substitute any broken piece while a new piece is ordered

Wood Cases

The woods used for the framed cases are solid Eucalyptus Grandis (E-3017) and Carob Tree (E-3018). These cases are assembled in such a way that they appear to be “framed,” which highlights the exquisite colors and patterns distinctive of each wood. The wood used for the chiseled leather case (E-3200) is solid Quiri wood. The leather embedded into its external lid is engraved by free-hand requiring over 5,000 strokes. The case also features a leather design of a horse on its interior lid, also chiseled by hand. (Please Note: E-3100 is exactly the same, but the internal lid is lined with felt.) This is by far the most exclusive of all the cases given its production restraints (up to 5 produced each month) and, since each case is chiseled by free-hand, no two designs are exactly the same, making each of these cases a truly one-of-a-kind item. The Quiri Wood cases are available in two tonalities. One is a light-colored polished wood (E-3010) and the other is a darker, opaque case, which is treated to give it a distinct “antique” feel (E-3012). All of the cases mentioned above feature bronze fittings platted in gold or silver, at the customer’s preference. Each set includes a platted key to lock the case in case it is needed. The production processes and the quality of the gold and silver employed for the fittings is the same as the ones employed for the gold and silver pieces. These wooden cases also feature Bronze German invisible hinges and dark plush-lined interiors. In addition, each case is coated with at least to 2 layers of varnish, depending on the needs of each individual wood. The pine case (E-3050) features the design of a horse chiseled by free-hand, fittings entirely made of wood (thus, it cannot be locked by key) and plush-lined interiors. The wood is treated using a burning process, which gives this case its distinctive color and rustic look.

King Line

Two individual bases elegantly handcrafted to assemble a classic chess-set base. The interior is lined with a high-quality dark felt and features individual slots for each piece. Available in Oak, Cedar and Carob tree.

Chiseled Leather Chess Board

The chiseled leather board comes in tonalities of brown & beige and is set on a wood conglomerate.

Please Note: Silver requires regular cleaning to maintain its luster and prevent tarnishing.  All woods are obtained from ecological sustainable forests in Latin America. Imperfections should not be considered defects, but rather validation of the product’s authenticity as handicrafts.