Would you pay $100,000 for a gem-covered backgammon set?

S by Salanitro has created a bejewelled backgammon set decorated with 1,277 precious and semi-precious stones

A bejewelled backgammon set by S by Salanitro. Photo: S by Salanitro

Swiss brand S by Salanitro has celebrated its official launch with the release of three precious objects. These include a bejewelled backgammon set produced by hand in Geneva by master craftsmen.

The company’s founder, Pierre Salanitro, has spent more than 30 years crafting watch and jewellery creations for some of the most prestigious brands in the world. With this new venture, he is transporting that expertise to objects that combine innovation, craftsmanship and a respect for tradition.

The set’s 20 checkers are encircled with black diamonds or blue sapphires, as are the 24 arrows edges on the board. The dice cup is finished in anthracite leather and bears the S by Salanitro logo.

Meanwhile, 137 black diamonds dot the doubling cube – which resembles a regular die, but is a little larger and is printed with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. The board is made from high-quality leather and Swiss wood, both of which have been patinated. S by Salanitro plans to introduce 10 new backgammon sets per year, and a personalisation service is also available.

Also part of the launch collection is the Warrior of Malinaltepec, a contemporary reinterpretation of the emblematic Mesoamerican mask discovered in 1921 in Malinaltepec, in south-west Mexico. Recreated by expert setters and engravers, S by Salanitro’s masks are made from vermeil, or “silver gilt”, interspersed with a number of diamonds.

The final object in S by Salanitro’s debut offering is a mirror created in collaboration with interior architect and designer Aline Erbeia.

The design is inspired by the calaveras, the skeletal motif that has become a key cultural and artistic element of Mexico’s Day of the Dead festivities. A total of 1,277 precious and semi-precious stones have been set on a base of lacquered wood – the result of 350 hours of meticulous work.